Power left connected when away from boat.

[PhilipF]

Walk down most pontoons and the majority of owners have left mains power connected. Is this really required? We've always dis-connected when not on ours. The batteries would have been installed when it was built around six years ago. The Volvo D3 fired up perfectly the other day, following five weeks without charge.

Also interesting fact that by their very nature, boats left on moorings have no connection - assume their engines fire up OK. Have heard that mains electricity usage can affect anode wear. Wondering about how those left on moorings fare.

Really just comments, not questions.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Could be that something is left on - the fridge cooling the wine maybe or dehumidifier.

 

[photodog]

I am plugged in over the winter for the dehumidifier and dimplex.... in the summer she is unplugged.

 

[Kawasaki]

Many reasons for peeps to leave the shore power on
Fridge
Batteries
De Humids etc (ok the 'damper' months)
Etc
Peeps in marinas will use the boat more as a caravan maybe, than tothers on moorings
I know when I had a deep water mooring, I usually went to the boat to go somewhere.
Maybe now and again to fettle or to fish
Always had a spare battery and jump leads just in case
I agree though, shorepower continuously connected can bring on accelerated anode deteriation in some marina envireoments

 

[maby]

Likewise - fridge and dehumidificator... Probably a tube heater in the real depths of winter.

Yes, it does tend to strip anodes, so I dangle an auxilliary to help preserve them a bit.

That said, the boat is used several days per week all the year round, so although it is on power all the time, it is occupied most of it.

 

[Colvic Watson]

How do the anodes know you're connected? I make it a point never to tell mine and they seem to be happier as a result.

 

[Bodach na mara]

I noticed that one of the connected boats had an anode dangling over the side. Why? Do they not have a hull anode? And what kind of wire is used to dangle it from.

Actually it is the ones on the hard that are permanently plugged in that bug me. Sometimes there are no vacant power points when I go to the boat to work.

 

[NormanS]

I noticed that one of the connected boats had an anode dangling over the side. Why? Do they not have a hull anode? And what kind of wire is used to dangle it from.

Actually it is the ones on the hard that are permanently plugged in that bug me. Sometimes there are no vacant power points when I go to the boat to work.

Well probably the ones that are connected have asked for, and paid for a dedicated supply. Don't you go pulling out my plug to boil your kettle.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

It would be hard to run our two 500W heaters without shore power! I am not sure we out have enough room for the solar panels that would be needed, even if the sun was out.

Fitting a galvanic isolator should solve the anode issue.

 

[snooks]

Walk down most pontoons and the majority of owners have left mains power connected. Is this really required?

Heaters, dehumidifiers, battery chargers and ultrasonic antifouling all use power. So yes.

Out of the water, I'm still plugged in because I have a dehumidifier and battery charger, not that anything should be using power except the stereo, but I like to keep the batteries fully topped up to maintain their lifespan.

It's all metered so we pay for the power we use. It's possible to go without power, but I like to keep the damp at bay, and it's cheaper than new upholstery and the boat is like home

 

[maby]

How do the anodes know you're connected? I make it a point never to tell mine and they seem to be happier as a result.

The problem with anodes when you are plugged up to shore power is that the ground wire of your boat (and hence the anodes) is indirectly linked up to the ground wire (and anodes) of every other boat in the marina that is also connected up to shore power. If everyone's wiring and all the equipment on board is in perfect condition, there should not be a problem, but any slightly dodgy wiring, a bit of earth leakage on some piece of equipment etc. is enough to push a few milliamps of leakage current through your anodes and they will rot extra fast.

A galvanic isolator will help, but it's not foolproof. They only introduce a barrier of about half a volt which will protect against a minor fault, but not necessarily a more significant problem on a nearby boat.

 

[snooks]

Forgot to say my anodes are fine

 

[VicS]

The problem with anodes when you are plugged up to shore power is that the ground wire of your boat (and hence the anodes) is indirectly linked up to the ground wire (and anodes) of every other boat in the marina that is also connected up to shore power. If everyone's wiring and all the equipment on board is in perfect condition, there should not be a problem, but any slightly dodgy wiring, a bit of earth leakage on some piece of equipment etc. is enough to push a few milliamps of leakage current through your anodes and they will rot extra fast.

A galvanic isolator will help, but it's not foolproof. They only introduce a barrier of about half a volt which will protect against a minor fault, but not necessarily a more significant problem on a nearby boat.

The galvanic isolator is unlikely in fact offer any protection from a situation caused by a DC fault on another boat. It won't block current from a source with a voltage as high as 12 volts. It is only designed to protect against current from the low voltages from galvanic ( eg dissimilar metal) sources. It does not necessarily involve other boats. Your anodes will probably be trying to protect the steel piling in the marina!

Generally they will protect against voltages up to about 1.2volts. That should prevent all problems with zinc (or aluminium) anodes but perhaps not with magnesium anodes. GIs do exist which will protect up to 2.4 volts

Electrical faults on other boats are another kettle of fish. The only way to prevent problems that they cause is to either disconnect the shorepower, disconnect the earth bonding ( inadvisable) or install an isolation transformer. The transformer is the safest method making a shore power connection from any viewpoint and even better if the transformer is located on the pontoon!

 

[nigel1]

It does not necessarily involve other boats. Your anodes will probably be trying to protect the steel piling in the marina!
...................

The transformer is the safest method making a shore power connection from any viewpoint and even better if the transformer is located on the pontoon!

Main reason why I have a temp anode hanging over the side while on the pontoon, hiopefully the dock metal work will corrode this one, and not the proper ones on the boat.

Shame marina's dont fit isolation transformers at each power connection

 

[Colvic Watson]

The problem with anodes when you are plugged up to shore power is that the ground wire of your boat (and hence the anodes) is indirectly linked up to the ground wire (and anodes) of every other boat in the marina that is also connected up to shore power. If everyone's wiring and all the equipment on board is in perfect condition, there should not be a problem, but any slightly dodgy wiring, a bit of earth leakage on some piece of equipment etc. is enough to push a few milliamps of leakage current through your anodes and they will rot extra fast.

A galvanic isolator will help, but it's not foolproof. They only introduce a barrier of about half a volt which will protect against a minor fault, but not necessarily a more significant problem on a nearby boat.

The earth isn't bonded to the neutral on the batteries, hence my slightly flippant point that the anodes don't know the shore power is connected. We are protected by MCB's on the two mains wiring circuits plus two RCD's on the boat and the RCD on the marina supply.

 

[BrianH]

My Italian marina forbids shore connection for unoccupied boats, quoting fire hazard from permanently connected appliances as the reason - probably something to do with the un-metered supply also.

I have personally witnessed two bad fires on boats in the marina that severely damaged neighbouring boats as well as destroying the source one. The one last year, a large motorboat, was spectacularly towed out of its berth, still in flames, to a safe breakwater.

I once had a bit of a sloppy neighbour (his motor-sailor was a wreck) who would always leave his boat plugged in and switched on. That next spring when I hauled out for anti-fouling I found deep pits in the iron keel that needed a lot of epoxy to fill, and only on the one side adjacent to that neighbour - we moor stern-to the static piers. Maybe no connection but I did wonder if there were stray electrical currents from him. I had no further trouble after he moved to another berth.

 

[Blue5]

We never leave the boat plugged into mains unless we are aboard, we do have a 60w solar panel that keeps the batteries topped up and the crystal type dehumidifiers take care of any moisture.

A mate of mine keeps 3 tube heaters plugged in full time as he wants to use as much leccy as possible as its included in his annual mooring fee.............

 

[maby]

My Italian marina forbids shore connection for unoccupied boats, quoting fire hazard from permanently connected appliances as the reason - probably something to do with the un-metered supply also.

...

Your climate is a bit kinder - without shore power we could not run dehumidifiers or frost heaters and the boat would, at best, be dank and damp, at worst, the engine may be wrecked.

 

[BrianH]

Your climate is a bit kinder - without shore power we could not run dehumidifiers or frost heaters and the boat would, at best, be dank and damp, at worst, the engine may be wrecked.

Two winters ago in my northern Adriatic marina the temperature was -16° Celsius and there was ice forming around the boat.

Why should the engine be wrecked? Mine isn't, when I lay up at the end of October I add antifreeze to the cooling water. Properly ventilated and draining the fresh water from tank and pumps, the boat is in perfect condition when I return in the spring.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I keep mine connected when I'm not there so that my on-board hadron collider can continue running while I am away.