2016 OWNERS MANUAL / 0205
CIRCUIT BREAKERS
Models
All
Purpose
All major boat circuits are protected from shorting and overload
by resettable circuit breakers. When an electrical fault is detected,
mechanical switch circuit breakers will “trip” and automatically in-
terrupt the flow of electricity. In a circuit breaker, when the electrical
flow exceeds specified design tolerances, the electromagnetic bar
snaps and cuts off further electrical passage. (The XStar features a
complex, digital operation instead, with the same purpose.)
This can be extremely important in protecting persons on-board
and also in preventing electrical fires.
In a water setting, such as those in which boats operate, it is espe-
cially important to avoid electrical shocks. As a result, MasterCraft
utilizes GFI, or Ground Fault Interruption, circuit breaker boards,
except in the XStar. These are solid-state devices that sense when
there is a ground fault, which often occurs in instances involving
water penetration.
Circuit breakers are preferred over fuses in boats for most opera-
tions because each fuse is usable only once. When the electrical
flow is interrupted through a fuse, it then has to be replaced rather
than reset. However, there are a few instances in which a fuse is
preferable.
Access to these fuses is very limited and they should be replaced
by an authorized MasterCraft dealer. Currently, the fuses are for
amps at the battery switch panel, and in-line fuses for the fuel pump
at the engine.
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