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Capt J
RO# 32809
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 Posted - May 05 2012 : 07:40:32
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I recently purchased a used boat and the electric service is 50a, 125V. The marina service is 50a 125/250V. Is it ok to plug my 50 a 125V cord into the marina service?
Currently the connection is a 50a 125/250V adapter into a 30 amp cord at the marina service and then another adapter that is 50a 125/250V into the boat. Everything works with this set up but it somehow doesn't feel right.
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Homeport: IN
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PascalG
RO# 12212
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Posted - May 05 2012 : 08:26:06
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Too many adapters, too many things to go wrong! Just get a 125/250-50 to 125-50 adapter and plug your cord in that
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Pascal
1970 Hatteras 53 MY
26' Starfish sloop
12' Westphal Catboat
16' Hobie Cat
13' Sandbarhopper
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Homeport: Miami, FL
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Capt. Bill1
RO# 2017
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Posted - May 05 2012 : 08:47:21
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The plugs should be different. So you can't plug your cord directly in without an adapter.
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The two most common elements on Earth are oxygen and stupidity.
Great, now take it to NBR. |
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Homeport: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
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bobalong
RO# 19429
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Posted - May 05 2012 : 09:09:59
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Yes I know Boatfix has new marine electrical stuff. .(hate having to begin things by paying homage first) BUT. . . .if you don't insist on having new, I recommend e bay. Boaters trade, sell & buy different boats with different electrical needs every day. I have bought more than one electrical adapter on there and saved more than half. $$$
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Homeport: Sutherrrn Indianannna
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cwms
RO# 7357
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Posted - May 05 2012 : 10:46:25
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I used to have a boat that was set up with 120v/50amp. Few if any marinas offer that service. The PO had 30 amp cords made up with 120v/ 30 amp male plugs that you can plug into anywhere and 120v/50 amp female ends to plug into the boat. Worked just fine.
It would have been nice to have the extra amps as we had to power manage but we did just fine.
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Edited by - cwms on May 05 2012 10:47:15 |
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Homeport: VA
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Capt J
RO# 32809
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 06:49:40
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Thank you for the input. What will I need in the event I am at a marina with only 30 amp service available?
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Homeport: IN
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abalmuth
RO# 13885
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 07:02:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Capt J
Thank you for the input. What will I need in the event I am at a marina with only 30 amp service available?
http://www.boatfix.com/shop5/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=16817
Link changed to twin males
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Cruisers 5000 Sedan Sport/CAT 12LTR's -
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright
until you hear them speak......... |
Edited by - abalmuth on May 06 2012 07:53:52 |
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Homeport: Long Island, NY
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CurrentSea
RO# 10265
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 08:39:13
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quote:
Originally posted by abalmuth
quote:
Originally posted by Capt J
Thank you for the input. What will I need in the event I am at a marina with only 30 amp service available?
http://www.boatfix.com/shop5/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=16817
Link changed to twin males
That is 250v. He is 125v. I don't think they make an adapter for his setup. I think he is stuck using 2 adapters.
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2009 Regal 4080
Volvo Diesel IPS |
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Homeport: Anchorage YC - Lindenhurst, NY
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abalmuth
RO# 13885
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 10:30:59
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Hey, I'm doing the best I can from an iPhone
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Cruisers 5000 Sedan Sport/CAT 12LTR's -
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright
until you hear them speak......... |
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Homeport: Long Island, NY
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CurrentSea
RO# 10265
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 11:51:44
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Sorry Andy. Not trying to bust ya but I looked for the guy and came up empty handed.
Best bet is two adapters.
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2009 Regal 4080
Volvo Diesel IPS |
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Homeport: Anchorage YC - Lindenhurst, NY
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cwms
RO# 7357
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Posted - May 06 2012 : 12:23:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Capt J
Thank you for the input. What will I need in the event I am at a marina with only 30 amp service available?
Follow my earlier suggestion. Have 30 amp cords made up with 30 amp-120v male ends and 50 amp-120 volt female ends.
All marinas have 30a-120v available and your boat is already set with with 50a-120v connectors.
This way, you never have to worry about having or using any kind of adaptors.
One other suggestion...change your boat connections to 30amp-120v connections. That way, just your standard 30 amp power cord will work.
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Homeport: VA
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rawidman
RO# 25110
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 07:28:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Capt J
I recently purchased a used boat and the electric service is 50a, 125V. The marina service is 50a 125/250V. Is it ok to plug my 50 a 125V cord into the marina service?
Currently the connection is a 50a 125/250V adapter into a 30 amp cord at the marina service and then another adapter that is 50a 125/250V into the boat. Everything works with this set up but it somehow doesn't feel right.
The dockmaster at the marina should know how best to accomodate your needs. What adapter to buy, etc.
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Ron
2000 Camano Troll |
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Homeport: Charleston, SC
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KiDa
RO# 16492
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 07:44:43
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How many recepticles on the boat?
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Best Regards,
David
Saint Max
'99 330 Sundancer
==========
Capitalism is to this administration what Judaism was to the Third Reich.
-- Me |
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Homeport: Hopewell, VA
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Capt J
RO# 32809
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 13:45:06
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There are two recepts on the boat. One on each side.
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Homeport: IN
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KiDa
RO# 16492
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 14:24:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Capt J
There are two recepts on the boat. One on each side.
Bad choice of words on my part. Are both receptacles in use when the boat is dockside or only one? Is there one receptacle on each side so you don't have to cross the boat and can run the AC power to the entire boat by plugging into either side?
The reason I ask is this. I agree with cwms to a point. Not all marinas have 30 amp power at all stanshions. One of my destinations does not. If this is the case at his home port, I would suck it up and make one set of cords for your home marina and leave them there. You can cut them to length. Make another set for travel cords as cwms describes.
Before venturing out overnight, call ahead to your destination. The odds on the place having your homeport setup is rather slim.
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Best Regards,
David
Saint Max
'99 330 Sundancer
==========
Capitalism is to this administration what Judaism was to the Third Reich.
-- Me |
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Homeport: Hopewell, VA
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cwms
RO# 7357
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 14:34:59
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Yes, we could use more info from the OP regarding his hook up. It does sound like he only needs to run one power cord but we need to know for sure.
Also, it would be nice to know size of the boat and it's electrical needs.
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Homeport: VA
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rawidman
RO# 25110
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 15:43:33
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quote:
Originally posted by KiDa
[br.............. Not all marinas have 30 amp power at all stanshions. One of my destinations does not. If this is the case at his home port, I would suck it up and make one set of cords for your home marina and leave them there. You can cut them to length. Make another set for travel cords as cwms describes.
Before venturing out overnight, call ahead to your destination. The odds on the place having your homeport setup is rather slim.
No need to call ahead because you might end up somewhere different.
The wise traveler will have adapters for all common situations. My boat has a 30 amp input but I carry a 50 amp adapter and a 20 amp adapter. Also, both a 40 and a 50' cable. I'm using the 50 amp adapter as I post.
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Ron
2000 Camano Troll |
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Homeport: Charleston, SC
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PascalG
RO# 12212
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 16:12:38
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1)- if your boat uses 125-50 service, you should have a 125-50 cord, not a 125-30!
2)- to connect your 125-50 cord into 125/250-50 service, all you need is the right pigtail adapter: Marinco 123A
http://www.marinco.com/files/media/product/catelogs/Marinco%20pg25_3.pdf
whether or not you need to also carry the 121A for when you have 30amp service only when cruising depends on what is common in your area and on the size of your boat. on the east coast, 125-50 is pretty rare and you will find either 125-30 or 125/250-50. if 125-50 is rare in your area, then be ready and travel with the 30amp adapter as well. most smaller slips often only have 30 service, so with a smaller boat, it makes sense to be ready for that. usually, over 40' you will find 125/250-50 just about everywhere.
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Pascal
1970 Hatteras 53 MY
26' Starfish sloop
12' Westphal Catboat
16' Hobie Cat
13' Sandbarhopper
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Homeport: Miami, FL
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cwms
RO# 7357
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 16:35:18
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quote:
Originally posted by PascalG
1)- if your boat uses 125-50 service, you should have a 125-50 cord, not a 125-30!
If you are plugging into 30 amp plug as he will most likely be (never seen 125v-50amp service anywhere) why bother with one of those very heavy 50 amp cords when all you need is a 30 amp cord?
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Homeport: VA
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PascalG
RO# 12212
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 19:06:53
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Because his boat inlet is 125-50 so is his cord.
To use a 30amp cord he ll need a adapter on the boat side in addition to the one at the pedestal. That a an extra 2 plugs to cause trouble...
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Pascal
1970 Hatteras 53 MY
26' Starfish sloop
12' Westphal Catboat
16' Hobie Cat
13' Sandbarhopper
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Homeport: Miami, FL
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cwms
RO# 7357
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 19:41:28
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quote:
Originally posted by PascalG
Because his boat inlet is 125-50 so is his cord.
To use a 30amp cord he ll need a adapter on the boat side in addition to the one at the pedestal. That a an extra 2 plugs to cause trouble...
Like I said, either....
1. Change the boatside connection to 30amp-125V or
2. Get a 30amp power cord with a 120v-30amp male plug and 125V-50amp female plug.
if you do either of these, you'll be able to connect to the VAST majority of marinas that offer 125V-30amp power without using ANY adapters.
Speaking as the former owner of a boat that came from the factory set up with 125V-50amp power, I think I know what I'm talking about.
When we bought the boat, it came with the custom made power cords as well as the 125V-50amp cords that we never used in 7 years of ownership. When the time came that we needed to replace our power cords, we decided it was much cheaper to change the boatside connections than to buy custom made cords as well as the boat being the same, powerwise, as 90% of the boats out there
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Homeport: VA
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rawidman
RO# 25110
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 20:16:52
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quote:
Originally posted by PascalG
............. on the east coast, 125-50 is pretty rare and you will find either 125-30 or 125/250-50.
I'm using a 50 to 30 amp adapter at this moment in Jacksonville, FL. 120 volts. I've used this adapter at two or three other marinas on the east coast. I don't think it's rare, I think it's pretty common.
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Ron
2000 Camano Troll |
Edited by - rawidman on May 08 2012 20:17:39 |
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Homeport: Charleston, SC
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PascalG
RO# 12212
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 20:46:03
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Ron, are you talking about 125/250-50 or 125-50?
I have yet to get a slip with 125-50...
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Pascal
1970 Hatteras 53 MY
26' Starfish sloop
12' Westphal Catboat
16' Hobie Cat
13' Sandbarhopper
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Homeport: Miami, FL
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cwms
RO# 7357
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Posted - May 08 2012 : 21:01:37
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quote:
Originally posted by PascalG
Ron, are you talking about 125/250-50 or 125-50?
I have yet to get a slip with 125-50...
Pascal's right. There's a big difference between the 2. 125/250-50amp is found at just about any marina that caters to larger boats, 35-40' and larger. That service needs a 4 wire cord.
125-50 amp is rare. I've never seen it. It takes a 3 wire cord.
The plug configurations of both look the same at first glance, but are slightly different and cannot be interchanged.
It would be nice to hear from the OP again.
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Edited by - cwms on May 08 2012 21:04:19 |
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Homeport: VA
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rawidman
RO# 25110
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Posted - May 09 2012 : 07:30:42
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quote:
Originally posted by PascalG
Ron, are you talking about 125/250-50 or 125-50?
I have yet to get a slip with 125-50...
It's probably four wire so that's 120/240. I don't want to unplug it right now, but I suspect the adapter just uses one leg to get 120 just like a house does.
In any event, not thought or electrical knowledge is required, Just ask the man for a 240 to 120 volt adapter, bring it to the boat, and plug it in. It's not rocket science.
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Ron
2000 Camano Troll |
Edited by - rawidman on May 09 2012 07:31:20 |
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Homeport: Charleston, SC
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comptiger5000
RO# 30050
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Posted - May 09 2012 : 09:19:40
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From what I'm getting out of this, it sounds like you've got 2 50A, 125v receptacles on the boat (presumably both used). For marinas with 50A, 125/250v service, we use 2 50A, 125v cords with a Y adapter at the pedestal end. For marinas with 30a, 125v service, we use the same 50A, 125v cords with a pair of 50A to 30A connector adapter pigtails at the pedestal.
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_________________________________________
1986 Chris Craft Catalina 381 "Hour Glass"
Twin 454 FWC Mercs, Onan MCCK 6.5kw FWC |
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Homeport: Stamford, CT
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vic33004
RO# 27361
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Posted - May 09 2012 : 09:34:37
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i had a similar set up on a boat that was fitted with a pair of 50a/125v shore power lines. my solution was a pair of 50a/125v to 30amp adapters that i placed on the boat at the shore power interface. then i used a pair of inexpensive 30amp shore power cables plugged in to 30 amp outlets on the dock. the boat did not have 240 volt power so there was a transfer switch that enabled me to use a single 30 amp shore power cable to run just about everything except the cooktop and water heater. for those i needed both 30 amp shore power feeds.
it was way less costly to run on 30 amp cables then to purchase and carry a 50amp cable.
the set up i've described is acceptable from a safety perspective as you are not over feeding a 30amp cable like when you step down from 50amps at the dock pedestal.
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Vic33004
02 Regal 4260 |
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Homeport: Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Pa Mikee
RO# 32785
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Posted - May 09 2012 : 10:23:29
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Cutting off the female end of a 30a cord and replacing it with a 50a connector will work but then limits the user to only having the capability of 30a. The same goes for changing the boat's inlet connector and using a standard 30a cord. I would also then change the main disconnect breaker from 50a to a 30a. Doing either will still not solve the issue of trying to connect to 125/250-50a outlet. If the 50a cord is in good shape, then get the adapters the Pascal mentioned. With those 2 adapters it will be possible to conect to: 125v-30a, 125v-50a, and 125/250v-50a.
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Homeport:
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Capt J
RO# 32809
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Posted - May 09 2012 : 11:30:12
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I am going to the boat in the near future and will look to see exactly how it is now and check the other options the marina offers and post it. Thank you.
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Homeport: IN
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rawidman
RO# 25110
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Posted - May 09 2012 : 13:13:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Capt J
I am going to the boat in the near future and will look to see exactly how it is now and check the other options the marina offers and post it. Thank you.
At this point, between your description of what you have and several interpretations of that description, the advice you have been given could land you in deep trouble.
If your dockmaster can't help you, a marine electrician should be called in to determine exactly what you have on the boat and what you need to connect at your marina and others you may visit from time to time.
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Ron
2000 Camano Troll |
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Homeport: Charleston, SC
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cwms
RO# 7357
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Posted - May 09 2012 : 14:50:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Capt J
I am going to the boat in the near future and will look to see exactly how it is now and check the other options the marina offers and post it. Thank you.
OK, sounds like you still have questions regarding your electrical connections.
Can you at least tell us about the boat? you say you have 2 shore power connections... Is that 2 separate connections or do you only have one circuit, but you have a connection on each side of the boat for convenience where you only plug into one of them?
Brand, age, size, what 120volt electrical appliances are on board? Stove, water heater, air conditioning and how many units? The more info we have, the better we can help you.
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Homeport: VA
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Capt J
RO# 32809
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Posted - May 14 2012 : 09:43:38
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OK. I think I got it. I checked with an electrical engineer and he says since the boat is wired for 50 amp 125V I should use a 50 amp 125V cord. I bought one! Then he says if the marina electrical service is 50 amp 125/250V I should use an adapter that has the 50 amp 125/250V into the marina service with a 50 amp 125v plug on the other end to plug my 50 amp 125v plug into and the other end of my cord into the boat. This adapter effectivly cancels out the extra leg or the 250V side of the electrical source.
In the event I go to another marina that only offers 30 amp 125V service I can use a Y splitter. Two 30 amp 125V plugs into the marina electric service split to the 50 amp 125 V at the bottom of the Y to plug my 50 amp 125V cord into.
Whew! I never realized how much I did not know about electrical service!
Thank all of your for you input!!
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Homeport: IN
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PascalG
RO# 12212
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Posted - May 14 2012 : 11:30:52
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Well the first part is what was suggested here, but I m not sure the second part is the best solution. Problem with using a Smart Y into two 30 amp outlet is that they need to be on opposing phases fir the circuitry inside the Y to connect and sometimes there re not. Or there will be only one 30amp outlet
You re better off using a 30amp to 50amp adapter
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Pascal
1970 Hatteras 53 MY
26' Starfish sloop
12' Westphal Catboat
16' Hobie Cat
13' Sandbarhopper
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Homeport: Miami, FL
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cwms
RO# 7357
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Posted - May 14 2012 : 13:58:40
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Have you priced out 50 amp cords and connectors? Hope you have a fat wallet.
You still haven't told us anything about the boat and it's electrical needs
My old boat that was wired for 50amp/125volt had high electrical needs but we did just fine using 30 amp cords and connections, meaning we only plugged into 30amp connections so there was no need to have heavy, expensive 50 amp cords.
Just because the boat is wired for 50amp, doesn't mean you have to have 50 amp connections.
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Edited by - cwms on May 14 2012 13:59:55 |
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Homeport: VA
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Capt J
RO# 32809
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Posted - May 15 2012 : 14:07:16
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PascalG: You're correct. The smart Y is not a good idea. When faced with the 30 amp only option I will go with the 30 amp to 50 amp adapter. I appreciate the info.
cwms: Don't really have a fat wallet but since I already purchased the 50 amp 125 cord I will go ahead with the adapter discussed. As they say "in for a penny, in for a pound".
Thank you all for the input. I value your opinions and advise.
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Homeport: IN
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Capt. Bill1
RO# 2017
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Posted - May 15 2012 : 14:47:38
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While you don't need a Smart Y, over coming the phase issue is not that big a deal. Just lengthen one 30a leg of the Smart Y so you can reach a 30a receptical on another power post that ois not on the same phase.
But your cheapest bet is to use the single 30a to single 50a adapter. If you don't find you need the extra 10-15 amps of usable power you will be losing that is.
I'd look around for a good used adapter before buying a new one.
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The two most common elements on Earth are oxygen and stupidity.
Great, now take it to NBR. |
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Homeport: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
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Topic |
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50 amp electric cord
