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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Electricians--please help.

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albert
Captain

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USA
262 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/10/2002 : 22:10:44

Anyone understand how/why Jim's boat suffered electrical damage from another boat with faulty wiring?

How can we prevent this?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Randolph,

I support your caution about leaving the charger on all the time. I will relate an event that caused me to only have the charger on while I am at the boat, doing chores, cleaning and stuff. This seems to be plenty of charge time (plus the engine run time) to keep my two batteries topped off.

Hey Jude has (had) a marine-grade charger, hard wired according to manufacturer's instructions. A couple of years ago, while I was still at a marina that allowed live-aboards, a large houseboat affair docked across the finger from me and plugged in. There were several boats on my side of the finger, including a 38ft. cabin cruiser. The houseboat thingy was really a floating wreck, and I noticed that the guy had run two electrical connectors to the power box next to where I plug in.

When I came back to 'Jude the next weekend I noticed a strong, unpleasant smell as I approached. When I popped the splashboards the reek of chemical mixed with charred wire was overpowering. After raising the top, I began checking. First, both batteries were cooked dry. Next, the charger was also cooked. The breaker on the dockbox was thrown.

At first, I figured the charger had died and cooked the batteries. I mentioned my disgust to the guy two slips down. He started to relate electrical problems that he had suddenly had. Then the gal that owned the 38footer walked by and heard us talking. She said all her electronics and electrical were fried. After some discussion we realized that the problem all happened in the week since the wreck tied up. We reported this to the marina office. They came down and ran a polarity check on the wreck's shore power lines and said the guy had one wired up backwards.

I'm no electrician, the damned stuff is like magic. But we concluded that he was responsible for the problem. The marina would not accept any responsibility, their contract absolves them, apparently. They did disconnect the guy's wires.

We dock neighbors wrote the wreck owner a letter demanding that he make restitution. The next weekend he disappeared.

Maybe I got off easy, just replacing the charger and batteries, with some discoloration on 'Jude's wiring. Did you know that hydrogen sulfide turns wires brown, all the wires? You have to scrape a little to get to see what color they are, fun...!

The gal at the end of the dock had more than 10 grand in damage.

The guy closest to me had to have all his zincs replaced, and new ends installed on his shorepower lines.

So, now I charge only while I'm there.

Any ideas, folks, self-defense for electrical shorepower hook-ups?

Jim Williams
Hey Jude C25fk #2958
Half Moon Bay, CA

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Albert Iturrey
al@comhertz.com
Abacus': http://www.comhertz.com/abacus

Edited by - albert on 12/10/2002 22:11:46

Edited by - on

Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 12/10/2002 : 22:53:45

Get a good boat insurance policy ?

Doug&Ruth
Triska (Alberg 29)
Tacoma Wa.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 12/10/2002 : 23:35:32

What probably happened was a problem occurred in a paralell circuit in the marina's wiring sending 220V to the 110V line, blowing everything in it's path. I've seen this happened in an office where I once worked. It blew up all the surge suppressors(saved the pc's), fax machines, and any equipment directly connected to the outlets.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
C25 SR/FK
On the hard near Lake Erie

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2984 Posts

Response Posted - 12/11/2002 : 00:22:25

In agreement that 220 volts was likely. Here is how that could happen.

First, power transformers supply two legs of 110 volt alternating current. The two legs are polarity opposed so that the voltage potential between them doubles to 220 volts.

If 110 volt dock outlets on finger pier A are one leg and those on finger pier B are the other leg so that the transformer's load is balanced.... then if two boats, (one on each finger pier) have their wire harness mis wired so that the hot leg is made to the neutral... then a 220 volt ground loop exist between these two points with the potential to get all over everything.

So, the shabby house boat may have been the second boat but its likely that another had set the stage and together they raised havoc.

<img src="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/images/helming.jpg" border=0>
Arlyn C-250 W/B #224
R&R N/E Texas and Great Lakes

[url="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/"]Arlyn's C250 Mods n Cruisin Stories[/url]

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