I Have 2 30a Sockets, Port and Starboard - Do they Both Need to Be Plugged In ?

[Punx]

I have 2 30a sockets, port and starboard. Do they both need to be plugged in? My battery charger shows 15a, and my batteries barely charge. Do I need to plug in both 30a sockets? Can I just split a 30a into 2?

[imagine2frolic]

Depends on what they run. I have the same, and use a 50 amp splitter to deliver the juice.......i2f

[btrayfors]

You need to do some investigatin', my friend. The answer to your questions depends very much on how the boat is wired.

Many power boats have electrical inlets on both sides, allowing you to use whichever one is closest to the shore power outlet. Not both.

Do some nosing about on your boat to find the answer. Also, check any onboard documentation.

Bill

[HopCar]

If you have two 30 Amp inlets side by side on the boat, you probably have two electrical panels, one for each inlet. It is very common to put all of the boats HVAC on one inlet and run the rest of the boat on the other. You can split a 30 amp cord but you would only be able to get 15 amps to each leg. If you split a 50 amp cord you should be fine. Plugging in the second cable should not have any effect on your rate of charge.

[btrayfors]

The OP said he had a 30A socket on each side -- port and starboard -- not two side-by-side.

[imagine2frolic]

Mine are on each side. They each have their own panel, and run different equipment. That's why I typed it depends on what they run. He will definately have to take a look to see what's what.You know us cat sailors have more than 1 personalities. One for each hull....i2f

[sdowney717]

I used to have 4 30 amp outlets, two on each side in the middle and I hated the configuration, like to easy to trip on wires.
I moved 2 of these to the stern of the boat right next to each other, so now only have two.
I mounted them both in the cockpit. Some sail boats have them right on the outside transom.
I always back the boat into the slip, never have any hookup problems. The wire does not need to run down the deck anymore.
Mine both go into the same panel and are split inside the one panel. * breakers, 4 for one 4 for the other. By the way, neutrals should be separate in the panel, but not all older boats might be wired that way. Some will have a shared neutral for these twin setups.