Yacht Electrical Inspection

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LORDNELSON

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I would be grateful for advice about having the electrical installation in my boat properly checked and certified. Does anyone know the procedure and good qualified inspectors in the East Hampshire/West Sussex area?
 
Does engine start
Do lights work
Do instruments work

If the answer to any of the above is no then you have a fault ..

Have a nice day .. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif .. Just think how much you have just saved
 
You're all such rude boys. The chap is just trying to do the right thing and you just take the piss.

Lord Nelson, unless you are the JST vessel of that name or some other code-compliant vessel I think you have no need of an electrical survey unless your insurer has specified that you should or a surveyor advised it.
 
Yea, they are rude, unfunny and not nearly as helpful as usual!. Having a boat that is new to me, with both 12 volt dc and 230 volt ac on board and having noticed a few odd things about the wiring I thought it would be a good idea to have the electrics checked out. I do not wish to fry my family or crew. The need for a properly qualified electrics guy who can certify the installations occurred to me because I have come across one or two so called marine electricians in the past whose work and pronouncements were, to say the least, doubtful.
 
As a marine electrician I agree with your thoughts; I have been on alot of boats where everything (or at least most things) seemed to work OK, but having had a look at the electrics I personally wouldnt want to leave the harbour in it. Just because it works doesnt mean its safe, and as things get added and played about with over the years the problems get compounded. Not saying every boat is like that, but to many are.

I wouldnt worry to much about trying to get it certified as such, whislt there are standards for marine wiring (I normally work to ABYC) they tend not to be so much a test of a boats installation but rather guidelines on how it should be done. Whilst they can be applied restrospceivley it would be much more effiecent to just have someone knowledgable take a look over everything.

Find a good marine electrician in your area and ask him to come look over the boat and advise on what work he would suggest needs doing etc.

Anthony
 
Yacht wiring for 250V AC shore power or gen set connection is critical from a safety point of view. For this you need an electrician licensed for house wiring but familiar with boat systems.Particularly the earthing arrangements (Galvanic Isolator)
As for the 12v systems on your boat as said if they work OK, fuses and circuit breakers seem to be the right value then it is probably OK. You should try to learn as much as you can about this system. good luck olewill
 
I'm sure boats have burnt down through electrical faults and so have houses. you are doing the right thing in my opinion. how about speaking to a caravan dealer they will be familiar with both systems.
 
I would disagree with the others. Unless you intend to spend your sailing time pottering within a mile or two of your home port, you need to understand how your boat is put together and that includes the electrical system. breakdown occurr and at sea you need a degree of self reliance.

12v electrics are the sort of thing that anybody who can think logically can do themselves. yes you will need to look some things up and you will need to take advice, but in the end you will know your boat. in just the same way you should know how to service the engine for example.

the 240 volt system is a different issue simply because you can kill yourself much more easily with it. there it is sense to get in a professional

one problem with getting in tech help and in effect saying "you do it, I dont understand it" is that you will often be royally ripped off with unnecessary work. you must have found this at home - three plumbers quoting for the same job will give you four different versions of what needs doing and the regs involved. and in case anyone thinks this is a complaint against plumbers and leccies, in my experience you are just as likely to get this problem with solicitors and doctors.

so my recommendation is to buy the calder book , study it and check out your system yourself. if you then think there is something wrong, at least you know what to ask the pro. and you may well be able to put it right without asking
 
Under the current regulations, 17th edition (BS7671), Marinas and similar locations now have to conform. This does not apply to the boats in marinas. This change came in when the old 16th edition went out last year.

Look for a marine electrician who is certified to carry out "landside" electrical inspections, they will be C&G 2391 qualified. That way you get someone who is legally able to carry out "landside" inspections, but knows about the special circumstances that boats throw up.
 
Thank you. In fact I was not proposing to employ anyone to do the physical work. I will do it my self. What I want is a fully qualified electrician to come and check it over. I do have both Calder's and also Payne's books. I agree that a marine electrician with shore side qualifications is a desirable technician to do the inspection. Do you know of one in the West Sussex area? It seems from another post that it is not necessary to have the boat's electrics certified to some national standard (unless, of course one falls within the area covered by the BSS).
 
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