Add inverter to boat w/ shorepower, no shorepower available?

[drazlou]

I installed an 800 watt inverter which has two ac outlets which I use to plug ac devices into. I thought that if I needed to power the ac outlets on the boat I would make a short extension cord with two male plugs, plug one end into the inverter outlet and the other end into any boat outlet. Since the boat outlets are in parallel this should power all of the outlets. Of course I would have to be sure to unplug the extension cord before connecting to shore power. Is there something wrong with this approach?

 

[SailingHarry]

I installed an 800 watt inverter which has two ac outlets which I use to plug ac devices into. I thought that if I needed to power the ac outlets on the boat I would make a short extension cord with two male plugs, plug one end into the inverter outlet and the other end into any boat outlet. Since the boat outlets are in parallel this should power all of the outlets. Of course I would have to be sure to unplug the extension cord before connecting to shore power. Is there something wrong with this approach?

Well, there are probably a 1000 safety reasons why it's wrong, but as long as you are careful it should work. EXCEPT, all of your outlets should really be protected by a GFI (either be a GFI outlet, or downstream of one). GFI outlets refuse to be back-powered! I found this out when I was tied up at a pier where there was no proper shore power, and tried that trick -- no luck.

Harry