Need help on AC Switching Panel

[patch]

I found my perfect live aboard (thanks for everyone's help in this board) and went thru survey today. It's a 1988 Hat 54 MY. My wife and I just love it.
My only question is, the AC switching panel.
This is my 4th boat and I've owned 10 different motorhomes(which have similar AC ,DC panels). The panel on the Hat is the only one that confused me.
Is there a book,article or website that will tell me in plain English what the switches are for?
It has "Shore line No 1 Selector" with selections 1, off,2,off. Why two offs on one switch.
At the bottom of the panel aare two rotary switches under the label
AC distribution No 1 and No 2 "Source Selector"
The switches have. Source 1, off, source 2 I don't know if this is line cords or gen, etc
The broker says I need two 50 amp 240v power cords to operate the boat, but most of the marinas I go too provide only one 50 amp.

Can I operate the boat on one 50 cord if I dont turn every thing on?

Thanks for your help

Patch

[Bill Root]

Patch:

I bought a 1988 54 last year. The switching panels really intimidated me at first. I could find no good information in any of the manuals or on line to tell me how they worked. They are laid out differently from the earlier boats, so info from those owners will only confuse you more.

I have the panels pretty well figured out now. Feel free to call me and I'll walk you through them. It's really a pretty neat system once you get your head wrapped around it.

763-229-4519

[patch]

Bill
Thanks for your offer. I will give you a call. The Hat panel makes no sense to me right now.
Patch

[rwetherington]

Two things one sounds like you might want to come to my Hatteras Vintage School i have every year. Two if you will give me a call I can walk you through the panel and explain the reason behind it's design. I was part of the design team that did most of the Hatteras electrical panels. Bill is also a good source of information he has also been to the school.

[REBrueckner]

"Can I operate the boat on one 50 cord if I dont turn every thing on?"

yes.

Without running air conditioning, I've done fine with just a 15 amp cord in remote locations and where electricity was free early seaon, but limited amperage. I'd leave a single battery charger on full time, and shut it off for an hour daily while I heated water.

It was easy with propane cooking and diesel central heat. If you have an electric cookstove and oven, each burner might be about 1500 watts...so you have to manage how many are used simultaneously.

What I eventually did is label the two exterior 120 volt shorepower cord connections at the catwalks, both port and starboard, to match the electric panel switch labels inside.