As time marches on I find I am spending less time at anchor and staying more and more in serviced marinas with shore power available. Therefore, my new project is the installation of a shore power system on my boat.

My needs for shore power are:
1. Charger to charge my batteries when in a marina. For the past 8 years I have had only solar charging no engine charging. During a recent cruise, overcast for days, and being on the boat for days the batteries were OK but only just.

2. 2 x 240v Power outlets. In winter I am feeling the cold a bit more and would like to run a small ceramic heater on board. Also run an electric cattle/coffee maker when in a marina.

Advice on the components needed and the design of a shore power system would be greatly appreciated.

I have found the following so far, but in the states.

www.ezacdc.com/boat-wiring-products/marine-electrical-shore-power/

http://boatwiringstore.com/boat-wiring/ac

Does anyone know of similar items or local suppliers. I prefer to see the components before I buy.

Thank you all.

Hi Andy, I do that now, I just want to use the excuse to tidy things up and have an excuse to go to the boat when conditions for a day sail are not the best.
I enjoy working/tinkering on the boat Also I want do a neat and professional job.

That's what I am looking for Cisco a list of items necessary and where to source them. A detailed schematic of the complete system would be great.

Thank you

As said by Andy, Cisco and Toph. We have a Ctek M300 charger which works really well, 2 x 240v outlets for use in the cabin and one next to the battery charger. Main switching panel has a 240v polarity tester. Our hot water tank will also heat from 240v which is nice.

Check out some of the 4wd and caravan forums for more info. Pretty common setup for caravans etc

Caravan shop for your bits. Instal an exterior plug that caravans use to hook up their vans to site power. Instal it out of the weather though and in a place where the cable is out of the way. On the inside you really only need a multi plug board to plug your items into. Do instal an earth leakage switch or use 3 pin sockets with individual earth leakage. Old style battery charger from a garage sale, ALDI ceramic heater with the auto switch off for when it falls over.
Galvanic isolater not needed. 240 volts is safer for your boat than 12 volts from solar panels.

Just my two cents .
Not to create permanent installation is good advice.
You must you heavy duty extencion cord. best 20 A rating
otherwise there would be voltage drop, when you plug heater and other stuff.
That voltage drop times current is the heat trough the plugs and lead itself.

The best advise so far is to get a licensed electrician involved. Doing it yourself ain't legal or smart with 240 volts.

As for the charger,I would suggest a "smart" charger, rather than the basic units. The investment in batteries can be large so if this is the case use a decent charger that charges the batteries, monitors and includes a standby mode once the batteries are charged. I suspect that looking after the batteries will be cheaper in the long run.

Try aquavolt.com.au for boat electrical bits.

Thanks again, this is why I participate in this forum. The knowledge and skills transfer in such a short time can't be bought.
Cheers

Actually the wharf or marina connection will have an earth leakage safety switch installed but if your vessel if in survey also has to have one. The easiest way is to buy the off the shelf power points with individual earth leakage installed and use them for items in the cabin you actually touch, electric kettle etc. The polarity issue is unlikely to be an issue now that we have "electronic" light bulbs, they don't usually work if the wiring is incorrect. I would be inclined to stick with a fairly portable setup utilizing off the shelf extension cords of the appropriate standard. For more than twenty years we used to power the light in the light boat with an extension cord fitted with net floats about 50 feet out from the fishing vessel purse seining at night. We also used to sink a mercury vapor light bulb down twenty feet or so as well. I have also accidentally dropped a mini grinder in the oggin while running. It stopped instantly and worked fine the next day.

As far as battery charging goes I think Pekeri is going to be onboard when that occurs so a $5 garage sale charger will be fine.

On the local marina a couple of years back I was told not to let the extension cord run along the ground as contact with
a puddle would short the marina power. Do they make extension cords that are insulated from this problem.?.

crustysailor said..


The plug tester above is a good idea, although the ebay link was for an overseas version.
A 240V illuminating circuit tester pen is a great thing to have in your kit as well.

I just used that for illustration. You can get them at most electrical stores for about $15.

RCD only trips if there is a leakage between active and ground, to protect people.

Why you need polarity check,if you not rewiring your boat but getting proper extension cord.

Active - Neutral must not be swapped at the power point, but ANY electrical equipment with symbol
double installation, do not care where is active or neutral connected.

I think I now know what to do.

I will use the KISS principle.

- Weatherproof 240v 15amp inlet plug.
- Cabling to minimise/eliminate voltage drop
- Cut off switch
- Protected (fuse/breaker) 2 x outlet.
- Marine approved dock cable.

At the club all 240v devices/equipment etc.. has to be certified and stamped by the marina management and I will get this done.

Hopefully this will be acceptable at any marina where I might berth for the night.

Anyone seeing Pekeri (Mainly Port Phillip and Western Port) will be welcomed for a brewed/espresso coffee.

Cheers

In WA, DoT marinas (and likely all private marinas) require heavy duty shore power cable with IP56 plugs. The cable needs to be tagged, which is done by a licenced electrician.

this is an example of IP56 type plug (screw in, weatherproof) and is required at both ends of the shore cable so the boat receptacle needs to be screw in suitable.

At DoT marinas in WA, I've only been asked to view insurance and gas certificates, as well as tagged lead. Nothing on onboard 240v. Though I suspect an insurance claim might require proof of certified work onboard.

Jolene said..

FreeRadical said..
In WA, DoT marinas (and likely all private marinas) require heavy duty shore power cable with IP56 plugs. The cable needs to be tagged, which is done by a licenced electrician.

this is an IP56 type plug.

Like this one

Precisely, even has the tag within 1m of supply end, A+ for you good man.

It's an interesting point nods. I've been trying to work this all out as our boat lives in a marina on shore power. From what I've read, DC leakage can readily happen and eat away your saildrive etc. Thus a galvanic isolator or even better apparently, an isolation transformer gives protection against electrolysis.

Ive had a few conversations about this which has mostly been met with shrugs, I haven't heard of it being an issue an issue at our marina, but then some don't know if they have protection or not.

isolation transformers cost about 2 x galvanic isolator. Are they worth it? A Vectron isolator costs about $300. A transformer starts about $750.

from the Club Marine website:

If steel and aluminium boats are berthed side by side, the two dissimilar metals will create current. Similarly, a boat with faulty electrical wiring can 'leak' current and cause serious grief to surrounding vessels. Each vessel can act like the plates in a battery. The damage maybe to a boat 5 or six away.
This 'daisy chain' effect also applies to marina shorepower, compounded by the fact that many boats use household-quality extension leads.


The marina where I had a live aboard...brought in a expert to test....the results where not good ….the whole marina power system need to be replaced, and dozens of boats needed rewiring.