Daft question!

[Bluemac]

Well we're 5 days into new boat ownership now, and family commitments have prevented us from spending any 'quality time' with her yet - but that will all change soon. You will probably remember what it was like the first time you actually had the boat to yourself, after always previously being accompanied by the previous owner / broker, and you could have a good old poke about on your own.

Then you realize that you know nowt!!

There will probably be a raft of daft questions from us over the next few weeks ( years???) dear reader........so be gentle to us (boating) virgins.

So here goes... At the moment all the electric power is switched off. If we want to turn on the lights etc., when we plug in the shorepower for the first time, will power automatically be available on board or do we need to switch on the battery power as well. I think what I'm saying is does the shorepower charge the batteries and then the batteries supply the power, or does the shorepower work completely separately from the batteries? See what I mean - clueless!!!

 

[powerskipper]

You need to turn on the battery's, to make just about anything work.

 

[hlb]

EErr Um, Well. The shore power will work 240 v thingies, like sockets etc. Thats if there switched on.

It will charge your battries, well if you have a battery charger and thats switched on.

It wont work with the lights cos they will be 12v from battery. So yes, the shore power will charge your batteries, then everything runs off that. Except for the things that dont of course!!

 

[Viking]

OK!
You may have two circuits. One supplied by the boats batteries onboard, your 12 or 24volts supply. You may also have a 240 supply which comes from the shore power. Which not only feeds your battery charger but some boats have a small ring main, which may have a decorative lamp/lighting or something feed by three pin power sockets.
I suggest you take a torch just in case!

Oh good luck with your new boat and many happy boating days!!!

 

[Renegade_Master]

Should be like St Crispin Ron, as you know we keep her plugged in to shore power which charges the batteries and supplies 240v to the kettle and water heater etc. As hlb says the lighting is 12v so they in turn run off the charged batteries.

 

[capel679]

dont put yourself down bluemac. we all had to start from zero.
us too.your a couple of weeks ahead of us.we get our boat soooonnnn. and yep, we will be glad to get a good poke around without "others" being there.
all of us will make a few blunders from time to time, par for the coarse, but hey, best way to learn sometimes.
all the best to you for the future, enjoy your learning curve.
he he...

 

[halcyon]

Normal power is feed from the batteries, and you need to turn them on to get lighting etc.
The AC shorepower supplies water heater, galley, sockets, fridge, battery charger and a spare.
Now the confusing thing is that the battery charger is probably labeled shore support, and was intended to supply power, not charge the battery, it was assumed that the engines would do this function. The charger is wired down stream of the isolator switches, and they must be turned on before the charger is switched in. Also the standard charger has a interface to stop it working with a flat battery, a long story, assuming it still has the original one fitted, it will be a black one.
If you want any information on the switchgear, charging side on the boat, drop us a PM.
All the best

Brian

 

[Renegade_Master]

Ron I only started in boating late 1999 and almost immediately found the forum (been downhill ever since /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif) Seriously though at that time I asked endless questions as I had just bought my first vessel, and I got tremendous help and advise from the forum all for free.
Plus I got to meet lots of nice people, the first being the lovely PaulineB xxxxxx, (actually met Markc before that but didnt know he was a forumite) then the not so lovely Boatone, with his lovely wife Maggie, then Canboria then Oldgit.........err better stop there /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif dont wont to spoil it for you.

After all their good advice I survived the perils of the sea and ended up running a sea school in the Med so at worked out nicely.

 

[Bluemac]

Thanks one and all for your encouragement, advice and support. We'll plug in tomorrow and see what happens!!!