Leaving boat plugged in and power on when leaving boat

[LauraleeG]

Hi
I imagine there will be a lot of different viewpoints, but that’s fine- learning opportunity!
What is your opinion on leaving the boat plugged in , the A/C current on, and the fridge on, when leaving the boat for a few days?
Thanks
L

[Hudson Force]

This was a standard practice for us over decades and in many ways not unlike leaving the power on in any other home.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by LauraleeG

Hi
I imagine there will be a lot of different viewpoints, but that’s fine- learning opportunity!
What is your opinion on leaving the boat plugged in , the A/C current on, and the fridge on, when leaving the boat for a few days?
Thanks
L

Standard practise for us. The only A/C we leave on is fridge and charger. But I do check the condition of the shore power cable regularly

[Sailmonkey]

We stay plugged in, up until recently never had a battery charger, but do run a dehumidifier while at the dock. The fridge can stay on as well.

[StuM]

How many dirt dwellers turn off the mains power to their homes when going away for a few days?

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by LauraleeG

Hi
I imagine there will be a lot of different viewpoints, but that’s fine- learning opportunity!
What is your opinion on leaving the boat plugged in , the A/C current on, and the fridge on, when leaving the boat for a few days?
Thanks
L

If you leave your house that way I say you should feel the same way about leaving the boat that way

[rslifkin]

Any time my boat is unattended in a slip with power, it's plugged in. Only thing I routinely turn off when leaving is the fresh water pump. A/C or heat is often left on to control heat/humidity/cold as needed unless the boat is somewhere that weeds clogging the intake strainer is a concern.

[LauraleeG]

hmmm i thought this would be more controversial!

What about erosion of the annodes if you have a short...or something like that?
or....putting a charge into the water?
Am I confusing leaving the boat plugged in with another catastrophe?

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by LauraleeG

hmmm i thought this would be more controversial!



What about erosion of the annodes if you have a short...or something like that?

or....putting a charge into the water?

Am I confusing leaving the boat plugged in with another catastrophe?

If having your boat plugged in is eroding anodes you’ve got a real problem that needs to be addressed, or one of your dock neighbors does and you need a galvanic isolator.

[Hudson Force]

A breaker on the dock pedestal; proper breakers and fused equipment aboard; good wiring (no Romex) and proper grounding is all necessary for safely leaving electrical systems operating while unattended. ...'and maybe even more important if you're aboard!

[s/v Moondancer]

We left the boat plugged in in the US but not in Latin America after two incidents...In Panama, a power surge cooked the A/C control panels, and in Columbia, poor wiring at the dock box set the 50amp power cable on fire!

[steve77]

Guys -

A boat with a shore power cord is not the same as a house with a permanently installed AC power supply. It's oversimplification to compare the two and ignores many failure modes that the AC system of a boat has that are not present in a house.

To the OP's question, for short trips away from the boat, I would agree you should be fine leaving AC power on. For longer trips away we unplug shore power and put the cord away out of the weather. However, we have a DC refrigerator and enough solar panels and batteries to keep the fridge running indefinitely.

Cheers!

Steve

[sailingabe41ds]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

We left the boat plugged in in the US but not in Latin America after two incidents...In Panama, a power surge cooked the A/C control panels, and in Columbia, poor wiring at the dock box set the 50amp power cable on fire!

I am in California The way our electrical grid works here with recurrent power outages and the poor maintainance in my marina maybe California should be added to Panama and Columbia as high risk areas to leave your boat plugged in.

Abe

[Ericson38]

Originally Posted by sailingabe41ds

I am in California The way our electrical grid works here with recurrent power outages and the poor maintenance in my marina maybe California should be added to Panama and Columbia as high risk areas to leave your boat plugged in.

Abe

I'm fixing to launch our Taswell 49 in Oxnard in a few months (cross country move from Virginia). I just went through some brownouts at the house in northern Santa Barbara county and I guess that happens in Ventura county too. TV commercials are already talking about not using power in certain times of the day, and there are pictures of fun loving folks hanging clothes on the line in a nice sea breeze, all having fun, playing frizbee, balloons, that kind of stuff.

With the brownouts, the house lighting got dim but stayed on. I was worried about the fridge motor but didn't unplug it. Not leaving the boat plugged in.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by steve77

Guys -

A boat with a shore power cord is not the same as a house with a permanently installed AC power supply. It's oversimplification to compare the two and ignores many failure modes that the AC system of a boat has that are not present in a house.



Steve

It's only a perceived risk. As for real ones, leaving a boat plugged in is statistically a far smaller risk than simply driving to the marina. Stay home and unplug your house when you go to sleep.