Umm... all a bona fide shore power system requires is a shore power input connector, a shore power cord, an AC
breaker panel and an AC outlet... Why would this be impractical on a 14' boat??? If the boat's got a cabin, it's about a day's work to do the entire installation.
The two main reasons they frown on people using the pig-tail adapters are:
- First, most aren't capable of being "locked" together and most aren't waterproof, so the electrocution risks go up incredibly.
- Second, using a 15 amp extension cord with a pigtail means that the breaker won't trip before the extension cord starts to burn... since the extension cord is rated for half the breaker amperage, so the risk of boat fires also goes way up.
Personally, I don't blame the city for cracking down... you'd have to be a pretty stupid government not too... since the fire department and EMS budgets come out of their pocket and reducing the number of boat fires and electrocutions can't be anything but a good thing.
IMHO, you'd have to be a pretty ignorant or stupid boat owner to keep using a 15 Amp power cord on a 30 Amp shore power pod for any extended period of time.
__________________
Sailingdog
Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
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