The Shorepower Cord is tamed...at last !!!

[Paul Ouellette]

Alright fellow fun seekers, here's one for all of you...

If you're like me (& I'll bet you can ALL agree on this...) you
just hate having to run the power cord from the stern, along the
deck of the boat & then over to the power post on the dock.

To me...it's the next best thing to having to deal with about 50
wire coat hangers every time we pull our B361 into port...&
it's something I've hated for years.

In the dark, in the rain...no matter...when we pull into a marina,
we all have to do this right ?? AND...it's a huge pain in the rear
to all of you too...right ???

That's something that's just got to be done when we dock...right ???

Well folks...not for this skipper...not from now on.

Here's what I did...

I bought a 50ft power cord & cut off the end that plugs into the
boat...I then drilled a small hole in the upper most (port-side)
stern bulkhead that divides the anchor locker from the cabin.

With a bit of work I wiggled & jiggled & pulled the power-cord all
the way to the stern where it finally met up with & was connected to
the (specially ordered) stainless steel (female) power "outlet" from Marinco
that I installed in the stern under the two factory installed
power "inlets".

Here it is pictured so you know what I'm speaking about
http://www.marinco.com/product/30-amp-125-volt-power-outlet-stainless-steel

Anyway, because of all this...our "Y" plug can now just plug back
into the boat...& this rig eliminates the need to have me wrestle
with the damn thing every time we pull into a dock.

All I have to do now to get plugged in, is to connect the (much
smaller) 25ft power-cord to the end of the new "underdeck power-
cord" that now permanently lives in the anchor locker...& it's done
in a snap.

This is such an easy thing to do & makes getting plugged soooooo
much easier...I just had to tell you all about it.

Good luck to any of you that may also wish to rig your own "under-
deck power-cord"...it's working like a charm for us.

Gawd only knows why such an easy thing to rig is not offerred by Beneteau (& other
boat manufacturers...) they really should know, sailors (usually) only
Med-moor in the Med !!!

Cheers, P.
www.winpipe.ca

 

[agaliha]

Well, Maybe not ALL agree

I actually love the location of the power inlets on my B361. I back the boat into my 14x40" slip and the power post is 8 feet from my plug. Backing in solves other problems, too. As we all know, the Beneteaus exhibit significant "prop walk" when placed in reverse at a dead stop. So, if you pull into your slip bow first, your boat will pull hard to port when you try to reverse out of your slip. Powering out in forward gear is not a problem. Also, pulling in "cockpit first" is more sociable (allows visit with other boat owners in the marina) and more secure (companionway is in public view and waterborn thieves are met with a sharp bow).
I use a pair of 12 foot power cords to connect my boat in my slip and they are a piece of cake to deal with. I carry a pair of fifty foot cords for transient power (50 amp). Once I put all four cords together for 124' of 30-amp power when a distant marina didn't have outlets in every slip.

 

[Paul Ouellette]

Gotta "Bow" to your logic...

agaliha :

We too can still plug in at the stern, because our "Y-plug" can either be plugged into the new outlet, or just run ashore if we are "side-to" a dock with a power-post close by.

Of course, the reason we don't back into our slip as you discribe you do is easy to understand...

It's because of our "Davits".

Cheers, P.
www.winpipe.ca

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

did you consider the voltage drop?

Paul
I've thought of doing something similar but with 2/0 guage cable so as to minimize the voltage drop. The typical Marinco cables are much smaller guage such that I found it necessary to put in larger cable but the difficulty running virtually rigid cable through the boat seemed not quite worth the effort. As long as you overall power needs are minimal, what you describe sounds acceptable.

 

[Paul Ouellette]

Above or below the deck...

Hi Don :

You focus on some good points to consider & (of course) I thought about this for a long while before actually doing it.

The power cord I used is a 30amp & (as discribed) it's connected at the stern to the reverse (female) plug & so the Y plug just plugs back into the boat under the other two.

The power cord runs under the deck & ends in the anchor locker, where it's "very easily" plugged into a shorter power cord & then that one runs over to the power-post on the dock.

Compared to what I "used to" go through before to leave the dock...

1) unplug at the dock & place the power-cord on the deck...
2) get back aboard & go to the stern & drop the dingy down from the davits to unplug the Y plug...then stow it in the cockpit locker...
3) go back out on deck & coil up the power-cord up & then stow it in the cockpit locker...
4) pull up the dingy & secure it as required...then we can cast off.

Since we now have an "installed" extention cord below the deck, it cuts waaaaay down on the aggrivation of plugging & unplugging the boat.

What was once above the deck...is now below.

It's just that simple.

Cheers, P.
www.winpipe.ca

 

[Paul Ouellette]

Above or below the deck...

Hi Don :

You focus on some good points to consider & (of course) I thought about this for a long while before actually doing it.

The power cord I used is a 30amp & (as discribed) it's connected at the stern to the reverse (female) plug & so the Y plug just plugs back into the boat under the other two.

The power cord runs under the deck & ends in the anchor locker, where it's "very easily" plugged into a shorter power cord & then that one runs over to the power-post on the dock.

Compared to what I "used to" go through before to leave the dock...

1) unplug at the dock & place the power-cord on the deck...
2) get back aboard & go to the stern & drop the dingy down from the davits to unplug the Y plug...then stow it in the cockpit locker...
3) go back out on deck & coil up the power-cord up & then stow it in the cockpit locker...
4) pull up the dingy & secure it as required...then we can cast off.

Since we now have an "installed" extention cord below the deck, it cuts waaaaay down on the aggrivation of plugging & unplugging the boat.

What was once above the deck...is now below.

It's just that simple.

Cheers, P.
www.winpipe.ca

 

[Ron20324]

Re: did you consider the voltage drop?

Don, I'd wonder if the voltage drop would be a concern with AC considering the original power cord was laid on the deck from bow to stern then hardwired partway back forward to get to the AC breaker panel. I'm sure his below-deck cord is shorter than the on-deck cord? It's a good thought to have the bow inlet, as I have to be bow-in my slip with my 323. And, I bet there's an AYC requirement that the shorepower be fused close to the inlet(s).

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Don, I'd wonder if the voltage drop would be a concern with AC considering the original power cord was laid on the deck from bow to stern then hardwired partway back forward to get to the AC breaker panel. I'm sure his below-deck cord is shorter than the on-deck cord? It's a good thought to have the bow inlet, as I have to be bow-in my slip with my 323. And, I bet there's an AYC requirement that the shorepower be fused close to the inlet(s).

Ron
I'm haven't read what the ABYC standards stipulate but I have a copy - if you want the relevant parts, send me a PM and I'll email a copy to you.

Regarding the voltage drop, in one sense, having the cord below deck as Paul did is equivalent in terms of length and therefore voltage drop to having it above deck. His having to wrestle with it each time he leaves the dock makes me believe it makes good sense to do what he has, however, in retrospect, my concern is still the same.

We have probably all heard of or seen our own power cord plugs show signs of arching, corrosion or plain burned connectors. Although there is no consensus why this is so prevalent, adding connection points and plugs does inherently increase voltage drop and if like me, you have A/C as well as all the other common draws, this can create a problem where non previously existed.

Considering the pain-in-the-ass factor Paul described, I'd probably do just as he has but be mindful to add checking all connection points periodically as part of my routine maintenance.