Is this a Marinco plug?

[KAL]

View attachment 41418


This is the shore power connector for our boat. The plug is very old; the rubber shroud is beginning to perish. The cable itself is gash, so needs to be replaced.

The plug has the name "Bryant" and "Turn and Pull". It says it's made in the USA, rated 30A @125v. The boat is a Westerly Discus and I believe the shorepower was factory fitted.

Force4 have a Marinco plug listed, which is rated 16A @ 240v, (which is the same wattage overall) but is it the same plug?

They seem to cost a packet, but the only other option is to replace the inlet on the boat with a 'normal' one.

Does anyone know if the plug is a Marinco?

Many thanks.

K

 

[Pinnacle]

Looks like it.

 

[widgeon]

It looks like a Marinco. You will need to check that a 16A plug fits the 30A Marinco socket. Something in the back of my mind says that they are different sizes and/or pattern on the pins.

 

[Ruffles]

They seem to cost a packet, but the only other option is to replace the inlet on the boat with a 'normal' one.

The outer bit may be available separately.

http://www.force4.co.uk/9601/Marinco-Shore-Power-Connector-Shroud.html

Worth preserving as the bit on the hull is quite well made.

 

[KAL]

The outer bit may be available separately.

http://www.force4.co.uk/9601/Marinco-Shore-Power-Connector-Shroud.html

Worth preserving as the bit on the hull is quite well made.

What a cracking good idea Ruffles. Hadn't occurred to me to do that - saves £40 as well!

Thanks v much!

 

[coopec]

Apparently there are a lot of different types of Marinco Plugs.

Your plug looks a lot like this.


http://www.dhcsupplies.com/store/p/2619-Marinco-20A-Twist-Lock-Male-Plug.html#.U0Ta81fQzkw

 

[KAL]

Thanks for the link Coopec. A fraction of the price I'd have to pay in Blighty. A generous forumite has pmd me to say he thinks he might have one hanging around, which would be even better.

Many thanks though, for your link.

 

[BabaYaga]

But before replacing the plug, read this and consider:

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=159471

Maybe better to replace the socket as well?

 

[Salty John]

View attachment 41418


This is the shore power connector for our boat. The plug is very old; the rubber shroud is beginning to perish. The cable itself is gash, so needs to be replaced.

The plug has the name "Bryant" and "Turn and Pull". It says it's made in the USA, rated 30A @125v. The boat is a Westerly Discus and I believe the shorepower was factory fitted.

Force4 have a Marinco plug listed, which is rated 16A @ 240v, (which is the same wattage overall) but is it the same plug?

They seem to cost a packet, but the only other option is to replace the inlet on the boat with a 'normal' one.

Does anyone know if the plug is a Marinco?

Many thanks.

K

It's a Bryant/Hubbel connector. It has the same pin configuration as Marinco, and other, 125v/30 amp shore power cords, of course.

I have a 50' Marinco 30amp/125v shore power cable that I brought back from the USA about ten years ago. It's in pretty good nick. It's a hefty piece of cable, 16mm diameter, and has plastic locking rings on the plugs at each end. You're welcome to it for £30 including UK postage. PM me if you want it.

 

[Bilgediver]

Beware........The Hubbell 250 volt and 120 violt connectors are not interchangeable so be sure that what you buy or are offered are the same as yours,

There are previous discussions on this forum with links to pages showing how the dimensions of the different blades on the plug change depending on which rating.

The plug and shroud are separate components so you can retain your plug if OK and fit it to a new shroud.

http://www.hubbellcatalog.com/wiring/catalogpages/section-b.pdf

 

[rob2]

I must be missing something here... Is there some attachment to the boat that can't be replaced? If not, you could replace everything with standard european type from the local electrical supplier for less than one spare US part!

Rob.

 

[prv]

I don't like those US plugs - I've seen so many pictures of burned and melted ones, even before BabaYaga posted his link. If it were my boat, I would be fitting a standard blue ceeform like everyone else on this side of the pond.

Pete

 

[Robin]

I don't like those US plugs - I've seen so many pictures of burned and melted ones, even before BabaYaga posted his link. If it were my boat, I would be fitting a standard blue ceeform like everyone else on this side of the pond.

Pete

Me too, mind you the USA ones burn because they insist on using 110VAC, low volts, high amps to achieve same watts, coupled with poor design fittings, made in China, QC'd by nobody . Ours when we lived aboard melted one day. local advice is to coat contact pins and recoat with silicone grease regularly. I never had any trouble with the blue CEE ones and they were affordable too, you need a second mortgage to replace Marinco kit here

 

[Salty John]

I assume the OP's boat was fitted out for a US shore power system and the shore power cord has been fitted with a UK plug at the shore end, retaining the NEMA L5-30 fitting at the boat end.

In all my time owning boats in the USA I never had any trouble with a shore power cord, most of which are either Hubbell or Marinco, and never heard of any such trouble - but others seem to have a different experience. There are, of course, many times as many shore power cords in use over there than over here.

I'll probably send mine back to the US so as not to place in peril any UK boaters : )

 

[prv]

Me too, mind you the USA ones burn because they insist on using 110VAC, low volts, high amps to achieve same watts, coupled with poor design fittings

That seems to be the root of it. Look at some of the pictures in BabaYaga's link - all that surface area on the pins, but the socket ignores most of it and tries to transfer 30 amps though a tiny finger-and-thumb area of contact. Then to make matters worse they put a locating bump on the contact which, if not precisely correctly positioned, reduces the contact area even more.

Pete

 

[Robin]

I assume the OP's boat was fitted out for a US shore power system and the shore power cord has been fitted with a UK plug at the shore end, retaining the NEMA L5-30 fitting at the boat end.

In all my time owning boats in the USA I never had any trouble with a shore power cord, most of which are either Hubbell or Marinco, and never heard of any such trouble - but others seem to have a different experience. There are, of course, many times as many shore power cords in use over there than over here.

I'll probably send mine back to the US so as not to place in peril any UK boaters : )

Actually the one pictured looks like a cheap version of a Marinco. The dock we were liveaboards (when we had a 47ft trawler) on had a known problem with low voltage from the shorepower hookups and almost every boat had big power hungry aircons going 24/7, only making it worse. Burnt out cables or fittings were commonplace in the heat of summer. We are now on a different, shorter dock with the 'po folks' now we have a smaller 36ft boat We have much less power usage as we are no longer liveaboards and our now sailboat is near the inner end of the new dock where the power setup is better done and voltage drops are unnoticed or insignificant. We have two 30A sockets but run only a single 30A lead to them from shore,via A Y-splitter at the boat end. We can only run one of our two aircons like this but with commonsense power management everything else is OK. We have a full set of new Marinco leads and 50A to 30A adapters, wesilicone grease the contacts periodically and give everything an occasional temperature test lookover with an infrared/laser heat tester, a very useful gadget to have. We could connect via two separate 30A leads ( we carry two on board normally) but since at our marina here we pay $40 per cord connected per month,( it is not metered, just a fixed charge) and as we are only running a smart charger on a 24/7 basis that would be stupidly costly. 220VAC and it's associated smaller lighter and much less expensive cables and fittings are a much better solution in Europe IMO.

 

[MYStargazer]

Does anyone make a nice stainless Marinco-style socket, but taking cheap caravan-style plugs?

http://www.towsure.com/product/Flush_Fitting_Mains_Power_Outlet_Housing_amp_Socket

http://www.conrad-electronic.co.uk/ce/en/product/612543/CEE-White-Caravan-Power-Input-Plug-IP44

 

[KAL]

Actually the one pictured looks like a cheap version of a Marinco. The dock we were liveaboards (when we had a 47ft trawler) on had a known problem with low voltage from the shorepower hookups and almost every boat had big power hungry aircons going 24/7, only making it worse. Burnt out cables or fittings were commonplace in the heat of summer. We are now on a different, shorter dock with the 'po folks' now we have a smaller 36ft boat We have much less power usage as we are no longer liveaboards and our now sailboat is near the inner end of the new dock where the power setup is better done and voltage drops are unnoticed or insignificant. We have two 30A sockets but run only a single 30A lead to them from shore,via A Y-splitter at the boat end. We can only run one of our two aircons like this but with commonsense power management everything else is OK. We have a full set of new Marinco leads and 50A to 30A adapters, wesilicone grease the contacts periodically and give everything an occasional temperature test lookover with an infrared/laser heat tester, a very useful gadget to have. We could connect via two separate 30A leads ( we carry two on board normally) but since at our marina here we pay $40 per cord connected per month,( it is not metered, just a fixed charge) and as we are only running a smart charger on a 24/7 basis that would be stupidly costly. 220VAC and it's associated smaller lighter and much less expensive cables and fittings are a much better solution in Europe IMO.

I don't think it would have been a cheap version - the shroud is made of rubber and the locking ring is solid stainless steel. AFAIK, it was fitted by Westerly from new, which would make it 34 years old this year.

Babayaga's post has given me pause for thought. Actually, it scared the pants off me and this action hasn't amused SWMBO. Perhaps it's time for a change to EU stuff...

 

[prv]

Does anyone make a nice stainless Marinco-style socket, but taking cheap caravan-style plugs?

http://www.towsure.com/product/Flush_Fitting_Mains_Power_Outlet_Housing_amp_Socket

WHOA!

Don't use that one for shore power input!

Pete

 

[Robin]

I don't think it would have been a cheap version - the shroud is made of rubber and the locking ring is solid stainless steel. AFAIK, it was fitted by Westerly from new, which would make it 34 years old this year.

Babayaga's post has given me pause for thought. Actually, it scared the pants off me and this action hasn't amused SWMBO. Perhaps it's time for a change to EU stuff...

by 'cheap' i meant it was probably a Marinco copy not the real deal original, we had genuine marinco stuff that got water in and melted, we now have newer Marinco stuff including new cables and end fittings with easier to connect fittings with LED lights in them, shines a pretty blue in the dark, but the contact area is still much the same so no improvement that way. that I can see, but remember these are intended for USA 110-120Vac and 30Amp usage so I would guess would be fine on 220VAC EU stuff running under 16A load which IIRC Is the likely marina maximum?? The Marinco stuff looks good but if we were over there again I would prefer the blue CEE stuff, although I have to say the boat end lidded sockets from Marinco do look better in terms of waterproofing the connection or the socket when it is out of use the water that caused ours to short and burn got into the cable end plug and the heat it caused was what did for the boat fitting innards. When it went neither the boat's nor the dockside breakers tripped, the lights, TV and aircons just went off. At the time we probably were drawing about 25A total. from a 50A dockside connection through a y-spltter cable adapter to feed 2 x30A connections going to the boat. The Y-splitter cable itself also melted but the second 30A cable was OK. WE got partly lucky in that a fellow liveaboard on the next dock, who worked in the local West Marine store remade both the the 50A Y adapter and the burnt out 30A cable for us and all I got charged for was the cost from West of the new end fittings. In the meantime I had bought brand new stuff and this we still have and use, the old remade stuff went with the old boat when it was sold to it's new owners.