Will my onboard charger power up via a household plug adapter??

Stee6043

Stee6043

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2015
6,733
West Michigan
Boat Info
1997 Sundancer 400
Engines
7.4L Gassers
My winter storage location is perfectly placed next to a standard 110V household plug. I assume it's a typical 15A circuit though it could be 20A. I didn't look very closely.

Do you guys think an adapter like the one below would allow me to plug-in and turn on my onboard charger?? Maybe run some lights while working on the boat? Or will I immediately pop the breaker?? I don't plan to leave it plugged in long-term, only while I'm there working on it.

Thanks for any thoughts!

https://www.amazon.com/Marinco-Stra...549203799&sr=8-5&keywords=marine+plug+adapter
 
Last edited:
Yep. Just don’t pull more than the circuit provides and you’ll be fine. I plug into a 15a outlet whenever I’m at the boat. I just make sure to not draw more than 10-12 amps.
 
Works fine on my 340sda. I bring it right in with a Y adapter.

-Kevin
 
Yup, just can’t power much more or you’ll trip the fuse
 
Stee6043 said:
My winter storage location is perfectly placed next to a standard 110V household plug. I assume it's a typical 15A circuit though it could be 20A. I didn't look very closely.

Do you guys think an adapter like the one below would allow me to plug-in and turn on my onboard charger?? Maybe run some lights while working on the boat? Or will I immediately pop the breaker?? I don't plan to leave it plugged in long-term, only while I'm there working on it.

Thanks for any thoughts!

https://www.amazon.com/Marinco-Stra...549203799&sr=8-5&keywords=marine+plug+adapter
Click to expand...

That is what I have and use to charge my boat. Works great.

MM
 
tiara in the snow 01.JPG
Stee6043 said:
My winter storage location is perfectly placed next to a standard 110V household plug. I assume it's a typical 15A circuit though it could be 20A. I didn't look very closely.

Do you guys think an adapter like the one below would allow me to plug-in and turn on my onboard charger?? Maybe run some lights while working on the boat? Or will I immediately pop the breaker?? I don't plan to leave it plugged in long-term, only while I'm there working on it.

Thanks for any thoughts!

https://www.amazon.com/Marinco-Stra...549203799&sr=8-5&keywords=marine+plug+adapter
Click to expand...
Not sure if you store at North Shore Marina or not, but be careful with what you do when working on your boat. The fire started by a DIYer a while back caused a lot of pain and suffering, as well as financial hardship. Rules were made more stringent as a result. I asked permission to remove and replace my expired registrations three years ago. I was going to use a 110v extension cord and a hair dryer to remove the old decals, something I've done for years. The manager said they no longer allow that type of thing. To answer your original question, I do agree with the others in saying the adapters work. However, You should speak with Scott or Jim first if you are at NSM.
 
Thanks again, everybody. Order placed and will have my adapter on Tuesday. Good stuff.

Sbw, I’m not at North Shore.
 
I connect a 30 amp Y adapter to my shore power inlet as soon as the boat comes out of the water, then a 30 amp to 15 amp pigtail to that Y adapter. I plug a 12 gauge outdoor extension cord in to the pigtail and let that snake out from under the shrinkwrap.
When I go to my boat in the winter I plug the cord in to the boatyard receptacle and have power to both sides of my 110 panel.
When I leave the boat the extension cord gets coiled up and hung on one of the boat stands.
 
sbw1 said:
View attachment 64859
I asked permission to remove and replace my expired registrations three years ago. I was going to use a 110v extension cord and a hair dryer to remove the old decals, something I've done for years. The manager said they no longer allow that type of thing.
Click to expand...
Wait until dark when the marina staff has gone home, then use your hair dryer. All of the hair dryers I've seen/used in the past decade have a built in GFI.
 
JVM225 said:
I connect a 30 amp Y adapter to my shore power inlet as soon as the boat comes out of the water, then a 30 amp to 15 amp pigtail to that Y adapter. I plug a 12 gauge outdoor extension cord in to the pigtail and let that snake out from under the shrinkwrap.
When I go to my boat in the winter I plug the cord in to the boatyard receptacle and have power to both sides of my 110 panel.
When I leave the boat the extension cord gets coiled up and hung on one of the boat stands.
Click to expand...

I prefer the adapter Stee6043 is ordering and I have 2 of them with 2 extension cords if I need them. That way I am not moving as much power on 1 extension cord. All the better if I can get on separate breaker circuits.

MM
 
MonacoMike said:
I prefer the adapter Stee6043 is ordering and I have 2 of them with 2 extension cords if I need them. That way I am not moving as much power on 1 extension cord. All the better if I can get on separate breaker circuits.

MM
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, outlets are at a premium in the boatyard I winter at and they have a policy of not leaving the boat plugged in unless you’re there.
The 12/3 outdoor extension cord can handle a lot more than I need during the winter storage. I usually just power up the charger, maybe have the satellite TV on if I’m puttering around in the cabin, and plug in my cell phone and iPad to charge them while I’m there.
It’s nice having power to the entire panel so I can use any outlet.
 
JVM225 said:
Unfortunately, outlets are at a premium in the boatyard I winter at and they have a policy of not leaving the boat plugged in unless you’re there.
The 12/3 outdoor extension cord can handle a lot more than I need during the winter storage. I usually just power up the charger, maybe have the satellite TV on if I’m puttering around in the cabin, and plug in my cell phone and iPad to charge them while I’m there.
It’s nice having power to the entire panel so I can use any outlet.
Click to expand...

I can leave my boat plugged in all the time. Thankfully so!

MM
 
Just to close the loop on this gem. I used the adapter linked above yesterday and it worked flawlessly. I got about 5 hours of charging on my batteries while I was washing/waxing. Money well spent...
 
@Stee6043 - I used that adapter and it failed when I turned on the water heater. The amp draw was well below the rated limits of the adapter so it shouldn't have failed. I contacted Marinco customer service and they promptly sent me a replacement. I'll let you know if I suffer any further failures with this.
 
You only had the WH on? That will pull about 12 amps, which leaves room for very little else from a 15A circuit...

If you had the converter and some lights on, it would be easy to reach the max.
 
hynespa said:
@Stee6043 - I used that adapter and it failed when I turned on the water heater. The amp draw was well below the rated limits of the adapter so it shouldn't have failed. I contacted Marinco customer service and they promptly sent me a replacement. I'll let you know if I suffer any further failures with this.
Click to expand...

Yeah....I would be shocked (no pun) if my adapter/cord setup were able to power the water heater. I can "feel" the pull of the water heater when I'm plugged into proper shore power. Pulling it through that tiny adapter and a household plug feels a bit extreme. Be sure to keep an eye on any extension cords you may be using as well....they could get a little toasty.
 
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