Keys on or off?

Craig

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2007
1,044
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How many of you switch the ignition keys and breakers off in the cabin when leaving the boat. I used to but find my self just leaving them on anymore since I turn the battery switchs off. Curious to see what others do and why.
 
About a year ago I had a heart issue and was away from my boat for 8 weeks. My slip neighbors had no way to open her up or turnover her engines. After that I leave my keys in a hidden spot that they only know. Switches are off, batteries are off.
 
I always switch my ignition keys off when I shutdown the boat at anchor or the dock, so they will be off anyway when I leave the boat. I leave breakers on and turn both battery switches off before I leave.
 
I was just thinking about this....normally I turn all the ignition breakers and switches off as well as the hot water heater AC breaker.....then I turn off all the individual DC breakers and also disengage the main DC rocker switches....

but I have a suspension by disengaging the main DC switches I may also be cutting DC power off to the cockpit and cabin frig if the 110VAC supply were to get interrupted....

I discovered this a few months ago when I had my boat detailed while in the water at my slip....the detailer had to swing my boat around bow first in the slip for a couple days so he could reach the bow so the shore power was not connected to the boat.....when he was finished I docked the boat stern first as normal...when I went down into the cabin I found the cabin frig was not cold...so I suspect I inadvertently cut the DC power off to the frig by disengaging the main DC switches.....

I will test that and if true I will just switch all the DC beakers off individually except for the frig DC breaker and not disengage the main DC power switches....

cliff
 
Until this year I was on a mooring. I always removed the key, turned off all breakers and turned the battery switches. I had a routine to do this. On the occasion that I missed my routine and left a battery switch on I was greeted with dead batteries. Not fun. Turning off the breakers helped minimize this possibility if the battery switch was left on.

Now that I'm in a slip with shore power I leave the batteries on, as well as my regularly used breakers. I had planned to turn everything off, but IIRC found that if the batteries were switched off the fridge would not run even on AC power.

I still remove the engine key.
 
I remove my ignition key .both batteries on. Breaker for converter/ Charger on. Water heater and water pump off. I would not want to come to the boat to find a leaking waterline emptied the hot water tank and killed the element or my bilge pumps failed to come on if needed( they are dc) also turn off dock water if equipped so leaking plumbing does not sink the boat. My fridge currently only works on DC because of a bad relay so AC breaker for that off too
 
i turn off the keys and hide them when not running the boat.

not really sure why, though. they are easy keyway profiles that many keys would fix. not like not having the keys would prevent someone from stealing the boat. just want to make it harder on them, i guess.
 
Keys off and out of ignition. Hid in spot in the cabin. Cabin locked and key hid in cockpit. All breakers off except AC converter and Frig. Dock water off.
 
Breaker position when I leave the boat.

Cabin lights - On
Refrigerator - On
HVAC - On (Set to dehumidify when I'm away)
AC Converter - On
Both Battery Banks - On

Ignition Keys and breakers in off position.

This ^
 
How many of you switch the ignition keys and breakers off in the cabin when leaving the boat. I used to but find my self just leaving them on anymore since I turn the battery switchs off. Curious to see what others do and why.

Mine are off. Don’t want to take the chance of someone starting it when I’m not there.
 
Nobody has mentioned this but when the keys are on the fuel pumps are on (pressurized) so why would you leave them on once the engines are off? I would imagine that would be detrimental for the fuel pumps over time.

We turn off our keys and turn off the battery switch for the generator, Port battery is on (house) and for now the starboard battery is on until the next time I'm back at the boat. (Just had our security cameras wired into the DC panel.)

Regarding leaving the keys on, even though they're inside a locked cabin, why leave them on and make it easy for someone to just come and fire up your engines?
 
Keys On and engines switches on, batteries off (essentially turning off the power to the engine switches). AC: Battery charger on, refrigerator on. The boat is my behind my home, as we don't worry about leaving the keys in or locking it...
 
Nobody has mentioned this but when the keys are on the fuel pumps are on (pressurized) so why would you leave them on once the engines are off? I would imagine that would be detrimental for the fuel pumps over time.

We turn off our keys and turn off the battery switch for the generator, Port battery is on (house) and for now the starboard battery is on until the next time I'm back at the boat. (Just had our security cameras wired into the DC panel.)

Regarding leaving the keys on, even though they're inside a locked cabin, why leave them on and make it easy for someone to just come and fire up your engines?


my fuel pumps don't energize until I activate the rocker switches on the dash.....the breakers and keys in the electrical box don't energize the pumps.....

cliff
 
Engine keys off and put away
Breaker for Salon AC on and set to 80*
Breaker on for AC pump
Port and Starboard systems breaker on(Galley refrigerator)
DC-breaker on for refrigerator in case we were to lose power
DC-breaker for topside lighting left turned on
Dock water off.

Bennett
 

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