Shore Power etiquete?

castoffandgone said:
When you re-connect the 'victims' shore power after your unauthorised use, can you be sure that whatever he has left running i.e. heaters etc. will reset and that you haven't inadvertently tripped the boats on-board circuit breaker/s - you may have left his boat unprotected against frost. I have heard of some boats not automatically resetting after a pontoon power shut down and restart.

My view: During the frost months, if there is no owner there to ask, then don't pinch his power. I would gladly share or allow another boat to connect to my supply, but only if I was there.
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Not too many frosts in the Dart in June. And yes of course I plugged his lead back in.
 
Not really bothered about somebody unplugging me, as long as he plugs me back in, with my automated system, the inverter comes on and takes over anything left on and then switches back when its plugged back in. Being a liveaboard, not away from the boat for that long most of the time anyway, so no worries. The amount of power cuts we have on Corfu, be silly to not have some system built in, if you have a freezer etc.
All this talk of retaliation makes poor reading.
Although I do admit, unplugging somebodies power lead, without talking to them, would not enter my mind, just not done.
 
john_morris_uk said:
And what will that achieve? How much satisfaction are you going to actually get from playing such childish games with someone?

No wonder children grow up with the attitudes that people despair of. They have adults who set examples of how not to behave in a civilised society.

I am not condoning someones actions in 'stealing' your power, but doing silly things like leaving bent split pins around as a sort of retaliation is just childish. Is there something about the anonymity of the www that persuades people to claim they will do such things?

Or you see them again, why not politely explain that you have to pay for the power and ask them for a contribution as they effectively stole from you and inconvenienced you in this way?
Click to expand...

I unplugged them once and explained I paid for that socket. They plugged in again and blatantly stole from me. There are a couple of bent split pins saved especially in my chart table drawer although they have now left the marina.

There was another socket on the same point vacant he could have used but he would rather nick mine and leave me to pay the bill. This wasn't a couple of hours with power tools it was disconnecting my dehumdifier and running his at my expense.
 
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VicS said:
Causing malicious damage is a criminal offence :(
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*******s to that. However I will leave a spare cable tie in future. Padlocks will simply be removed. That is what the yard do anyway. The power points are for general use. Meters are in the extension lines. Leaving an un-metered line plugges in leads to a hefty charge. And is antisocial.
 
I've noticed my last 3 invoices for metered electricity have all varied by a pound or two which I assume means someone has 'borrowed' my sparks. Interestingly, the Original Poster is parked cheek by jowl to me.........
 
claymore said:
I've noticed my last 3 invoices for metered electricity have all varied by a pound or two which I assume means someone has 'borrowed' my sparks. Interestingly, the Original Poster is parked cheek by jowl to me.........
Click to expand...
No he wasn't! He was to the right as you go in, you are to the left. And he didn't have a long enough lead, he measured .

Anyway, he's now afloat - minus a mast for now.
 
Someone earlier mentioned taking bolt cutters to the offending pwer lead. As a matter of curiosity, what would likely happen if someone used boltcutters to cut through a live mains lead? Another nominee for the Darwin awards?
 
Resolution said:
Someone earlier mentioned taking bolt cutters to the offending pwer lead. As a matter of curiosity, what would likely happen if someone used boltcutters to cut through a live mains lead? Another nominee for the Darwin awards?
Click to expand...

Depends which two conductors the cutter shorts first, and whether you are insulated from the cutter (rubber handles etc).

E + N RCD will probably trip
E + L RCD will trip, and overload CB may or may not trip. Very short spark.
L + N Big spark, overload CB will trip.


If you are not insulated from cutter, above plus:

E + N Nothing
E + L You may feel a slight quick shock, unlikely to be harmful.
N + L lYou may feel a slight quick shock, unlikely to be harmful. RCD may trip.


When cutter cuts into first wire:

E Nothing
N Nothing if you are insulated, may trip RCD if not insulated.
L Nothing if you are insulated from cutter. If not insulated slight shock and RCD will trip.


All the above assumes of course that the marina wiring is good, and both RCD and overload CB are functional!
 
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I agree with those commenting against taking retribution with split pins etc.
In the long run the only sensible form of vengence is to live well.
 
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