Long Island Marine Surveyor

Telephone 631 589-6154  Fax 631 563-3758

 NFPA USSA  FMANA SNAME USNI ABYC 

Long Island Marine Surveyor 631-589-6154

Electrical Equipment 

Shore Power

Most boats 25 feet and larger are equipped with shore power.  Shore power must be provided by approved electrical cable from an approved shore power connection to a approved electrical boat hookup.  Dockside connections commonly consist of 15 amp, 20 amp, 30 amp, 50 amp, and 100 amp service.  Each of these has a different electrical connector (plug).   You may need and adaptor when using different dockside connections.

Shore power must have a circuit breaker at the dockside connection and continue unabated into the ship electrical panel.  At the ship electrical panel their should be a polarity indicator.  This will indicate that correct polarity is coming into the ship.  Also at the ship electrical panel is a main circuit breaker and circuit breakers for each circuit of alternating current.  A typical boat may have a circuit breaker for receptacles, hot water, stove, refrigerator, microwave, air conditioning, etc.  All of this equipment must be approved for boats.  House hold electrical wiring is not allowed on boat.  All wiring on boats must be stranded wiring.  House extension cords should not be used to deliver shore power to boats.

Ship electrical

Generator controls are located on the electrical panels when power can be provided by onboard generator.  Battery charger gauge is also provide at these panels.

Generators

Onboard ship generators should provide enough power so that the vessels electrical equipment will not overload them.  An overloaded generator will stall out.  

Typical onboard generators

A typical 4KW generator will cost $5,000 and a 8KW about $8,000.  The on board appliances and the size of the ship generally determined the amount of KW needed.  Generators must be maintained as motors.  They have fuel filters, flame arrestors, are usually fresh water cooled, have heat exchangers and must be tuned and winterized.  Generators are often used when a boat is docked and anchored.  Some generators will have many more hours of use than the boats engines.  Raw water cooling hose to generators must be USCG approved double jacket hose double clamped with a sea cock attached to an metal through hull.  Flame arrestors must be present on carburetors to prevent explosion.  

Please contact us directly at neboaters@aol.com we would be happy to assist you in answering any questions that you may have.

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