U.K. To U.S Outlet swap

[Matth3w5727]

Hello everyone I'm looking to purchase a boat in the U.K. And use it as my live aboard but I'm from the USA so I'm wondering if anyone's ever delt with this before I know the the U.K. Plug is 230 and the USA is 110 I'm guessing I'd also need to change the inverter

[MarkSF]

You're going to have to explain to me why, just because you're from the US, that means you should use US outlets while you're in the U.K.

[Matth3w5727]

I'm buying the boat in the U.K. And sailing it back to the its new home in the US and I'd prefer to not use adapters for everything

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Matt.

You'll, likely, have to do a complete A/C rewire.

[john61ct]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=153612

[robert sailor]

We are Canadians with a UK boat and it's really not an issue. If your never going to leave the USA then it may be worth changing but the rest of the world is on 220v and it is a better system. We have a few simple adapters that will adapt from UK to other 220v plugs. We also carry a transformer which will go either way and we have small 12v inverters for our charging needs. Manta things can run on either 110v or 220v. If we have to run a tool on 110v we use the transformer which knocks 220v down to 110v. It's all very double. Shore power can usually give you both 110 or 220 even in the USA as larger power boats need 220v. We have a large solar system which looks after our charging in 90% of the time. The other option I have heard some people do is to simply use the existing wire and change the plugs to 110v But limit the watts so as to not exceed the wire size as the wire is usually smaller than 110v wire. And change the charger. New chargers will often operate on either voltage so you may or may not have to change it. Or you can bite the bullet and rewire the boat. We'll leave ours as is because for international travel 220v makes more sense.

[rwidman]

If you're going to use the boat primarily in parts of the world where the electrical supply is 120 volts AC at 60hZ, you'll do better to buy a boat that's already wired for that current. By the time you spend the money to rewire it and change out all the motors and appliances, you will be into it for several thousand dollars. And that's not money you can expect to get back when you sell the boat.

Look for a boat that's already in this country and already wired for this country. You'll save a lot of time and money even if you have to pay more for the boat.

[Cat White House]

If it is an older boat, you should probably re-wire anyway ... especially if the boat is more than 10 years old for three reasons:

1. Boat wiring tends to deteriarate over time. Even the middle of a tinned coated copper wire circuit can easily turn to carbon.

2. Euro 220 50-cycle systems typically use a lighter gauge wire than US 110 60-cycle and the circuit breakers are likewise "lighter". Running US 110 will be a fire hazard.

3. Today's marine wiring standards and products have improved.

That said, many mass production boat manufacturers install heavy gauge 110 US capable wiring and install outlets, chargers, generators, inverters and shore power hookups to match the end-users locale.

Also, many chargers, generators and inverters allow simple conversion from 220 50 cycle to US 110 60 cycle.

Do not confuse Euro 220 50 cycle with US 220 60 cycle. They are two different animals. Make sure you know the difference. Better still, consult a marine electrical expert.