Story and photography by Capt. Vince Daniello
Following modern American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) best practices, a properly bonded component these days tends to interconnect with green-insulated or bare-copper wires to a nearby busbar (as shown in photo). A wire or copper strip from the bus then extends to a common connector usually made of a copper-strip-type material or wire which runs the length of the boat. And the common connector is at some point tied into the boat’s zinc or zincs.
Twenty years ago, bonding wires often ran from component to component in a chain around the boat, which works, but a break anywhere in the chain could leave lots of stuff onboard unbonded. In any case, inspect the wires, buses, and connections of your bonding system. Look for corrosion, chafe, or loose screws, and tug wires to ensure terminal ends are sound. Give all connections a shot of corrosion spray, too.
