Electrical power at Chesapeake Bay Museum slips - St Michaels

[MikeP]

Just some info -

We spent last night at the Ches Bay maritame museum slips at St Michaels. and again had insufficient electrical power at some of their 240/50A boxes. At the first slip, on F dock, there was approx 198V showing on the boat's OEM meters. The AC unit compressors would try to engage but immediately disengage. A couple of years back we were on a different museum dock with the same problem - we had to run the Gen all night. This time, after discovering the compressors would not engage, I checked the pedestal with a multimeter and got the same reading as the boat's voltmeter. I asked the marina folks if they were ok if I took my multimeter and checked other docks. They said OK and I found that on D dock, the boxes were showing 203 so we moved to that dock with the understanding that if it wouldn't power the boat properly, they would refund our deposit and we would anchor in the harbor for the night.

We moved the boat and this time, with the voltmeter on the boat showing a shade over 200, the AC compressors worked OK. I was a little concerned at the low power but everything worked fine through the night.

When I was explaining the issue when we first docked/connected, the tech guy said that it was just a function of the power company was only required to supply within 20% of the spec voltage and they (the marina) had no control over it. He advised that there were other boats on the F dock that were having no issues and that it could be an internal problem on our boat. I guess that's possible but, frankly, I don't really believe that to be the case. All the other boats were sailboats/smaller powerboats and I didn't hear any air conditioners running.

Anyhow, I offer this just for info - if you want to dock overnight at st Michaels I suggest you request D dock as opposed to the other docks unless you don't need to run any of the electrical "heavy hitters" on the boat.

 

[bobk]

Mike, we find that problem in several marinas along the ICW and in Baltimore. I try to avoid them. I really should invest in the switching to use the isolation transformer to compensate for the low voltage.

Bobk

 

[34Hatt]

Mike, we find that problem in several marinas along the ICW and in Baltimore. I try to avoid them. I really should invest in the switching to use the isolation transformer to compensate for the low voltage.

Bobk

Sounds like the Museum needs to invest in one, we have one in the ground next to our main panel that supplies 3 docks.

 

[Boatsb]

Mike, we find that problem in several marinas along the ICW and in Baltimore. I try to avoid them. I really should invest in the switching to use the isolation transformer to compensate for the low voltage.

Bobk

Your inverter has that ability too. I believe you have only one though. You would need one for each leg.

 

[jim rosenthal]

It sounds like they need to update their wiring. This is not likely to be a Delmarva Power problem; the piers at St Michaels Harbour Inn, and the other big marina (Town Dock?) have plenty of juice and big yachts dock there often. I haven't had a problem at the Museum docks- but my boat draws far less than Brigadoon does.

 

[Pascal]

I ve only been to st Michaels once (loved the museum and the town... And a sunset sail on a nice old catboat... Forgot the name).

But we anchored out just north of the museum in the cove. Loved it.... Great view, privacy and holding

Way too many marinas have sub par power, especially 120/240-50 service. In some places (Bahamas) you just turn the Genset but in some places it's frown upon. Too many ragboters and tree huggers

 

[MikeP]

We go to St Michaels quite regularly as one of our "default destinations," the other is Chestertown. We normally anchor out. We used to anchor right in the harbor but lately we anchor across the Miles River in a cove that is well protected and very nice. It's about a 2 mile run in the dink each way. We decided to stay at the museum marina yesterday just for the heck of it...not sure why. But we will probably not do it again...well, unless I adjust the inverter to accept the low voltage (see the related thread in the tech section.

 

[magnawake]

We just moved the boat to harbourgate Marina in North Myrtle beach. I plugged into the pole and one of our compressors wouldnt fire up. I know it worked 5 hrs before so I knew I had to have low power. Its the lowest Ive ever seen at 200 amps. Ive seen 205 before and our stuff didnt like it. I ccalled the cruise air people and they said it would be OK at 205 but not very much lower. I can her the difference in the water pump and the blow drier.

 

[Boatsb]

We just moved the boat to harbourgate Marina in North Myrtle beach. I plugged into the pole and one of our compressors wouldnt fire up. I know it worked 5 hrs before so I knew I had to have low power. Its the lowest Ive ever seen at 200 amps. Ive seen 205 before and our stuff didnt like it. I ccalled the cruise air people and they said it would be OK at 205 but not very much lower. I can her the difference in the water pump and the blow drier.

Be careful confusing amps and volts. Bad things can happen.

 

[magnawake]

Be careful confusing amps and volts. Bad things can happen.

Oh Man !!!! I cant believe I said that. Ha Ha, oh brother......Good catch anyway. My bad, Volts for sure

 

[holtcl]

I would not dock at the maritime museum again due to the low pilings. I was only there for the day a few years back and did not try to connect to any power.

Cheryl

 

[saltshaker]

It sounds like they need to update their wiring. This is not likely to be a Delmarva Power problem; the piers at St Michaels Harbour Inn, and the other big marina (Town Dock?) have plenty of juice and big yachts dock there often. I haven't had a problem at the Museum docks- but my boat draws far less than Brigadoon does.

Most likely the power company is providing 208V. Bigger yards will boost the power before the pedestals as Dan mentioned his does. You won't notice a problem if your boat runs off of 125V instead of 250V.