I have been at the same marina for 30 years and in the same slip for fifteen years with no dockside ac issues. This year the marina installed new floating docks, water and power. My boat trips the gfi at the dock. Since there is no 50 amp recepta
cle I use a splitter. The marina claims that new electrical codes cause many boats to cause this problem
because the codes used when the boat was built different codes were in play. Their solution...my boat,
my problem. They sent an electrician ( marine ) who changed a ground in the dc box on the bulkhead
in the engine room and said a splitter would not work on the marina's system. $315 later he says there
might still be a problem since he can't test it until a 50 amp receptacle is installed on the dock.
Anyone else have experience with this?
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Thread: Dockside power issue
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05-13-2019 08:26 PM #1Senior Member
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- Jul 2005
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Dockside power issue
1987 41' CD832
Giddy Up
Niantic, CT
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Re: Dockside power issue
With a splitter are you using two 30 amp outlets to plug into? Anytime I try to use a 30 amp outlet even with a smart Y I end up tripping the stump breakers. These old girls like their power.
Looking for a 80 plus foot yacht
Hatteras of Cheoy Lee
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05-13-2019 09:01 PM #3Senior Member
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Re: Dockside power issue
The splitter has worked fine at this slip for the last 9 years.
1987 41' CD832
Giddy Up
Niantic, CT
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Re: Dockside power issue
1) Do you have an isolation transformer? If so, your boat is not the problem. It can't be because you don't even bring the neutral on board your boat.
2) I have been to a marina with a similar setup for part of a year and when I tried to use the smart Y it tripped their system. I ended up building my own reverse Y without the brain box and it worked just fine.Last edited by SKYCHENEY; 05-13-2019 at 09:15 PM.
Sky Cheney
1985 53EDMY, Hull #CN759, "Rebecca"
ELYC on White Lake--Montague, MI
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Re: Dockside power issue
Are you plugged into 2 30 amp plugs? If not you’re only bringing in limited power. Is your splitter a 50/125 or a 50/125/250?
SEVEN
1979 53' MY Hull #563
Antioch, California
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05-13-2019 09:46 PM #6Senior Member
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Re: Dockside power issue
2 30 amp cords to 30 amp dockside connected to a 50 amp splitter. Same
boat and hookups for 9 years. Only difference is new service at the dock. The marina
claims new codes require a change at the boat. Dozens of boats at the marina are having
similar issues. The claim is that new electrical codes are causing the problem with many
of the boats.1987 41' CD832
Giddy Up
Niantic, CT
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05-13-2019 09:49 PM #7Senior Member
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Re: Dockside power issue
Sky: how did you put together the splitter w/o the brain ?
1987 41' CD832
Giddy Up
Niantic, CT
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Re: Dockside power issue
Ok, against my better judgement, here goes. First, a safety warning: This does not contain the safety features of a smart Y. You need to plug each 30a into hots that are out of phase from each other. You will need to test the plugs at the pedestal with a mulitmeter to make sure you can get 250v out of the combination. If you don't understand electricity, please don't attempt this.
So, I cut off an old 50a/250 cord female plug end and two old 30a/125v cords male plug ends and combined them in a waterproof 4x4 plastic box with watertight cord grips. The neutrals were not used because I don't need them as I have an isolation transformer. One hot from each 30a cord was connected to each hot on the 50a cord. And the grounds were all tied together.Last edited by SKYCHENEY; 05-13-2019 at 10:58 PM.
Sky Cheney
1985 53EDMY, Hull #CN759, "Rebecca"
ELYC on White Lake--Montague, MI
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Re: Dockside power issue
Is it only when attached to the boat that there is an issue? If it's just when the 2 feeds are attached to the splitter, without the boat attached. My thought would be Hot and Neutral and or Ground might be wrong in one outlet just a thought.