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Ewof compliant shore power inlet


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What do people use for their boats external shore power inlet? 

I am struggling to find a 16amp panel mount inlet that is water proof when connected and not connected to shore power. 

Found this, it is the only IP56 I have found. Quite pricy. 

This is obviously IP nothing if it's unplugged. 

I understand that Ewof requires an external inlet. Our boat is very wet when racing, there isn’t a dry spot in the cockpit. If I could have the inlet inside then that would be best but I don't think that's allowed. 

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Often they are positioned inside cockpit lockers (with a cutout in the lid to allow the cable through). This is my setup typical on production boats I’ve had.

85948F3D-0640-48EA-A153-4833C5B6229F.jpeg

82E4E13A-CCA0-40FB-B29A-7078AA8B3A94.jpeg

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That’s similar to the fitting on my boat and it’s protected but outside 

Cockpit locker would be ideal on your boat CD if you have one as it’s officially not inside your boat.

CB077ED8-DFBE-4FFA-B30B-85FDFE28C84B.jpeg

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3 hours ago, CarpeDiem said:

This is obviously IP nothing if it's unplugged. 

 

Its the inlet, so unplugged doesn't matter.  In any case it comes with waterproof covers (according to the blurb).

IP44 rating would be plenty - it is sufficient for sprays of water.  If you are getting water at your marina jetty that is beyond a spray, you will be having bigger problems than whether your shore power inlet is sufficiently waterproof.

Shore power has to be supplied through an RCD so there is little to no electrical risk even if water gets into the connector.

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14 minutes ago, aardvarkash10 said:

Its the inlet, so unplugged doesn't matter.  In any case it comes with waterproof covers (according to the blurb).

I would rather not be plugging my shore power into a plug that was recently showered in water and possibly submerged. I will investigate the cover, I didn't see that, thanks. 

Is IP44 sufficient for ewof? 

14 minutes ago, aardvarkash10 said:

Shore power has to be supplied through an RCD so there is little to no electrical risk even if water gets into the connector.

We had an ebox once. The 10a outlet had a small amount water in it. Powered up fine, plugged in the battery charger and it smoked, smelled and went black. Neither the shore rcd or the ebox rcd tripped, it wasn't a happy box. 

So my approach is to keep the water out of the 230v electrical system whether it's on or not. 

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1 hour ago, Jon said:

That’s similar to the fitting on my boat and it’s protected but outside 

Cockpit locker would be ideal on your boat CD if you have one as it’s officially not inside your boat.

CB077ED8-DFBE-4FFA-B30B-85FDFE28C84B.jpeg

You have an electric dive tank. Cool!

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4 hours ago, CarpeDiem said:

What do people use for their boats external shore power inlet? 

I am struggling to find a 16amp panel mount inlet that is water proof when connected and not connected to shore power. 

Found this, it is the only IP56 I have found. Quite pricy. 

This is obviously IP nothing if it's unplugged. 

I understand that Ewof requires an external inlet. Our boat is very wet when racing, there isn’t a dry spot in the cockpit. If I could have the inlet inside then that would be best but I don't think that's allowed. 

SCAME fittings are the "default" option in NZ

https://www.firstflex.co.nz/product-category/scame-plugs-connectors/

these are designed to be in the weather, both for IP rating and plastic type, but better if you can locate it in a locker if possible.

You should buy an IP67 rated inlet.

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Suggestion. Before taking any action I’d suggest you ask the person you plan to do your eWOF compliance check. Because being the NZ marine services industry it’s full of ambiguity, vagueness and bad advice. Every time I’ve asked a different inspector for an eWOF checkup I’ve got a different set of answers. So I’ve learned to keep asking until I get the answer I like the best and go with that. Seriously.

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1 hour ago, Black Panther said:

I just didn't  bother.

Sadly you need it if you want to plug into any marina. Because of the hundreds of boats that catch fire every year in NZ due to unsafe electrical systems.

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20 hours ago, Fogg said:

Because of the hundreds of boats that catch fire every year in NZ due to unsafe electrical systems.

That is not the sole reason. It is to ensure a high level if electrical safety in all area's. Remember back in the day, not that many years ago, where there were always complaints of the boat next door causing stray earth issues? When was the last time you heard of that?
Remember that our boats are in a place of high electrical shock potential. So having proper elctical wiring practice being adhered to is essential.
 

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On 1/04/2021 at 5:38 PM, Fogg said:

Often they are positioned inside cockpit lockers (with a cutout in the lid to allow the cable through). This is my setup typical on production boats I’ve had.

What's with the two cable sockets split off one cable plug? I am surprised an inspector has allowed that.

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3 hours ago, wheels said:

That is not the sole reason. It is to ensure a high level if electrical safety in all area's. Remember back in the day, not that many years ago, where there were always complaints of the boat next door causing stray earth issues? When was the last time you heard of that?
Remember that our boats are in a place of high electrical shock potential. So having proper elctical wiring practice being adhered to is essential.
 

The last time I heard of a stray current in a marina full of allegedly inspected abs eWOF’d boats was last month on my marina around my boat - I did an unscheduled liftout of Fogg and found that my 2 new anodes fitted 2 months earlier were 75% gone. I had an electrician check over Fogg abs found nil leakage of my systems therefore only source was another boat near me. Upon enquiring around my berth neighbours they all agreed they had noticed their own anodes corroding mysteriously quickly.

So I had a galvanic isolator fitted to protect Fogg regardless of what’s happening around me.

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3 hours ago, wheels said:

What's with the two cable sockets split off one cable plug? I am surprised an inspector has allowed that.

That’s to enable a single 32A supply to split across two 16A inlets - one does all house systems the other is dedicated to HVAC systems (of which there are two). If I try to run all my systems together I exceed 16A hence the split inputs. As another option, if I can’t get a single 32A socket then I also have 2x separate shore power cables so if necessary I can plug into 2x 16A sockets and run both cables to Fogg side by side.

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On 3/04/2021 at 6:39 AM, wheels said:

When was the last time you heard of that?
 

Wasn't there a thread on here from KM about a month ago with that problem? 

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On 3/04/2021 at 10:42 AM, Fogg said:

That’s to enable a single 32A supply to split across two 16A inlets

Ummmmm. but that set up shown goes back to one 16A Plug. Plus, if a fault were to ever develop, the inline sockets are 16A unprotected into a 32A supply. Not exactly legal. Not saying you shouldn't. I have been kown fot the odd "creative" wiring ideas when in need. But just be aware.
Yes two cables are best, or a single 32A and then split inside the panel with it's own 32a Breaker on supply and appropriat breakers to everything else

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