Hi Kevin,

My name is Jimmy and I have a 1986 55 Foot Hickman Sea Sled Boat.

I leave the boat in the water over the winter with a the deicer running, a setup that works fine.

The problem that I am having is that the marina charges for electricity seem really high. I would like to get an in-line amp meter,add it to my shore power setup and get my own meter reading. My concern is that the winter bill is about $300, but, according to the deicer manufacturer, they should only be $1.00 – $1.50 per day.

I have checked out a couple of meters online, specifically the Meter Maid. This seems great, but $250.00 seems high for a meter.

My boat wiring question is:

Where can I buy a less expensive, durable meter to measure my marine electrical usage? Is it possible to make one?

I love having a big boat, but I’m finding it really expensive. Yeah, I know…welcome to the wonderful world of big boating!

Can you help me?

Jimmy

PS…the Hickman Sea Sled was the first U.S. Aircraft Carrier back In 1917 among so many other interesting facts…my 55′ live aboard is ugly as sin on the outside, but awesome on the inside.

Hi Jimmy,

Two simpler, cheaper solutions would be something like the Appliance Efficiency Monitor or any hand held DC/AC meter that can measure AC current.

You would need to connect the meter leads in-line with the shore power inlet (break the black wire) and take a current reading when the deicer is running.

Most current meters have an internal fuse that will blow before something melts internally.

Good luck,

Kevin