CaptMark
New Member
- Feb 15, 2015
- 13
- Boat Info
- 1995 SeaRay 44' Express Bridge
2004 Sea Fox 230
- Engines
- Cat 3116
Since owning my 440EB (5+ years now) I've always been at a marina or dock that had both a 120VAC 50A and 120VAC 30A shore power connections and never had to deal with my current situation.
Not sure if it is just the 440EB, but I have a 120VAC 50A that powers the main salon a/c, battery charger, house lights, outlets, stove and a few other minor systems. I then have a 30A that powers the front cabin a/c, hot water heater, stereo, tv and microwave.
I am now at a marina that only offers a single 50A connection on the dock and the things that matter most to me when onboard (i.e. hot water, washer/dryer, tv, v-berth air conditioning) are all not powered.
In my last boat, my electrical panel had a "parallel" breaker where I could power Bus B with power from Bus A. It just required that I thought about what was being used and the occasional girlfriend with a hair dryer with the a/c running and a few other things caused me to blow a breaker.
The 440EB does not have that ability.
So, unless I have both a 50 and 30 dockside, a lot of my boat is not powered.
I can't think of a time where I would be using close to 50amps.. Even with both air conditioners running, the hot water heater, cooking dinner and misc systems running, other than the starting surge of the a/c units, I am under 40amps, even with the microwave or stovetop, under 50amps.
What do other 440EB owners do when they get to a marina that only offers single 50A service? or is my boat different from other 440EBs?
I think that I may be able to make a custom pigtail, 50A in, and 50 & 30 out. Or buy a series of adapters to get both powered. I also may be able to wire the 30A bus directly into the 50A bus, eliminating the 30A shore power connection all together. But that scares me.
Any thoughts / experiences with the same issue?
With a lot more cruising on the schedule this coming year, I am thinking that I may encounter this more often and looking for the best solution.
Mark
Quo Vadimus
Marathon, FL
Not sure if it is just the 440EB, but I have a 120VAC 50A that powers the main salon a/c, battery charger, house lights, outlets, stove and a few other minor systems. I then have a 30A that powers the front cabin a/c, hot water heater, stereo, tv and microwave.
I am now at a marina that only offers a single 50A connection on the dock and the things that matter most to me when onboard (i.e. hot water, washer/dryer, tv, v-berth air conditioning) are all not powered.
In my last boat, my electrical panel had a "parallel" breaker where I could power Bus B with power from Bus A. It just required that I thought about what was being used and the occasional girlfriend with a hair dryer with the a/c running and a few other things caused me to blow a breaker.
The 440EB does not have that ability.
So, unless I have both a 50 and 30 dockside, a lot of my boat is not powered.
I can't think of a time where I would be using close to 50amps.. Even with both air conditioners running, the hot water heater, cooking dinner and misc systems running, other than the starting surge of the a/c units, I am under 40amps, even with the microwave or stovetop, under 50amps.
What do other 440EB owners do when they get to a marina that only offers single 50A service? or is my boat different from other 440EBs?
I think that I may be able to make a custom pigtail, 50A in, and 50 & 30 out. Or buy a series of adapters to get both powered. I also may be able to wire the 30A bus directly into the 50A bus, eliminating the 30A shore power connection all together. But that scares me.
Any thoughts / experiences with the same issue?
With a lot more cruising on the schedule this coming year, I am thinking that I may encounter this more often and looking for the best solution.
Mark
Quo Vadimus
Marathon, FL
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