- Joined
- May 11, 2019
- Messages
- 3,621
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Muirgen
- Vessel Make
- 50' Beebe Passagemaker
Scott
Your question on reducing dock power has shown some very astute answers from world cruisers. I've some curiosities.
Kevin's suggestion, referenced by his genset industrial background, seems logical - run your genset. I'd guess your need for dock power is to run your air conditioning as you've got sufficient solar panels for your non AC needs. If this is the case are you set up to bypass your IT and inverter and run your ACs safely off dock power? A separate incoming power cord is old school but not uncommon.
Regarding gensets, a relatives large yacht spent several years in Mexico with high genset run time resulting ; iffy dock power and lots of anchoring out being the reasons.
We could run the generator, but with the associated 1gph fuel usage and noise, which would not make us popular at the dock!
Yes, we only needed it for AC use while docked.
I could bypass the Isolation Transformer, but there is something wonky on the boat that I have not yet chased down, that will trip newer pedestal CB's. . . . .
We could run separate shore power lines, but we've only experience this issue in Mexico, so I'd rather go the "buck" route if it continues to be a problem in our "new" cruising areas of Bahamas, East Coast of US, parts of the Caribbean, etc.
SteveK. I thought about adding a 2nd shore power cable, but it didn't work, probably for the reasons stated above.
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions!