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22-07-2017, 06:29
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#1
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S/V rubber ducky
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,363
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Extending shore power cable
I need a longer shore power cable, will2 standard cables plug together?
Yes I could go disconnect mine and try plugging the ends together or spend $20 for a round trip Uber to West Marine to try it. But I'm sure someone already here knows.
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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22-07-2017, 06:37
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#2
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Port Credit, Ontario or Bahamas
Boat: Benford 38 Fantail Cruiser
Posts: 7,060
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Yes it will work but you are adding nine more points of resistance .... not a good thing.
__________________
If you're not laughing, you're not doin' it right.
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22-07-2017, 06:45
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Marina del Rey, California
Boat: President 43 Sportfish
Posts: 4,105
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Besides the extra connections, the wire gauge will not be sufficient for minimum voltage drop at twice the distance.
__________________
1st rule of yachting: When a collision is unavoidable, aim for something cheap.
"whatever spare parts you bring, you'll never need"--goboatingnow
"Id rather drown than have computers take over my life."--d design
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22-07-2017, 06:46
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: St. Georges, Bda
Boat: Rhodes Reliant 41ft
Posts: 4,131
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Re: Extending shore power cable
One can buy a cylindrical adaptor which accepts the females on the cable ends. watertight and holds the pins and sockets securely together,
__________________
so many projects--so little time !!
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22-07-2017, 06:48
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Boat: Valiant 42
Posts: 6,008
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Mechanically it will work. But it will now be a 20A cord, not a 30A cord.
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22-07-2017, 06:49
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Philippines in the winters
Boat: It’s in French Polynesia now
Posts: 11,368
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Will turning the boat around get your connection closer?
__________________
Faithful are the Wounds of a Friend, but the Kisses of the Enemy are Deceitful! ........
The measure of a man is how he navigates to a proper shore in the midst of a storm!
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22-07-2017, 06:59
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#7
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S/V rubber ducky
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,363
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Wouldn't be twice the distance, only want to use a 12'
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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22-07-2017, 07:08
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA
Boat: Tayana Vancouver 42
Posts: 2,804
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Yes it will work. I did it for years in my previous slip. I did not have any heavy draws like air conditioning. No, it's not as proper as a single cable of the proper length and gauge. Do check the connections frequently for signs of heating.
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22-07-2017, 07:08
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#9
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,351
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Extending shore power cable
Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorboy1
I need a longer shore power cable, will2 standard cables plug together?
Yes I could go disconnect mine and try plugging the ends together or spend $20 for a round trip Uber to West Marine to try it. But I'm sure someone already here knows.
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I do it all the time, I have two full length cords and one shorter, maybe half distance?
Anyway works fine and I pull nearly 30 amps, usually around 25.
You have to often as you can't get within one cords length of the source sometimes. Those screw connectors on the cables are I'm sure meant to connect them together.
I also put silicone grease on the connectors, I feel sure a lot of the overheating problems people experience is from corrosion increasing resistance and of course heat.
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22-07-2017, 07:45
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Cape Haze,FL
Boat: Carver,Cobia,Nacra, Columbia
Posts: 815
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Make sure the point of connection is protected from weather (rain, dew, direct sunlight). An upside down bucket with side cutouts for the cables works great
Use a good dielectric grease on the prongs, then pull apart every few months to check for corrosion or overheating
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22-07-2017, 09:24
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SF Bay Area (Boat Sold)
Boat: Former owner of a Valiant V40
Posts: 1,143
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Re: Extending shore power cable
It works just fine, but our boat never draws near 30 amps. I do suggest you purchase the collar that allows you to screw the locking collars together, both securing the connection and providing some level of water protection.
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/marin...22?recordNum=6
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22-07-2017, 09:31
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Nova Scotia until Spring 2021
Boat: Custom 41' Steel Pilothouse Cutter
Posts: 4,976
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Quote:
Originally Posted by transmitterdan
Mechanically it will work. But it will now be a 20A cord, not a 30A cord.
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That sounds about right. I had my boat in a scantily powered yard and had to run two 12 ga. "construction grade" 15 amp lines to the nearest outlet of 100 feet and 50 feet. I noticed I would trip the circuit at about 10-11 amps, although I had good voltage of about 113 VAC at the boat end and I was "within spec" for that with 12 ga. You can find online calculators all over the place; I like this one: Voltage Drop Calculator
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22-07-2017, 10:28
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Nanaimo BC
Boat: modified Spray 56' oa
Posts: 378
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Measuring the voltage while max needed current draw will tell you if you've under wired it. Hard on power tools to run low voltage but just the fridge may be good. Smoke from the junction is a bad sign
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22-07-2017, 15:56
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Southern Maine
Boat: Prairie 36 Coastal Cruiser
Posts: 3,090
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Re: Extending shore power cable
Quote:
Originally Posted by transmitterdan
Mechanically it will work. But it will now be a 20A cord, not a 30A cord.
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That seemed a little conservative, for AC. So I plugged in some numbers here:
Quote:
Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy
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This is what it came up with:
Quote:
1 conductors per phase utilizing a #10 Copper conductor will limit the voltage drop to 5.04% or less when supplying 30.0 amps for 100 feet on a 125 volt system.
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That's closer to what I'd expect. I don't think you'd come close to a 33% voltage drop. Note that AC can be transmitted much more efficiently than DC. That's why Westinghouse won out over Edison.
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22-07-2017, 17:55
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Boat: Valiant 42
Posts: 6,008
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Re: Extending shore power cable
While your math is probably correct the crummy twist lock connector is a big worry. Having 3 of these in series is just asking for trouble running 30A.
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