French Electrical

[VO540]

First time sail to France next month starting from the east coast. Any advice appreciated. Also what electrical connections do French marinas have? It would make life simpler to have any neccessary adapters already to hand if possible.

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[SailingDoc]

Probably depends wher you're going. In Cherbourg they have the same three-pin system used over here in marinas.

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[Col]

Wecome to the forums.
French electrical conectors vary depending where you go. Modern marinas tend to use same type as us. If they are different, buy the adapter there. Main problems I have encountered are reversed L&N so I carry a mains tester, and a short flying lead that I made up - plug 1 end, socket at the other seperated by 10" of lead with the cable reversed between the two. I just plug this into end of shore power lead before plugging into power supply if my tester shows a reversal.

Some valid point made in <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album

 

[Sybarite]

All the marinas are gradually converting to the international standard. Otherwise they use a standard houshold three point type (2 male and one female). My home marina is still the old type and I have an adaptor for the newer ones.

At least you won't have to pay for the connection - as far as my experience is concerned.

John

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[tillergirl]

iIf you're going to Calais, they have the same fitting as us. And the power is free!

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[vyv_cox]

On our recent cruise from Holland to Deauville and Honfleur, the only marina or port that we encountered not using the typical blue marina plug was at Dunkerque. They had the domestic round French three-pin type. The chandler nearby sells the adapters.

There has been quite a revolution on the power supply front in French marinas, with long lists of rules posted in French and English at many, including Calais, Le Havre, St Valery and others. It looks like liability legislation may have arrived over there.

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