My old 17' (a 1989 hull) just had a bunch of toggle switches mounted in round holes on the dash when I got it. I cut a big square hole and replaced all that mess with a Blue Sea "Weatherdeck" switch panel:

These are nice for a variety of reasons, a big one being that you get a fuse for each switched load, which simplifies wiring and makes it easier to troubleshoot on the water. Also simplifies wiring your anchor/nav lights, and they are pretty water/corrosion resistant.

I believe the individual switches are modular, and can be removed and replaced if you need (so a simple "on/off" can be swapped out for a 3 way switch, or a momentary on switch.)