to Key or Not to Key
If you are referring to the key switch, ours was replaced with an on-off manual switch by the p.o. Another Ericson that I know of has this mod. also.
Also, I personally know of another sailor that has had the key broken off by an errant foot. Those ignition key switches do not like sea air and being bashed.
Since, on my Universal diesel, this switch is only a two-wire on-off device, I like the simplicity....
I did add a hidden toggle switch on the backside of the panel, under the laz seat so that if this obvious ignition switch replacement is turned on when the boat is locked up, it will not be energized. (I need to leave the main battery switch on most of the time to power the house bank for the refrigeration and the bilge pump circuit.)
A planned upgrade for later this year is to put in a replacement Blue Seas (r) switch panel where the 1-2-all factory switch is now. Then there will be one switch for the engine battery and a separate 100 amp house-battery breaker, and an emergency combiner. It's about time for a new set of upgraded primary DC cables to the main distribution panel, anyway.
You know how it goes... the upgrade list just never ends... Never...
Best,
Loren in PDX
1988 Olson 34