Dockhand plugged my 30A 120 into 30A 250

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by Time2Go

You do know that when you pulled the plug on the boat
You were dancing with a live wire in your hand?
I always pull the cord off the pedestal (shore power) BEFORE
disconnecting the boat.
Just Sayin
Cheers
Neil

This is true, of course, but not usually an issue. Consider that every time you hold an extension cord in your hand you are also holding a live wire. Best practice with shore power cords is to shut off the power at the dock before removing plugs at either end. This eliminates sparking at the plug and extends the life of the cord.

[masonc]

Originally Posted by jbinbi

Thanks for the input. Actually, after he plugged me in, he said, "Your pins were bent a bit, I had to spread them out".

After he plugged me in, on my panel I turned on the charger/AC outlets/Water heater. I had nothing in the outlets. I looked at the panel a few seconds later and saw the V at 240 and red light on indicating reverse pol. So I shut down all breakers and pulled out the plug and told him to do the same. Went to look at the recepticle on the dock and saw that it was 250 and was perplexed as I only knew 50A/240V and know those to have a different set of blades, you can't get them into the 30A and vice versa. I will have to look at the blades to see if they are damaged. Thanks again.

If you do have damage, the marina is totally responsible as the receptacle shouldn't be there. I would write to them so you are covered in case you find damage.

[masonc]

I would also inform the electrical inspectorate as this could set fire to a boat.

[smac999]

I have never seen a 240v 30a plug on a marina.

[David M]

It is possible. I saw where a US boat plugged theirs into a foreign made boats adapter. The boat yard ended up paying for the damaged electronics. I have also seen people bend contacts in order to make them "fit".

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

This is true, of course, but not usually an issue. Consider that every time you hold an extension cord in your hand you are also holding a live wire. Best practice with shore power cords is to shut off the power at the dock before removing plugs at either end. This eliminates sparking at the plug and extends the life of the cord.

Big difference:
- If you are at home, and drop the female end of a live cord...it lands on the carpet and is highly unlikely to short out. Even if it's outside on damp grass it's unlikely to short out.
- On the boat, if you drop the female end of a live cord, it has a very good chance of falling in the water and shorting out. At that point, if you just reach down without thinking it thru...very dangerous.

It's not an immediate death sentence by any means but a much higher risk.

A better approach to quickly end the risk to your electrical system would be to flip all the breakers off. At that point, the high voltage won't get to the sensitive items and you can disconnect the cord without being in a panic (of course I have the benefit of sitting here in no rush to think about it)

[Thuid]

Originally Posted by Snore

Hmm, that is your problem. A memo was issued in 2014.

Due to advances in idiocy, the rating of ‘idiot proof’ has been retired. All items can now only earn a rating of ‘idiot resistant’.

Lesson learned check for wear on plugs and receptacles before plugging in!

+1
For the migration of `Idiot Proof` to `Idiot Resistant`terminology, as anytime someone makes something `Idiot Proof`the universe just creates a better Idiot.

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

- On the boat, if you drop the female end of a live cord, it has a very good chance of falling in the water and shorting out. At that point, if you just reach down without thinking it thru...very dangerous.

I'm embarrassed to say that I have done just that on more occasions than I can count. I generally just unplug the cord at it's source, soak the wet end in a bucked of fresh water, dry it out and carry on. Never had it trip a breaker, perhaps because salt water has such low resistance it disperses the electricity without shorting? For the same reason I am told it is very difficult to electrocute yourself in salt water, though I am reluctant to try. I think that at this stage in our evolution most people are savvy enough not to reach into the water to retrieve a live wire. Natural selection and all that.

Just trying to point out that a dock cord is really no different from an extension cord and that holding one in your hand is not inherently dangerous.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

Never had it trip a breaker, perhaps because salt water has such low resistance it disperses the electricity without shorting?

Actually it is just the opposite. Salt water has a high resistance so not enough current flows to trip the circuit breaker or a GFCI if there is one. That is also why electrolysis caused miswiring by the marina or another boat will be very close to your boat

[hellosailor]

OK, the thread title says the dockhand plugged a 120V line from the boat into a 240V power socket on the dock.

But the posts seems to be saying the exact opposite, that the dockhand plugged a 240V boat into a 120V dock.

And that's a very big difference. If the dockhand connected the OP to a voltage that was double what the boat's systems were meant for, there could be fireworks. If he plugged in the boat into just "half power" then there should be no damage, most devices would either ignore the undervoltage, or pull higher amperage and blow a fuse/breaker after a very short time.

In case the OP meets another well-meaning gorilla...it can be worthwhile to put a LABEL on the power line saying "120 VAC ONLY" or "240 VAC ONLY" as appropriate. As well as replacing the plug with one that is robust enough that it won't be mistaken for just needing some forcing.

Or perhaps, just adding "plug in the power" to the list of things you just say "Thanks but I'll do that later".

[masonc]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

OK, the thread title says the dockhand plugged a 120V line from the boat into a 240V power socket on the dock.

But the posts seems to be saying the exact opposite, that the dockhand plugged a 240V boat into a 120V dock.

He said his boat is 120V and the dock hand forced the NEMA L5-30P-120V plug into a L6-30P 240V receptacle.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Actually it is just the opposite. Salt water has a high resistance so not enough current flows to trip the circuit breaker or a GFCI if there is one. That is also why electrolysis caused miswiring by the marina or another boat will be very close to your boat

Saltwater is a much better conductor of electricity, and with its salts it's an effective electrolyte as well. That's why corrosion of all types is worse in salt-water.


It's also why the risk of ESD (electro-shock drowning) is much less likely in saltwater; the voltage field around a conductor in saltwater dissipates in a smaller area, whereas in freshwater the voltage differential around a conductor extends a few feet, creating the difference that gives the shock (humans conduct better than freshwater)

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Saltwater is a much better conductor of electricity, and with its salts it's an effective electrolyte as well. That's why corrosion of all types is worse in salt-water.


It's also why the risk of ESD (electro-shock drowning) is much less likely in saltwater; the voltage field around a conductor in saltwater dissipates in a smaller area, whereas in freshwater the voltage differential around a conductor extends a few feet, creating the difference that gives the shock (humans conduct better than freshwater)

It's all relative. Grasping an immersed live power cord without putting your hands in the water will not electrocute you.



The point of my comment is that the current flow of 110 volt electricity will not pop a 30 amp circuit breaker, nor will sparks fly.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by stormalong

The point of my comment is that the current flow of 110 volt electricity will not pop a 30 amp circuit breaker, nor will sparks fly.

A GFCI should trip at 30 mA imbalance; the current from an AC fault thru saltwater can easily exceed that.

[Cadence]

I'm surprised a lot of us are alive growing up with two prong 110 outlets, no ground no GFI.