Safe AC

The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) and other international bodies provide standards for sheathing and supporting wire runs. As an AC appliance ages, the insulation of its inside components can break down gradually, allowing some leakage of fault current to the case. Yes, the green grounding wire will carry this fault current back to the ...

Your boat’s electrical panelboard is the “heart” of the electrical system. Electric current created by a shore side power source or AC electrical generator is dis-tributed throughout the boat by “hot” wires or ungrounded conductors. These vary in size based on the job they must perform.

This is something to be aware of, but the relevant ABYC standard only applies to wiring carrying 50 volts or more, so it is typically a problem with AC circuits on a boat, not your typical 12 volt DC wiring installation. In general, if three conductors are bundled, reduce maximum amperage by 30 percent.

After many decades of troubleshooting and repairing boat wiring issues, I’ve become pretty darn good at figuring things out. Today’s boat wiring is one of the most difficult problems you’ll run across due to requirements of the numerous accessories. For the last several weeks, I have been chasing a problem that has been causing me to lose sleep at night.

11.6.3.1.2 Shore Power Cable – On each boat equipped with an AC shore power system, a shore power cable that contains the conductors for the power circuit and a grounding (green) conductor shall be provided. 11.6.3.1.2.1 Except where the shore power cable is permanently connected to the boat, the boat end of this

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The smallest gauge allowed on boats for a single wire is 16 gauge, or 18 gauge in a bundle or sheath, but this may be way too thin for the equipment or the length of the wire run. The thicker a wire is the less resistance it has.

Boat wiring requires the flexibility of stranded wire, and it should be tinned for corrosion resistance. Wire size for AC circuits is generally less a factor of voltage drop than of amperage capacity, but starting currents, particularly for compressors, can momentarily increase the current draw up to 5 times nominal.

Boat Wiring: How to Connect a New AC Outlet. Wiring for boats is different than house wiring, even for AC. By Ed Sherman. July 9, 2011. Question: I want to add a new AC outlet to my boat in the galley area so I can run a small coffee maker. I’ve already run the wiring to the place where I want to put the plug.

The shore power cable and connection is the most easily overloaded point of wiring on the boat because it feeds all of the AC system including receptacle circuits. Every new appliance brought onboard can add a new load, and devices like electric grills, hair driers, air conditioners and space heaters are designed to use about 12 Amps each.