Where do you get advice on shore power systems?

[hanleyclifford]

Shawn - It's even worse than that. You can be affected by someone else's hookup if stray currents are being released into the water. If you have a lot of boats on power where you dock, go fishing yourself off the transom and see if he disappears.

[sastanley]

Yeah, Hanley, that is exactly what I mean...all the other boats!! You've seen the dock where I am..the owner keeps his boat plugged in, but no one else does. I haven't done any 'checking' for stray current, but I also don't swim there either.

Right now there is an extension cord draped down the dock to one of the other boats. This guy never uses it, so I suspect the bilge pump ran the batteries down and he's got a battery charger down there, unattended.

My buddy is at a marina with ~75% of the boats plugged in 24/7.

[ndutton]

The reason I started this poll last year was seeing repeated advice on forums that was questionable if not downright disingenuous. The responses here were excellent, no surprise.

Some of the trusted internet sources are often self-serving in promoting their own business, ego or both. Anyone advises you to drop several thou$ands on gear to charge a battery deserves careful scrutiny. Usually the hook is threat of fire, shock or death and if you don't agree with them you're either ignorant or foolish.

Be vigilant my friends.

[hanleyclifford]

When at home in Edgartown my boat is on a mooring so I don't worry about shore power. Even when traveling and staying on a transient dock I only give shore power cursory inspection because I know I will be on the boat overnight and able to react quickly. The real danger arises when you stay on a dock for weeks and months as I do in Florida. In that case I make it a priority to be my brother's keeper and I routinely walk the dock and inspect each boat's hook up - tactfully, of course if the owner is present. I look for things like cords hanging in the water . I also look for strange/cobbled adapters or burned looking plugs and receptacles. I like to make sure there is sufficient slack on each boat to handle the tide and normal roll where applicable. I used to be dock master at Edgartown Marine so I am quite anal about this. Show me a boat not made up well to the dock and I'll show you a boat that needs an electrical inspection. Don't be shy about going to the office and getting right in the dock master's face.

[romantic comedy]

My boat was wired with 6 110 outlets when I got it. They are on two GFCI circuits. I know that the PO had a marine electric guy do the job. (in Annapolis)
SO far, I am still alive and have not had any problems.

I have done some ac electrical work such as replacing meter panels, adding outlets and other circuits on terrestrial dwellings. I feel that I know enough to know that I need to ask when I have any doubts.

I always consult several sources for an answer to a problem. (Electrical or not) I tell every one this is the best method, especially on marine issues!!

Electrics seems to scare and confuse mechanics and do it yourself types. I have never understood this. It is just straight forward to me. (even those loose ground problems) I guess we start learning about mechanical things in the crib, where electrical stuff comes much later. Or maybe it is that we cant see those electrons moving.

[dvd]

I generally don't leave my boat plugged into the dock unless its cold and I want to run the heater or I need to watch movies or tv on the boat. My harbor is very hot and I change zincs every year. I've gotten pretty good at changing them under water. I know nothing about shore power other than I plug it in when I need it and generally keep it unplugged. I have an old gritty stiff cord laying on the dock when I need it and and a nice shiny flexible new one I pull out of the boat when I travel to other areas. That's it that's all I know on the subject. I do notice that my prop tends to get some hard scaly stuff on it that I have to sand off, when I leave the boat plugged in for long periods of time. Not really sure if this is caused by electrolysis or not. I leave the shore power generally unplugged or this reason. DVD