International Shore Power for Cruising Boats

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Setting up your boat to plug into shore power when cruising outside of your home country can pose a big challenge. And it all comes down to how you handle the difference in electrical frequency.
In this video, we'll break down the various shore power set up options and talk the pros and cons of each method.
Watch the previous Marine Electrical 101 Videos if you've missed them:
Marine Electrical 101 - • Marine Electrical Syst...
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Table Of Contents
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0:00 - Intro
1:35 - The Problem - Frequency
2:59 - Shore Power Wiring
4:30 - Option 1: Don't Plug In
5:59 - Option 2: Install Duplicate 50/60hz Systems
4:42 - Option 3: Isolation Transformers
9:38 - Option 4: Shore Power Converter
11:51 - Option 5: Battery Charger and BIG Inverter
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Пікірлер: 34

@jasontowle1590 2 жыл бұрын

Great series David, throughly enjoyed it.

@craigg7862 2 жыл бұрын

David, you really do an excellent job covering the subject. You nail all the fundamental issues in a clear and well presented way.

@fabiopotenti2123 Жыл бұрын

Great video! Clear and to the point.

@tlowe2502 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks David, great content. 👍 🐾🐾

@dennijt 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for series - very good info

@kirk9671 2 жыл бұрын

These are great videos. You have the experience to be an authority.

@playb4work447 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your ideas and experiences. After reading your responses on the comments below I’m anxious to see what’s next.

@HopeOfJoe Жыл бұрын

Absolutely fabulous,David ‼️‼️👍🏻 This series is perfect for us as we transition from a sailing monohull to a power catamaran. We will be installing Belmar high output alternators and lithium batteries. Hopefully, battery recharge will be as simple as running one engine at low rpms for an hour or 2. No generator,and 3KW minimum of solar. 😊

@chriswallace5877 Жыл бұрын

I liked the video. Thanks for sharing your experience. Another option I don't hear about but what we are going with is to use an Inverter/Charger on Shore Power 1 and dedicated battery charger on SP2. If shore power is 110v/60hz we use SP1. If not we use SP2. Of course a GA is installed on both shore power connections. Also, ELCI for both SP.

@HarborsUnknown Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great video David! We’re trying to figure out what to do before we head off to French Polynesia.😬

@OutChasingStars Жыл бұрын

Hope it at least gave you a few other ideas for ways to tackle the problem. It's definitely a challenge but being in French Polynesia (and the rest of the South Pacific!) more than makes up for it! 😃

@HarborsUnknown Жыл бұрын

@@OutChasingStars we’re leaning towards the isolation transformer but will wait until we’re in New Zealand. There’s too much going on right now. 😂 We’re planning on enjoying the beautiful anchorages in FP so it shouldn’t be a big deal there.

@OutChasingStars Жыл бұрын

Isolation transformers certainly seem to be the most common way to go. The only real drawbacks are they don't convert frequency so you still have to be careful which appliances you use and they can be small so you may have to manage how much equipment is on at one time. But those are future problems. As you say, lots of beautiful anchorages in FP to enjoy first! 😉

@AntoineGrondin Жыл бұрын

I have two multiplus 3KVA in parallel, and my aircon is brushless with variable speed (Velair VSD) so no large inrush current. I can charge the batteries using cheap battery chargers and power all my AC loads from my multipluses. Easy solution for modern systems. I actually don't even need to plug into shore power with my solar and 14kWh of LFP.

@Peter_Herrman 2 жыл бұрын

This was a great, and very helpful series, thanks! We have a boat on order for 2024 (Seawind 1260), and as I was looking at these options it occurred to me that given the increases in technology, the simple solution may be to just run off solar in a marina. The solar on the 1260 is probably a little on the low side for doing that if you wanted to run A/C all day/night, but I'm hoping they bump it up a little before delivery, or we may add some later. What do you think of that plan?

@OutChasingStars 2 жыл бұрын

Well, you may want to keep an eye out for some of our future plans for Starry Horizons. I do like simple solutions! 😉

@douglasmontgomery6315 2 жыл бұрын

David, another great video addition. However, since aircon was the main concern, I'm surprised you did not mention the newer Direct Current (Mabru) aircons. Switching/replacing/building a vessel to DC aircons solves the majority of the frequency issues (as you stated, most electrical equipment is already dual voltage & frequency compatible. Converting to DC aircons would also alleviate the inverter efficiency issues, no soft starts needed and you could install a smaller (less expensive) inverter....so a cost savings (albeit the DC aircons are a little more pricey..so with the savings in inverter size and soft-starts..might be a wash).

@OutChasingStars 2 жыл бұрын

I just may have some more insights on DC air cons coming up soon. 😉 You're quite right about a lot of the benefits, but I will say that the DC air cons are more than a "little" pricier so there is a different calculus at play.

@srupp9271 7 ай бұрын

Thank you for this information something I did not think about before. I was looking at European boats but this has probably changed my mind since none of the solutions seems great to me. There was one thing that I thought about and I hope this is not a stupid question.Are there any generators that run on electric motors? My thought Wes have a generator on the boat that generates 110V @ 60 HZ that is driven by an electric motor that runs on 230V @50 Hz or vise versa ?

@bill2292 2 жыл бұрын

Hi David, did you ever consider the new 12v air conditioner units? They are more money but they seem to be very efficient and avoid the need to have lots of AC power.

@DRB68 2 жыл бұрын

I was just about to mention this.

@thomasheuwinkel9456 2 жыл бұрын

Dear David, thank you for sharing your experience. I still wonder what stopped you from putting much as possible solar and big battery pack on Starry Horizon to get rid of the dependency of shore power? It would save you some diesel too.

@OutChasingStars 2 жыл бұрын

You may want to keep an eye out for some of our upcoming plans for SH... 😉

@donrichards7173 2 жыл бұрын

We went the charger big inverter route back in 2008. With lithium and 12v aircon now an everyday option this is even more logical step nowadays. Just wish there was more standardisation of plugs at marinas.

@OutChasingStars 2 жыл бұрын

You were definitely an early adopter! And I 100% agree on plug standardization. I find it rather annoying having to rewire our shore power cord for each new country we want to plug in at the marina.

@paulb1794 2 жыл бұрын

Good stuff, 👍🦘

@davidjames1692 2 жыл бұрын

Questions: Does converting AC shore to DC then back to AC result in significant inefficiency (loss)? What percentage? Would going shore through charger into batteries then inverting reduce battery life?

@OutChasingStars 2 жыл бұрын

There is definite efficiency loss during the conversion process. I'm not an electrical engineer but my understanding is that AC to DC is more efficient than DC to AC. But so much depends on the set up of your system. For example, the 'rule of thumb' that I've seen constantly mentioned is that a DC to AC inverter has roughly 10% efficiency loss. But our Atlas Shore Power specs show that it is 91-92% efficient (varies depending on load) for the entire AC-DC then DC-AC process. So not sure I can give you exactly numbers unfortunately. As for reduced battery life, I can't seem to find a really good answer on that actually. Most battery life ratings are in Depth Of Discharge cycles, but if you have a charger keeping the State of Charge high, then you technically aren't cycling the batteries by the standard definition. But reactions are still happening internally in the batteries so I imagine there would be some impact on battery life. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable then I am will chime in...

@allynonderdonk7577 2 жыл бұрын

Most Inverters generally have an efficiency loss of between eight and twenty percent. That is just the cost of inversion. Though investing in a charger that can do 120v and 240v is hard to find. The best idea is likely to have two separate chargers that can handle your likely situations at either 50 or 60 hz. Though aircon is again an issue so make sure you have a hefty charger. Ours can do 100 to 130 amps depending on the load...though it is a Victron which is also an inverter. Which two Victron units might be a good solution for international travelers but remember even 120 amps at 12 v is like 10 amps at 120 volts out of an inverter...if I actually did those conversions in my head correctly. So a 12000 but ac on that would be a stretch.

@CDB1952 2 жыл бұрын

Air conditioning you well established is a (if not the) major power consumer on board. I am surprise your usually through treatment of such matters did not include one or more of the modern DC powered Air Conditioner alternatives, which operate at significantly lower power consumption than legacy AC powered systems.

@OutChasingStars 2 жыл бұрын

Well, perhaps I didn't want to spoil some of the upcoming plans for Starry Horizons... 😉 But you're definitely right, if you have the option and don't mind the extra expense, going with the more efficient DC Air Cons is the way to go. I probably should have at least given it a mention here as well.

@Cptnbond 2 жыл бұрын

I understand your love for Air conditioning on a boat, but this causes additional costs and requirements. Have you considered the case of not having them, and for the money you save, spend it on a luxury hotel when you are in a marina? USD 22,000:- would count for many excellent nights in exotic places, all with cool rooms with Air conditioners. Sometimes we boaters go way too far to convert our land life to near-land luxury life on a boat. Thanks for a good discussion. Just my 2c. Cheers.

@OutChasingStars 2 жыл бұрын

One of the fun things about boats is the millions of different ways people set them up. We certainly know a lot of people who go without aircons and thus avoid the problem. But, while they are definitely a 'luxury' item, they were something we wanted on the boat. Not just for the times we're in the marina, but we've definitely had times where we wanted them at anchor as well. As for using a hotel as a substitute, that's an interesting idea. Not every marina we've been to is near a hotel, so there could be a few more logistical challenges with that approach. But that could certainly be one of the options!

@pbr-yt8zc Жыл бұрын

Should be no need for a galvanic isolator if you are going with big battery bank and charger and inverter. Your ac is produced on board and is isolated already from green wire shore power with the battery charger.