How often do you use your shore power?

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tparrent

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How often do you use your shore power?
« on: September 24, 2013, 11:55:27 am »

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After far too long away from my 22 (hey, at least I was sailing), I have put her in Liberty Landing Marina in Beautiful Jersey City, NJ.

In her time out of the water, I had the battery switched to 1 in to power the bilge pump if necessary due to rain. The pump must have run a bit because the battery was discharged enough that it could not start the Honda 90.

I started using the other battery and went cruising for three hours. When I returned I tested the #1 battery again and this time it did start the engine but was obviously a little weak. The multi-meter showed around 12.8 volts on each battery.

The boat has sat idle for over a year so a little discharge doesn't bother me.

I thought about buying a power cord as I do have a shore power connection and battery charger installed. Then I wondered how much I really need it. Won't simply running the engine keep the batteries fully charged?

When I cruise for extended periods, I prefer to be in areas without marinas so I wouldn't be using shore power anyway.

The only real reason I could see to hook up now would be to power a heater for the occasional winter day when I feel like sitting in the boat (I will have it in the water all year).

I ask out of curiosity about other C Brats usage but also because I'm dang cheap and don't feel like spending a hundred bucks on something I might not use but will still have to store. Especially after dropping $200 on a new bilge pump and various bits and pieces to install it. Replacing a pump that turned out to be perfectly good. But that's another story...
 
Hi Tom,

We use shore power all the time. When our boat is at our dock, I plug it in. The onboard battery charger keeps the batteries topped off. When we're out cruising (or living on the boat for the summer), we use plenty of electricity: the fridge, the water heater, the microwave, the TV (and the satellite receiver), electric heat, computers, etc, etc.

If you want the boat to be more "home-like" for those times when you need to escape the big city, a 30 amp electrical system to plug into the marina shore power is a BIG plus.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Jim is absolutely correct in my opinion.

Electricity is your friend, your lifeline, and your link to the modern world.

It is the personification of both comfort and security.

My only regret is that we don't live 50 or 100 years in the future where satellites could beam down unlimited power to our cars, boats, and RV's.

In the meantime, Plug Me In! :lol:

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
I've been away and the boat has been in storage for two months, plugged in with a smart charger keeping the batteries topped off as needed. It's nice to know the next time I take the boat out all the batteries will be fully charged.

I'm glad I paid extra for a charger that senses the level of charge in the batteries, and stops charging when they're full.

I don't know a lot about batteries, but I seem to recall it shortens their life if you let them get too low in charge.
 
I agree with the 'pro comments re shorepower and electricity.

Having a boat with a shorepower connection gives a number of advantages, and no disadvantages that I can see.

-- being able to plug-in an electric heater when it's cold is Great
-- being able to top-off the batteries with a good overnight charge is convenient
-- if your dry storage area has power, it's nice to have the batt's constantly taper charged
-- we cruise with a WAECO freezer, and occasional shorepower permits the freezer to really bring the temp down and helps for the many time's we're anchored out and enjoying Life on battery power.

We use two 25' cords for shorepower (make sure you buy GOOD one's not the cheapies). Having two separate cords permits us to reach power within 25' or 50' and makes storing the cords easier. When cruising we keep one of the cords attached to the shorepower pigtail and velcro-tied to the handrail which makes connecting to shorepower even quicker and easier (as well as conveniently stored).

Shorepower and charging systems are expensive; but worthwhile for our type of cruising.

Best,
Casey&Mary
 
I also have "Battery Tender" which I have yet to put to use. So far because my batteries are new and I am using the boat weekly they have stayed pretty close to fully charged.
 
It seems like, for the use case you describe, you could spring for a $50 solar panel to lay in the cockpit facing up to keep the batteries topped off all the time, including the intermittent use of the bilge pump.

A "Mr. Heater" propane heater can take the chill off while you are awake.

Then use this setup for a while and see if you are "missing something", in which case you might need a shore power cord.
 
We use our shore power all the time. The boat rests on the trailer in the driveway and is always plugged in with the battery charger on (Charles brand built in the USA). It's nice when working on the boat to be able to turn on the breaker for outlets and use 115 volt tool, drop light, or a heater to keep the interior toasty through out the winter avoiding mold or mildew. We also have a generator bracket and use a Honda EU 2000 coupled with our normal shore power cord to the boat if we need to run our roof mounted air conditioner when on the hook or a 115 volt percolator for that morning cup of Joe. When in the marina we can use either 12 volt outlets that we run a small 400 watt inverter with a six way surge strip to charge phones, camera batteries and a mobile hot spot for internet. Sounds like you might want to get some new batteries if you even suspect yours are weak. Get shore power it's nice thing to have and it makes you be able to make the boat more of a home for extended stays IMHO. You have quite a view of New York City from that marina. How much does a water taxi over to Manhattan cost?
D.D.
 
We rarely use shore power on when on the water, but the boat is plugged in 24/7 while in storage at home. Batteries last for 5+ years. I got 10 years on some trolling motor batteries.
 
My old boat doesn't have shore power. We have a big cooler that can keep ice for a week, a coleman lantern with one of those big, square 6V batteries that last for a season's worth of use, and warm sleeping bags. We never have a problem keeping the batteries topped off in season because we use the boat a couple times of week at least. In the winter I remove the batteries and keep them topped off in my garage.
 
shore power is on my 'to do' list for this winter. one of the boats I looked at last winter had shore power and even when garaged the boat was hooked up to maintain the battery tender and dehumidifier. seemed like a good idea to me.

I haven't felt the pain of not having shore power yet, but I can already think of some things I'd do with it if i had it.
 
I have shore power, but only use it to charge the batteries. Ie. in place of one of the inexpensive battery maintainers and a power cord. I have thought about this a bit also. I don't drink coffee, don't use a microwave, don't have an onboard refrigerator, and trailer the boat. When I'm in the water and at a marina, I will usually plug in, only because I have it, but really only to keep the batteries charged. Ok, sometimes to charge my laptop computer up also! ;-) But if my boat didn't have shore power, carrying a cheap extension chord with an adapter marine plug and a small battery charger would suffice. So I guess my question to you would be, what do you need power for? If it's only to charge your batter, I would think it would be cheaper to just have a small battery charger or maintainer and an extension chord. (And since most marinas are regulated to use marine plugs, an adapter...) Think about it. How many fishing boats have shore power, and they constantly need to charge up their trolling batteries at night! My 2 cents worth. Colby
 
If you keep your boat in the water, having shore power offers two important advantages: extending battery life with a battery charger/maintainer/desulfator and making sure that you have bilge pump power at all times. A secondary advantage is being able to run a low power dehumidifier to reduce mold and mildew issues that you get sitting in cold water.

These things will save you money in the long run, if that's your main goal...
 
I use mine all the time. The charger on the boat keeps the two batteries fully charged at all time. I wouldn't leave my boat in the water for extended periods of time without it being plugged in as I want to be 100% sure that the bilge pumps always have power available. In addition, as others have mentioned already, keeping the battery fully charged extends battery life.
Also, I use shore power to run an electric heater that keeps the boat warm and dry during the off season and keeps me warm during the "on season". I use it to run my vacuum packer and process and vacuum pack all my fish at the boat. I use it to run the rice cooker so we have rice with our fresh fish. etc. etc. etc. I wouldn't have a boat without shore power now that I've had it.
 
A number of great posts above. The consensus is that your batteries are better off if they are kept fully charged. A deep discharge over a long time (like when you leave the boat for months) will decrease the life span of a battery.

When you run the outboard, and bring the battery up to full charge in a hour or so, you have replaced the "surface charge", but the battery is not fully charged. The Bulk charge is when you are really cranking amps into the battery (a good charger will have a temperature sensor to avoid over heating), the Absorption stage starts where the bulk leads off---at about 80% of charge. This gives a steady voltage as the amperage of charging current drops off and eventually gives a fully charged battery.
The Float charge is a maintenance charge, which keeps that battery fully charged. A pulse charger or desulfator will prevent sulfation of the battery plates, and give a longer battery life, with a little more power.

I have stored boats and RV's out in the desert and used one of the small chargers in the sun, hooked to the battery and come back in 6 month to a year later, to a fully charged battery. I have had batteries used like this last over 5 years.

There is a very simple an in-expensive way to put power in the boat. I have described it in the past, and if folks want it repeated, I'll pull it back up.

We put in a hard wired MasterVolt battery charger, have a separate 30 amp regulated marine charger for out freezer group 31 battery, and two plugs--one under the dinette, the other just in back of the helm for the galley. We use a standard heavy duty extension cord, with a marine adaptor if necessary.
 
Don't forget a genset at anchor. 30 min on the Honda generator and we have water hot enough to shower with....and yes, we use it when at a dock; not always but probably half the time for:
-small electric heater vs Wallas
-hot water
-battery charger
-micro-wave (popcorn)
-laptop for movies
 
It has been interesting to read all of these posts. I really had no idea about how much stuff folks have on their boats. I guess when it comes down to it, my boat is more like a floating tent, rather than a floating RV!
 
Sea Angel is in dry storage, so I can't have any power ON in the boat due to legal and safety reason(fire for one).

I have a standard 30A, 50' marine cable, 30A to 15A adaptor, 50A to 30A adaptor along with a 14 AWG, 75', 15A extension power cord ; all for those marina stops where hookups are a challenge.

I will go to the marina abt once a month during the 'off season' and use my 75' power cord with the 15A to 30A adaptor to supply power to my system via the marine charger that services the 2 type 24 start batteries and the type 31 house battery. This combination using the batteries/charger, supplies enough power to run the WALLAS in the coldest of times here. This is the time where I also do a lot of "puttering" on the boat.

My batteries were replaced after 6+ years, just because. On my '25 it is very difficult for me to check them other than load testing. This battery set will be replaced with sealed unit the next time around.

So, flexibility, safety and confidence of having power available when needed. I don't want to have to use my winch or have to dewater in the manual mode.

Just my 2 cents worth....

Art
 
So I guess I will go there. In my case shore power was among the largest wastes of money (and time installing) I have ever spent on my boat. I almost never use it - except in my garage to charge my batteries about once a month. That is hardly justification as I could just as easilly plug in one of the two battery chargers I have.

Then again, I boat in places in Alaska where the boating season is short, it is almost always light, there isn't any wi-fi, little cell phone service, no real need for a 120 V heater with the wallas, and my pot puller and 300 winmag, don't run on 120V.....LOL...

To each his own I guess, but I can see where one could be beneficial. It just was not money well spent for me. At least it wasn't a LOT of money for once :)
 
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