US1 Fountain

Adding shorepower to my yacht. Basically just an onboard hardwired battery charger and an outlet in the cabin.
I have a 120 AC panel with 30 amp main breaker with 3- 15 amp circuts on order now.

Do I also run a ground wire from the panel to the engine blocks. Also, the charger is a Guest, which is ignition/water proof and so on. Safe to mount in engine compartment? Instruction make no reference of this, but see it done. I prefer to mount it there.

Thanks

hillbilly24

You can mount the charger in the compartment with no problem, And defenitly no ground for AC system to engine block. The new NMMA wiring code actually calls for DC grounds to be yellow so as not to make that mistake.

US1 Fountain

Thanks!

Poorsche

Make sure you read up and install a Galvonic Isolator in the line as soon as shorepower enters boat.

Also read up on electrolysis and problems caused espcially by different types of battery chargers--trasnformer versus solid state.

I lost two TRS outdrives last year to electrolysis caused by a neighboring boat that had his electrical lines dangling in the water.

I attached one piece of good reading I found--there is tons out there and Mrecruiser has a ggod one somewhere. I'd upload it if I could find it again.

US1 Fountain

Poorche, thanks for the reading material. Kinda makes me scared to put the boat in the water.

question,
My boat is always on the lift in my slip. Only direct contact to my boat is thru the carpeted bunks. I believe this is fool proof then?? Not sure if there is something funky I don't see. Under these conditions I take it a galvonic isolater serves no purpose???

Also, as far as the AC not being grounded to the engine......
Isn't it still grounded thru my battery charger?

Motor ground to battery ground---> battery ground to charger ground-----> hardwired charger ground wire to AC panel ground buss bar. Or is the DC grounds different from the AC grounds inside the charger?

comments?
Thanks

US1 Fountain

Anyone?

Poorsche

I'd still put the galvonic isolator in the system. You'll have the situation where you'll be plugged in to shorepower at a marina for an overnite or weekend or more. The electolysis can happen in a very short period of time and a 3 millivolt differential in the water can be a serious electrolysis problem. The isolator is under $100 and is really simple intall. A bonding system is extreme protection but I got serious damage to my boat and lost both drive and gimbal in less than 6 weeks due to the boat next to me.

Check out this link -- http://www.yandina.com/acrobats/GalvOwnManual.pdf http://www.yandina.com/NewCatalog.htm

Ted G

Here is some really good info on galvanic isolators-there is even a plan to make your own. I got mine off E-bay for about 70 bucks new-just watch for them.

http://www.yandina.com/galvanicIsolator.htm