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Old 27-09-2009, 19:07   #1
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Shore Power Security

Has anyone seen a commercial product or have any suggestions on how to "theftproof" shore power cables when the vessel is left alone on shore power? Cables are easily disconnected, stolen, and sold used or even as scrap. Any unique ideas for securing the cable either to the power box or to the vessel inlet? Wouldn't this be a moneymaker if simple enough? Thanks for any ideas
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Old 27-09-2009, 19:31   #2
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- -I make my shore power cables from #4x4 wire SU rubber cable and terminals ends appropriate for 50 amp shorepower. On the east coast of the US and all of the Caribbean I have never heard of anybody stealing shore power cables. Have you had a problem somewhere? where?
- - Running the cable from the boat to the dock then to power stanchion usually involves wrapping the cable one around a dock cleat to take any strain off the connector that is plugged into the dock power source. Why not find an appropriate sized padlock that can be inserted through the dock cleat and capture the shore power cable. Then unless the cable is cut, the end of the cable with the huge male or female connector could not pass through the padlock.
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Old 28-09-2009, 01:45   #3
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You could install a “Kellems Strain Relief Grip” on the cable, prior to installing the cord cap; then secure it to boat or shore with a (bicycle) cable lock.
I've never heard of a shore power cord being stolen, but ...

Shore power cords should be of types labelled for WET outdoor use (type SO & SV are NOT); like SJOW, SJTW, SJEOOW, etc.

The letters attached to portable cord types each possess a specific meaning. Below are the meanings that will help you decipher the type of portable cord you will need. For example, Type SOW portable cord is a 600 volt service cord with an oil resistant outer jacket, suitable for outdoor use in wet locations.

S = 600 Volt Service Cord

J = Junior Service - 300 Volt

O = Oil Resistant Outer Jacket

OO = Oil Resistant Outer Jacket and Oil Resistant Insulation

W = Weather and Water Resistant (approved for indoor and outdoor use)
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Old 28-09-2009, 05:21   #4
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Like the others posted, after 10 years living aboard between the east coast and Caribbean I've never heard of a shore power cord being stolen. I'm sure it's happened, but most marinas have a lot more valuable equipment laying around. Not to mention they require climbing onto the boat to remove.

Now, those crazy expensive 240v/50Amp splitters would be easy to steal, but I've never heard of a problem with them either.
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Old 28-09-2009, 12:56   #5
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shore power security

Many thanks to all for the replies. I'm leaving my boat behind my house on the Lucayan Waterway in Grand Bahama. In over 30 years I've never heard of a power cord being stolen either, but in GB they steal power meters off of houses and metal roofing off occupied houses. I was hoping someone had already thought of a clever solution. I currently lock a lenght of anchor chain around the power post and the cable with 2 padlocks....seems to work
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Old 28-09-2009, 15:07   #6
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me too .. never heard of one being stolen.
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Old 28-09-2009, 15:20   #7
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You might want to buy some 1/4 inch stainless steel wire, take a few turns around the shore power cable and crimp the end back on to the wire itself, making a couple nice tight turns. Take the other end of the cable and crimp it so you have a loop. Then run the wire loop through the hole at the center of a dock cleat and padlock it back onto itself.

It won't stop someone with a large pair of bolt cutters or someone who has the time to unbolt the machine screws holding down the cleat, but it certainly will encourage a thief to move on and go find something easier to steal. Besides, strangers walking around the docks with large bolt cutters are pretty conspicuous. The same goes for a guy with a stolen cord with a dock cleat dangling off the end.

I once had to do that with a dock hose that kept getting stolen. It worked, they probably stole someone else's hose after that. I have also cranked down hose nozzles so tight that it takes a wrench to remove it...again they move on to an easier steal.

I once wrote on my dock hose, "Stolen from (name of boat)" That did not work for very long.
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Old 28-09-2009, 15:21   #8
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PLS where is it they steal the cables - I will put a red dot on my map.

Maybe you can lead the cable inside the boat, tie it off then lead it outside and into the boat socket. May sound stupid - but the only way to steal such a cable would be to steal like ... chop it off and get only half of it, not a great deal, unless the thief is desperate.

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Old 29-09-2009, 16:44   #9
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A decent padlock costs more than a 120V shore power cable so why bother?

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Old 29-09-2009, 16:48   #10
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I keep mine safely locked in the lazarette.
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Old 29-09-2009, 19:20   #11
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You know, they always say there is no such thing as a dumb question; but I think we just came close:-)
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Old 29-09-2009, 21:15   #12
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Just because it is rare doesn't mean it isn't an important question. Considering that a purchased shore power cord can cost hundreds of dollars I think a 20 dollar padlock would be cheap insurance. Just because a "local" may not think of stealing it doesn't mean another cruiser just might think he could really use your nice new cord. Especially in boatyards and high density boatyards in foreign countries I would suspect power cord theft is not unheard of. Anything left on deck sure disappears quickly.
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Old 30-09-2009, 03:21   #13
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To clarify my earlier suggestion (post #3), I should have identified the device as a “Wire Mesh Pulling Grip”, rather than by the trade name “Kellems”. Rather indelicately, electricians often call them “horsecocks”.
Installed near the male end of the cable, they can also provide strain relief between the cable plug and power pedestal (as well as a place to secure a lock).
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Old 07-10-2009, 12:45   #14
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As the electricians amongst us know, there are commercially sold "lock boxes" that are used to physically lock a power cord into an outlet, or to secure the outlet so it cannot be used. You'd find them at a commercial electrical supply house, but I've never heard of one designed for marine outlets. They are normally used for things like securing the power cord to a computer server--so the night cleaning crew can't accidentally unplug it in order to plug in a vacuum cleaner. (Yeah, ooops.)

I'm sure you could make up the equivalant or have it fabbed up at a local welding or machine shop. Basically, a sheet steel box that you can screw "around" the socket, with a locking cover and a notch in the side of the cover just big enough to allow your power cord to exit through it. You can probably get a alarm case or alarm siren case that's suitable, then just cut a big hole in one side and notch the lid.

Probably could buy six feet of stainless steel cable with eyes in each end, and then apply a couple of swages to secure that to the power cover, next to the business end. Then just take the cable around the pole and padlock it.

Neither one would stop a bolt cutter...but a lot of the smarter thieves won't carry a bolt cutter, since that becomes a "burglary tool" and escalates their theft.
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Old 07-10-2009, 14:26   #15
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Get a long hasp padlock pass it through the eye of a cleat on dock or your deck pass the power cord through it and lock, the cord end will not pass through without opening the padlock. if there is no cleat wrap the cord around a piling or powerpost and lock it to itself with the padlock. very easy and relatively inexpensive.
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