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Shore power not working

Mattc123

New Member
Hi guys, I have a 1972 E27. My shore power cut out on me, I am a liveaboard and was running a heater at the time. My outlets are not getting power. I checked the dockside circuit breaker and it was fine and the dockside pedestal I plug into still has power. I have checked connections, my main breaker and all were okay. Any suggestions on what I should try next? I’m new to this. Thanks!
 

tenders

Innocent Bystander
Electrical problems require absolutely methodical troubleshooting. Sounds like you haven’t ruled out the shore power cable from the dock to the boat. The connections to the plugs at either end are often failure points, either due to mechanical stress or high heat/current. It is also possible that a GFCI outlet in the boat has tripped. Don’t take those lightly, they may be trying to tell you something, but they do wear out.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I am not new to this and I turn over all AC power issues to a qualified electrician. Immediately.

DC only kills you if you deserve it. AC kills you just to see you die.

Oh, and welcome aboard the forum!
 
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alcodiesel

Bill McLean
Figures it happens just when you need the heat.
I had the gfi go bad, replaced it and AC worked again. Disclaimer: electrical and electronics are one my few forte's.

However I no longer run AC in the boat- so to speak. I attached a shore power plug to a 30 amp extension cord, run it to the boat and hang it down the companion way. (there's enough gap between the top hatch board and sliding hatch for the cord) I plug AC stuff: heater, batt charger, tools or even air cond. directly to extension cord. So even though I use some 120vac on the boat, it is separate from the boat.
The DC- I thoroughly went through that and use dc for everything else.

just an idea. you could bypass the boat's ac like I do or just temporarily.
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Before you hire an electrician ...

Have you checked with the marina maintenance people? I am assuming you are in a marina. They can verify if your power source on the dock is actually working.

Checking a breaker -- if a circuit breaker has tripped, it doesn't always flip to the "off" position. Visually checking the position won't always tell you what happened.

Turn off everything in your boat first. Next, set the shore side breaker to "Off" and back to "On." If you've already done these steps, then you're looking at other issues. If you're not familiar with electricity, then an electrician is the best next move.

I hope you're able to keep warm.
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
I had a similar AC electrical problem a couple of years ago, where every time I plugged my shorepower cord into the dock outlet, the dock fuse blew. I checked a the cord connections, shut off and restarted everything, confirmed with the marina that they had no work underway, but didn't really have any idea why this was happening.

The electrician I hired removed the AC panel cover, and using a multi-meter set to AC 120 volts, systematically checked the positive and negative connections; the problem appeared in the connection to the inverter, and when we removed it and took the cover off, there was part of the circuit that looked a bit charred and probably had burnt out.

In thinking about the process later, I could have removed the AC cover and done those multimeter checks myself--like I do when checking circuits in my home to determine if a switch or plug has become problematical. The process is very similar to the electrical problem solving many of us do on our DC circuits on the boat.

While I agree that one needs to be cautious with electrical circuits, especially if one doesn't have any experience, and an electrician is always a safer route, some simple tests first can save a lot of money.

Disclaimer: I also go into our cold water in February wearing a wet suit to change the zincs if they need it rather than paying someone $100 to do a fifteen minute job. My wife complains and thinks I'm nuts to do this at my age (66 years) and she may be right, but while I can afford to pay for some of these jobs, I hate spending money when it isn't necessary. :rolleyes:

Frank
 
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Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I agree with working on our boats and resisting farming out jobs. In the end, it's probably safer because we come to know the boat and its limitations and ours.

The original poster--Matt--is living aboard in Baltimore winter on a 1972 boat. Rain, ice, slippery docks--the whole romantic brochure and lifestyle.

I don't know how complex a 27 is, but all our boats have 110 outlets from an AC panel (the 38 has five or six). The wires are hidden and they snake through bulkheads. Original panel breakers are 40 years old. The shore power outlet may be original. The power cord may be 30 years old. There may be hidden water intrusion at many points and ancient corrosion. Everything may be fine for another couple of years, but something is more likely ready to fail.

Living aboard is a factor. Our new member is running light and heaters day and night. A typical unexpected event--some burning insulation, a boatfull of smoke, a power cord that flashes off, a cockpit outlet that flares and cooks the fiberglass, can lead not to grave danger but a lot of repair expense.

That's why I argue for at least one inspection by an electrician. He'll give advice. He'll comment on the wiring scheme, note any Previous Owner changes, consider stray current issues. He'll probably want to rewire the whole AC system (which I declined).

That one inspection is good for years, and if you're there ready with questions it's like taking a course in yacht electronics. It will leave you aware of the big issues are, what tools you need, why wire nuts are no good, why the bilge pump should be on the batteries and not the panel, whether the battery charger is safe, what a galvanic isolator is, how anodes work, and so on.

AC is just a lot to feel confident about. I installed a GFCI recently --but what outlet does it go on? And why? What happens on your boat if you have the heater on and then try the new toaster somebody gave you for Christmas?

Mark H, who's no longer active here, was sleeping on his boat in Ventura a couple of years ago when his shore power cord went off like a roman candle. He couldn't believe it happened to him. He was pretty knowledgeable about all this stuff, he said he just never stopped to carefully examine the old power cord that came with his boat. Last summer I stuck a wrench into my DC panel and instantly blew out every instrument on board (Garmin plotter, P70 control head, flux gate compass, all brand new and installed a week before. They all went back to the manufacturer for repair, which took three months. Cause? One measely live wire touched another in a panel under construction. For one microsecond.

For a new owner without a multimeter and schematics, an electrical consultation is what, $200? It can save more than that. And it makes sleeping easier.

Not arguin', just sayin'.
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Hi Christian,

Thanks for your thorough reply! You raised many good points that deserve careful consideration, both by those new to boat ownership as well as the long time owners. I also agree that a periodic inspection by a professional--whether an electrician, a rigger, or other specialty--is a very good precaution to ensure that a potentially serious or emerging problem receives attention. And if in doubt about ones abilities, a knowledgeable pro is definitely safer and a good source of information.

It really is a challenge to find the right balance between doing work ourselves so we know how, and to save money when reasonable, versus recognizing when we are beyond our comfort zone and might cause more problems than we could potentially solve. All a part of boat ownership!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply in such a thoughtful way!

Frank
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
Checking a breaker -- if a circuit breaker has tripped, it doesn't always flip to the "off" position.

I bought a 30A male to 15A-female adapter at the local chandlery. About 50 bucks IIRC.

http://www.marinco.com/en/s30-15

With that, I can plug an electrical device with a "normal" three-prong plug (eg, a power drill, a fan, etc.) to test things.

First, test the power-pole itself; plug a device (with the adapter) directly into the power-pole.
If it doesn't work, you know the power-pole is the problem.​

If it works, the next thing is to test your shore-power cord; plug your normal shore-power cord into the power-pole, and plug the drill (with the adapter) into the boat-end of the cord.
If it doesn't work, you know the shore-power cord is the problem.​

If it works... it means electricity is making it from the power pole through the shore-power cord to the inlet connector, and the problem is somewhere on your boat. I agree with Christian, trouble-shooting that is a job for someone who knows what they're doing.

$.02
Bruce
 
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garryh

Member III
"DC only kills you if you deserve it. AC kills you just to see you die."
that made me lol : )
I have been a home inspector for nearly 20 years... the things I see are just scary. People think electricity is easy, just connect a few wires. It is so far from it. If you don't know it and know it well, get someone who does. It can kill you. Quickly.
 

Kevin A Wright

Member III
The advise given so far has been great so I won't bother recapping all that. Only extra bit I can add is that I had a 1977 E27, it had a separate set of shore power breakers hidden in a breaker box (looked like a regular small unit from a house, not marine grade) down in the port lazarette in the cockpit. In case you hadn't seen that you could check there.

And yes, everyone should have a good multimeter handy. They are really cheap now so I keep one on the boat, one in the car, one on the motorcycle, one in the house and one in my large shop. Probably have 2 or 3 more hidden around that I've forgotten about.

Kevin Wright
E35 Hydro Therapy
 

KanH

Member II
somewhat similar issue

Although clear not the same issue, I was have problems getting power to my outlets due to reverse polarity. The issue was resolved by putting in a new shore power connection on the boat and the problem cleared up. If yours like mine is the original to the boat, it may be that it needs replacing. (To be clear, this is the receptacle on the outside of the boat that the shore power gets connected to.)

The exchange was easy and inexpensive but you just need to make sure that everything is done right and securely.
 
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