Hello Kevin,

I currently have a 1991 26’ Macgregor Sailboat that is in need of shore power and while looking online I came across your partner marine wiring site.

The boat has a basic one battery DC setup to power its navigation lights, Radio, and interior cabin light but has no way of charging the battery since it’s primarily a “trailer sailor”.

I recently purchased a new Honda four-stroke outboard which has a charging feature that I have not connected since I mainly trailer the boat and charge the battery with a portable charger when I come home.

However, I’m in the process of moving the boat to a local marina with standard 30A service (west coast CA) and would like to add a permanent Guest style charger/maintainer, GFCI convenience outlets for a TV, laptop, portable heater, etc. and would like to see what options are available.

Also, if I were to go with one of your complete marine electrical shore power systems, how would I connect my outboard’s charging system to the battery without interfering with the AC connected battery charger? Can they both be connected at the same time or would I need some sort of switch (I wouldn’t run the two systems simultaneously).

Could I run the DC powered cabin light, radio etc. while the shore power is connected and charging the 12 volt system as well as any accessory connected to the convenience outlets?

I’ve also read about galvanic corrosion… would this be an issue since I don’t have any thru-hulls and raise my outboard when docked? As this is my first boat, any help with selecting the correct components and with getting wiring schematics would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks

Ernie

Hi Ernie,

Our EzAcDc shore power system will easily accommodate any Guest style charger/maintainer, which could simply plug in to one of the outlets on the back of the panel assembly. Along with protecting itself, the front panel GFCI protects all remote outlets. Additional GFCIs are not required.

Your boat battery cables, existing boat DC system, and battery charger can all be connected to the battery at the same time. There is no need for a marine battery switch. Even though it will probably never happen, the battery charger can be on while you have Honda running and charging the battery. They are designed to be able to work together.

While you are plugged into AC, you can certainly run your DC equipment along with your AC TV, heater, etc. As long as your battery charger is large enough, it will be able to keep up with the additional DC loads. If you plan on running your DC equipment for extended periods of time while your battery charger is on, you may want to consider buying a charger that is large enough to charge the battery and run your DC equipment.

As long as you do not have any metal hull fittings, galvanic corrosion should not be a problem on your boat. Even though the GFCI will protect against most AC fault issues, please make sure your AC and DC grounds are connected together. Our AC shore power panel provides this ground wire.

Hope this helps,

Kevin