Arminius,
I don't think there is any 'set' method of installing the electronics in boats. The kit manufacturors generally sort of leave that to the builder, since they can't know exactly what the builder has or will use. Some of them give a generic lay out of receiver, ESC, battery, etc, but that's all it is and certainly isn't the only way to do things.
In general (meaning there are always exceptions), weight should go where it will do you the most good, electrical components should go where they won't get wet, and servos should go where they are accessible (if possible) and their linkages isn't very long or complicated. Since the receiver and ESC usually aren't all that heavy don't worry much about keeping them centered and low in the boat, dry is more important. It's the opposite with batteries (depending on exactly which batteries you use), keep them low and sort of 'centered' in the hull for ballasting needs. Servos, well, they go where you have to put them.
The receiver is the 'brains' of the whole mess, tells everything else what to do. And since it ought to stay dry, put it where it's accessible, dry, and where the leads from the servos, switches, and ESC can reach it. The receiver's antenna is how it gets orders so it should be as high as possible (certainly not mandatory, but a good idea). From that point it's all left up to you (and the boat) as to just where things go. It's also a fairly good idea to keep the different 'types' of wiring seperate, or as far as possible from each other. Keeps interference to a minimum. Wiring can be divided into two very borad 'types', the electrical stuff and the electronics stuff. Anything that produces a spark, or pulsing current, can cause interference. So motor leads and servo leads ought to stay as far from the receiver and antenna as possible. Not always possible, but still a good idea. There are some electonic 'tricks' that can help with interference. Servo leads, or any multiconductor cables can be twisted into sort of a spiral. That helps eliminate interference. 'Supressors' (capacitors) on the motors, and ferrite 'beads' on the leads help too. [Ferrite 'beads' look like ceramic 'donuts', sort of, and if you aren't fairly handy with sorldering, they can be a real pain to put on (cutting cables and resoldering).]
Hope that helps.
- 'Doc

PS - It's probably more than you wanted to know, and as 'dumbed down' as far as I know how to do it. That's what you asked for, not my opinion on how smart you are! I wish there were instructions for how to do all of this stuff, it would certainly have helped me. The good thing about most of this is that nothing says you can't change things later if needed...