VicS
Well-Known Member
I am thinking of getting one of these campsite mains hook up units, or similar, for occasional use .
What would be a sensible length of cable ?
What would be a sensible length of cable ?
Shorepower lead. length?
- Thread starter VicS
- Start date
prv
Well-Known Member
My cunning plan when making our shore power cable was to divide it into ten-metre lengths, which can plug together as required and avoid having to deal with a huge unwieldy coil every time. We carry two lengths in the cockpit locker which covers normal marina situations, plus two more in a deep locker down below in case we need to reach further.
More by luck than judgement, a single ten-metre length turned out to be perfect for our home berth (for complicated reasons to do with metering, we don't plug in full-time, only when I want to use tools etc). However, experience shows that it's rare for this to be enough when visiting elsewhere - I almost always end up adding the second length and leaving about half of it faked out on the foredeck. So (finally getting to the point
) I would say that 15m is about right for the vast majority of marina situations.
A further 10m extension stashed away somewhere might come in handy one day, but up to you whether it's worth the space and weight on a small boat.
Pete
More by luck than judgement, a single ten-metre length turned out to be perfect for our home berth (for complicated reasons to do with metering, we don't plug in full-time, only when I want to use tools etc). However, experience shows that it's rare for this to be enough when visiting elsewhere - I almost always end up adding the second length and leaving about half of it faked out on the foredeck. So (finally getting to the point
) I would say that 15m is about right for the vast majority of marina situations. A further 10m extension stashed away somewhere might come in handy one day, but up to you whether it's worth the space and weight on a small boat.
Pete
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
I am thinking of getting one of these campsite mains hook up units, or similar, for occasional use .
What would be a sensible length of cable ?
The nearest power point to my boat is 75 metres away and the marina has a rule that the maximum length of mains power is 25 meters as I made up 3 leads of 25 metres each to comply with their rules
As to your question haw far away is the nearest power point to your boat.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
we have much the same with up 2 4 lengths o/b & a splitter dog lead, The Netherlands in summer can be a challenge to find a vacant outletMy cunning plan when making our shore power cable was to divide it into ten-metre lengths, which can plug together as required and avoid having to deal with a huge unwieldy coil every time. We carry two lengths in the cockpit locker which covers normal marina situations, plus two more in a deep locker down below in case we need to reach further.
More by luck than judgement, a single ten-metre length turned out to be perfect for our home berth (for complicated reasons to do with metering, we don't plug in full-time, only when I want to use tools etc). However, experience shows that it's rare for this to be enough when visiting elsewhere - I almost always end up adding the second length and leaving about half of it faked out on the foredeck. So (finally getting to the point
A further 10m extension stashed away somewhere might come in handy one day, but up to you whether it's worth the space and weight on a small boat.
Pete
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
I wonder can you not get one of those wind up reels?
prv
Well-Known Member
Well, that's bloody silly of them, isn't it?
He doesn't know, as it will depend what marina he's visiting and what berth they put him in. Hence the question.
Pete
prv
Well-Known Member
Would probably be more of a pain to stow than a coil, though.
Jfm on the mobo forum has a motorised reel built into his boat - push a button and it extrudes cable onto the quay from a drum in the engine bay. Different worlds
Pete
RichardS
N/A
Jfm on the mobo forum has a motorised reel built into his boat - push a button and it extrudes cable onto the quay from a drum in the engine bay. Different worlds
Pete
And I'll bet that the motor in that reel is more powerful than the motor in our boats! :ambivalence:
Richard
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
Well, that's bloody silly of them, isn't it?
Yes they have lots of silly rules but non of the are enforced so they just get ignored anyway. Welcome to the third world but the sun shines more that the UK.
Having met Vic I know he is a very clever man but isn't that like how long is a piece of string or in this case an extension lead.
As you say have several different lengths that can be connected together to accommodate different locations.
I also have standard domestic 3 pin plug to blue socket and standard domestic 3 pin line socket to blue plug so I can extend further with standard domestic extension leads or plug into domestic sockets and plug in standard plugged equipment if I need very long leads off the boat
jimbaerselman
Well-Known Member
This set-up met nearly all my needs cruising tidal Europe and the Mediteranean:
Quote from http://www.jimbsail.info/preparing/fitting-out-mediterranean
240v Power. Shore power is often available, but plugging in may require up to 30m of cable. Two lengths, one of 10m and one of 20m are the most flexible provision. Plug adapters may be needed, and a polarity checker is essential if continental plugs are used. Correct this with a made up polarity reverser. .
Quote from http://www.jimbsail.info/preparing/fitting-out-mediterranean
sarabande
Well-Known Member
length and load affect wire size, which may make a single reel impractical to carry or store.
Typically a 240v supplying 3KW over 100m needs 6mm cable, while same load over 25m needs only 2.5mm cable.
Typically a 240v supplying 3KW over 100m needs 6mm cable, while same load over 25m needs only 2.5mm cable.
Poignard
Well-Known Member
VicS, where can you buy those from?
VicS
Well-Known Member
Various camping and caravanning equipment suppliers The image I used is from Towsures website. There seems to be a wider choice in 3 outlet ones ... but they are bigger of course.
Bav32
Well-Known Member
Can I suggest that you get a tree way splitter to cope with the situations of too many power leads; not enough sockets.
No lectures please about overloading; most people don't use that much power.
No lectures please about overloading; most people don't use that much power.
GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
There is also a danger of leaving cable on a coil when in use, it should all be pulled out and flaked or it can heat up.
Yngmar
Well-Known Member
Depends on where you want to reach with it, plus the distance it needs to go on your boat. For example, my shorepower plug is at the rear of the boat and I'm mostly berthing bows in, so it needs to run the whole length of the boat before even getting on the pontoon. In my case, that leaves about 12m "usable" length to run along pontoons, which has been sufficient so far.
If you make it much longer, you need to go up a wire size to avoid a significant voltage drop when you switch the kettle on. And then the cable coil gets heavy and unwieldy.
As for storing it, a cable tidy or open reel works and keeps it from getting twisted.
If you make it much longer, you need to go up a wire size to avoid a significant voltage drop when you switch the kettle on. And then the cable coil gets heavy and unwieldy.
As for storing it, a cable tidy or open reel works and keeps it from getting twisted.
colind3782
Well-Known Member
One berth we had required a 70 metre lead. At 2.5 mm, the voltage drop was so bad you could almost count the electrons dribbling out of the end of the lead.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
I have a 50 M cable reel. Seems to do most situations. Never need to unwind the lot to prevent heat build up as I do not use enough power.
What I do have is a double socket outlet on a plug for when there is a shortage of available supplies. Also I have an adapter for one of the larger sockets they provide for large MOBOs etc . Often there is a vacant one nearby & I can run off that. I also carry a plug & socket with live & negative reverse for use on some foreign ports as well as 2 pin adapters etc. Those all allow me the option of using nearer supplies in busy marinas
What I do have is a double socket outlet on a plug for when there is a shortage of available supplies. Also I have an adapter for one of the larger sockets they provide for large MOBOs etc . Often there is a vacant one nearby & I can run off that. I also carry a plug & socket with live & negative reverse for use on some foreign ports as well as 2 pin adapters etc. Those all allow me the option of using nearer supplies in busy marinas
VicMallows
Well-Known Member
Exactly what I do. I do try to secure the join so that it is unlikely to fall in the water
However try it at your peril on a Caravan Club site! ...... all and sundry will tell you how irresponsibly dangerous it is. According to some, the 'rules' even state that the hook-up cable MUST be 25m .... no longer OR SHORTER 
VicS
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the ideas.
I realise that the question was a bit like asking the length of a piece of string but I have never used shorepower anywhere before or taken much notice of what's provided. Just wondered how long a lead people found was necessary/ usually long enough
Not for use on my home mooring ..... that's best part of a mile from the nearest supply point. Don't tell me I need a genset as well
I the cable reel with all the gubbins and three sockets built in will be too large to stow easily and only has 15m of cable anyway
I think a 10m length and a 20 m length sound like a sensible way forward.
BUT I guess a blue plug and a blue in line socket do not make a waterproof connection ? So would probably need one of these for the times both lengths are needed ?
http://www.towsure.com/caravan-main...oof-connecting-case?nosto=productpage-nosto-2
I realise that the question was a bit like asking the length of a piece of string but I have never used shorepower anywhere before or taken much notice of what's provided. Just wondered how long a lead people found was necessary/ usually long enough
Not for use on my home mooring ..... that's best part of a mile from the nearest supply point. Don't tell me I need a genset as well
I the cable reel with all the gubbins and three sockets built in will be too large to stow easily and only has 15m of cable anyway
I think a 10m length and a 20 m length sound like a sensible way forward.
BUT I guess a blue plug and a blue in line socket do not make a waterproof connection ? So would probably need one of these for the times both lengths are needed ?
