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→12 or 24 Volts
Higher current has disadvantages. The higher the current draw, the thicker the wiring required (and the bigger the spark when you accidentally ground it). Thick wiring is more expensive and hard to install and maintain – think jumper cables for boosting your car.
Higher voltages are also feasible. Large ships have long used a higher voltage DC bus. Some saller smaller yachts have used 150 VDC. Some of the advantages this yields are smaller wiring, more efficient thrusters and windlasses, and compatibility with most shore power around the world and existing resistive devices like stoves.
Wires also have resistance and, when a current passes through them, this causes a voltage drop along the length of the wire. The higher the current, the higher the drop in voltage. This voltage drop limits the practical length of a wire. The maximum run for 12-VDC wiring is around 30-35 ft, which translates into a boat length of around 50 ft, given a midships battery, and the need to run wires around corners.<ref>www.computrols.com/file_download/.../Calculating-Wire-Resistance.pdf</ref> <ref>http://www.advanced-energy.com/upload/File/White_Papers/ENG-24VDCInstallation-260-01.pdf</ref>
