The effective path that a galvanic isolator must maintain should not be impeded by what?

The effective path that a galvanic isolator must maintain should not be impeded by ground faults. A galvanic isolator is designed to prevent corrosion in metal components submerged in water by breaking the electrical connection between different metallic components. If a ground fault occurs, it could create an unintended path for current, bypassing the isolator. This would compromise its ability to isolate galvanic currents, ultimately allowing stray currents to flow, which could result in corrosion or damage to the boat’s metal parts.

Short circuits, overloads, and voltage spikes may create other issues within an electrical system, but they do not directly impact the primary function of the galvanic isolator in maintaining a proper electrical separation between different components. Therefore, it's crucial for the path maintained by the galvanic isolator to remain unaffected by ground faults to ensure its effectiveness in protecting against galvanic corrosion.