shore cable sockets burned, what should I do?

[Cheechako]

This happens regularly if you are running a small heater on the boat. When I lived aboard I just planned on replacing them every 1-2 years. The 30 amp cords are cheap fortunately.
I tried putting ends on once, not worth it... the wires are ugly and discolored due to the heat inside the cover!
My cords and sockets were new and it did it. Just too many amp draw, near continuous, even though it's well below the 30 amp rating.
A 1000 watt heater only draws 8-9 amps, but still does that.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Reel Love

Mr. vpbarkley

You need to sell your boat and take up golf. If you have to ask on a forum about what to do for a common sense safety item, then you should not own a boat.

No, I am serious. You are a danger to yourself, everyone on board your boat and at your marina, and other mariners.

That is pretty harsh! Actually, it is way too harsh.

One does not have to be a marine electrician, a diesel mechanic and a shipwright to own a boat. That is what credit cards are for.

His question is legitimate and we should all be able to accept that we weren't born knowing everything their is to know about boats.

Now if you have something useful to add ...........................

[reflectionsv37]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

This happens regularly if you are running a small heater on the boat. When I lived aboard I just planned on replacing them every 1-2 years. The 30 amp cords are cheap fortunately.
I tried putting ends on once, not worth it... the wires are ugly and discolored due to the heat inside the cover!
My cords and sockets were new and it did it. Just too many amp draw, near continuous, even though it's well below the 30 amp rating.
A 1000 watt heater only draws 8-9 amps, but still does that.

Word of advice! Hire someone who knows what they are doing. You have a serious problem on your boat and if you don't get it fixed, you're likely to burn it to the waterline! If it has 30 amp service, it should handle 30 amps. Hopefully, you won't be on board when it burns.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Seymore

+1 A marine electrician is in order.

The odour is that the hot and return lines are reversed somewhere, the return line on the boat is grounded, and so the hot goes straight to ground.

If that was the case, the pedestal breaker would have tripped immediately. Besides, unless someone was doing some electrical work on the boat, the wires couldn't have become reversed. Wires don't come loose and reconnect by themselves.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Pacificsailor2

Hi, Have you sorted your problem? I can see that you are fortunate not to have burned down. Rule of connecting power to your vessel. 1. Turn off your main AC onboard breakers. 2. hook your cable to shore power then to the boat securely. 3. with all large item ac onboard switches off. Turn on your main breaker. 4. click your component breakers back on 1 at a time.
The issue starts the 1st time you plug in a hot cable to a big draw onboard. The cable arches and creates a hot spot inside the cable and it gets worse from there. You may also want to replace your onboard receptacle if the terminals are cooked. Happy boating Mr. Ed

I would suggest that your order is wrong.

The shore power breaker on the dock should be turned off when you start. It's never a great idea to handle an electrically hot cord, especially when you are around water or might drop the cord into the water.

There is really no need to turn anything on the boat "off" as long as you have the pedestal breaker off.

Plug the cord into the boat, then plug it into the outlet on the power pedestal. Now, turn on the breaker on the pedestal and everything should work.

When leaving, turn off the breaker on the pedestal. Unplug your cable from the pedestal (because you are already there), then unplug it from the boat and coil it up.

If there is no breaker at the pedestal or on the dock, yes, you should turn off your boat's main breaker first. Plug the boat end in, then the shore end, then turn on your boat's main breaker.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

.............. I tried putting ends on once, not worth it... the wires are ugly and discolored due to the heat inside the cover!
..........

It is certainly possible to put new ends on an otherwise useable power cord but you have to cut the cord back to where the wires are unburned and uncorroded. You may turn a 25' cord into a 23' cord, but it is a practical solution in some cases.

You won't save a lot over a brand new cord and it won't be as waterproof as a brand new cord.

And, as I read the responses on the Internet to boating electrical questions, I
am not convinced that everyone is capable of doing this without screwing up. It's vitally important to put each wire in the correct terminal and properly install the strain relief provided.

[reflectionsv37]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

This happens regularly if you are running a small heater on the boat. When I lived aboard I just planned on replacing them every 1-2 years. The 30 amp cords are cheap fortunately.
I tried putting ends on once, not worth it... the wires are ugly and discolored due to the heat inside the cover!
My cords and sockets were new and it did it. Just too many amp draw, near continuous, even though it's well below the 30 amp rating.
A 1000 watt heater only draws 8-9 amps, but still does that.

Did you ever stop to wonder why the 15 amp plug you stick in the wall doesn't burn, but the 30 amp plug to supply power does?

[David Mathis]

The area of contact is too small for the power requirement. This is often caused by the plugs being misaligned, possibly by not being fully inserted or locked in place, or by dirt or corrosion. The ends in the photos are beyond repair so install new ends, grease them well before using, clean the prongs, and be sure the connection is properly made including the twist. A better solution would be to install the SmartPlug as described in other posts.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by reflectionsv37

Word of advice! Hire someone who knows what they are doing. You have a serious problem on your boat and if you don't get it fixed, you're likely to burn it to the waterline! If it has 30 amp service, it should handle 30 amps. Hopefully, you won't be on board when it burns.

This is a very very common problem with live aboard's using small heaters. Not just me.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by reflectionsv37

Did you ever stop to wonder why the 15 amp plug you stick in the wall doesn't burn, but the 30 amp plug to supply power does?

If you feel the heater wire, it is often very warm. Try it with a space heater some time, in your house or anywhere.
-Yeah, I've thought about it, I think the Marinco cord and socket design are defective and always have been.
-Also, the heater, battery charger etc are all drawing from the shore power cord and plug, but inside the boat those items are separate draws.
-Also, the boat interior wiring is solid core copper not stranded like the shore power cord.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by rwidman

It is certainly possible to put new ends on an otherwise useable power cord but you have to cut the cord back to where the wires are unburned and uncorroded. You may turn a 25' cord into a 23' cord, but it is a practical solution in some cases.

You won't save a lot over a brand new cord and it won't be as waterproof as a brand new cord.

And, as I read the responses on the Internet to boating electrical questions, I
am not convinced that everyone is capable of doing this without screwing up. It's vitally important to put each wire in the correct terminal and properly install the strain relief provided.

It is, but the plugs (if you buy proper ones) are more than a whole new cord!

[Tellie]

These cords also take a lot of abuse. Most boat wiring if properly done is secured down to avoid issues with movement. A shore cable sees more movement than most cables ever do. A lot of times with plug ends that look like this it is more a matter of the cable constantly being tugged on by constant connecting and disconnecting, people on the dock throwing your power cords to the side so they can get by or for what ever their reasons, cords that are left too short for changing tide levels, etc. These twist in connectors are notoriously a weak point of the whole electrical connection. These male and female sockets get pulled side to side all the time. Their prongs get bent and weakened until the electrical connection is so sloppy that these types of burns are more a case of weak connections that anything else.

[MarkSF]

In the space of 5 years, I burned out the shore power connector at the boat end, twice. The second time I upgraded to a Smart Plug. This was about 3 years ago.

No problems since, and the design is obviously so much better that I have confidence that there will be no more problems.

My shore power cord was fairly new, so I installed a Smart Plug onto it, rather than replace the whole thing.

I appreciate that this does not help with the dock end, but at least that meltdown won't be on the boat.

[Calif.Ted]

Originally Posted by billdomb

Why wouldn't the shore power side breaker TRIP if too much current?

I don't know, but I once dropped a buffer in the drink plugged into a 15 amp pedestal and it kept running all the way to the bottom until I unplugged and pulled it back up. Never trusted those breakers much after that.
Only tripped them on very cold nights trying to run the heater more than usual, which does also seem to make inlet plug on boat scorch faster.

[reflectionsv37]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

This is a very very common problem with live aboard's using small heaters. Not just me.

No it is not a common problem with liveaboards. I've been living aboard since 1998. I have a 75 amp battery charger. I've run heaters, air conditioners, power tools and many other high amp draw devices. And yes, I've regularly run my heaters and air conditioners nonstop for weeks at a time. It doesn't matter whether you "think" the 30 amp plug is defective. You put all the blame on the heater and that is simply not true. A 30 amp circuit should be able to run 1000 watt heater non-stop for years without ever burning. A home clothes dryer runs on a 30 amp circuit and that draws way more power than a space heater. You simply have no idea what you're talking about.

Don't be surprised if your boat goes up in flames one of these days!