Possible wiring routes on 26X & Shore power question

Dannie · Post by **Dannie** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 9:58 pm

Hello, this is my first question and I am new to boating. I just purchased a used '01 26X and would like to do some wiring for 110V and shore power hook ups.

My questions are:
Do the MacGregor 26X boats have a specific wiring route set to go all around the boat or do you have to snake everything through the liners the best you can?

Do you have to run a 110V distribution panel for incoming shore power or can this be directly connected to 2-3 GFI 110v Duplex outlets?

I have been reading all of your great ideas on modifications and they really help me better understand the abilities and features you can have with a sailboat.
Thank you
Dan

Rich Plumb · Post by **Rich Plumb** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 12:36 am

As far as I know, there are no dedicated wiring trunks in the boat, but if you look at the cabin overhead, you will see some channels running fore and aft and awthartships where you can snake wires. You will also find some room going up and down between the liners near the front of the galley in the area of the chainplates. Temporarily remove those white plugs to work the wires through the liner.

The following mod is still applicable, except that you may not find the same model of bus breaker panel that I used.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/cgi-bin ... record=196

Good luck
~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~
Rich Plumb "Plumb Crazy"
26X, Covington WA

Rich Plumb · Post by **Rich Plumb** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:25 pm

Dannie, I will be launching "Plumb Crazy" at Des Moines tomorrow (Monday) and will be in and out of the guest docks till Friday. If you happen to be in the area, stop in and I'll show you my shore power installation.

Fair Winds.

~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~
Rich Plumb "Plumb Crazy"
26X, Covington WA

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:05 am

Two things to add Dannie

YOu need a 'master disconnect' on your shore power, which should be as short a run as practical from the connector so that you can kill the power to the boat with one switch. By short, I mean less than 6 inches of wire length. You can get a nice master disconnect which will have a polarity LED which lets you know if your shore power supplier has everything correct before you turn the power on to your boat.

You then need circuit breakers to protect each circuit downstream from the master connect.

The preferred location on the

is a port side through deck power connection, with the master disconnect mounted next to the DC power panel. I dropped the AC line down the chainplate hole, then put the AC distribution panel on the aft side of the galley.

THis has to be in the Mods section, if not I can post.

Dannie · Post by **Dannie** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:10 pm

Thank you for your thoughts and comments, and Rich I missed you at the marina today, sounds like you took off to Poulsbo, talked to another 26X

docked in the guest slips. My boat is at the end near the gas pump, currently she is named Sea Shepard. I will changing the name soon but have put my name on a slip in Des Moines since I live 5 miles from the docks.

You have got to have some great sailing weather in Puget Sound this week, enjoy and I will try to catch up to you soon.
Dan

Rich Plumb · Post by **Rich Plumb** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 8:03 pm

Hi Dan! Sorry that I missed ya. Yes, I saw your boat, the "Sea Shepard" at Des Moines. I had a glorious sail to Poulsbo and back. I unrigged and went back on the trailer today.

Fair winds
~~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~
Rich Plumb "Plumb Crazy"
26X, Covington WA

Dannie · Post by **Dannie** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 8:00 am

Thanks for the update Rich and glad you had a great trip
Do you keep your boat on the water during the winter or was this your last sailing for a while? I would love to catch up with you sometime in the future and see your modifications.
Talk to you soon
Dan

Lovekamp · Post by **Lovekamp** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:58 pm

I have debated two options. One choice would be to put a standard 30A locking recepticle outside the boat near the galley/companionway (near the DC panel on my X) with a short wire run to a GFI outlet inside and maybe another near the dinette. It doesn't seem like I'd need anything more complex. Am I missing something?

The second choice is probably the one I'm going with (it's cheaper and doesn't involve cutting the boat). A short locking 30A to flat-blade adapter on shore then run a basic orange heavy-duty extension through the companionway. One guy I know put a GFI between the adapter and the orange cord; seems like a pretty good idea.

Don n Cheri · Post by **Don n Cheri** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 3:05 am

Hi Dannie,
We went the route of putting the standard shore power connector on the port side just forward of the cockpit area. This seemed ideal as the run to the AC panel was just a few inches.

We installed the switch panel next to the original DC panel. Went to a lot of trouble to get on straight and then afterwards sitting at the dinette saw it looked crooked. Got out the square again and it was perfectly straight.

The

installed DC panel was crooked but without the AC panel we didn’t notice.

On the AC panel we have the main breaker and the LED’s to show how it’s hooked up and just 3 breakers:
Lights (nice to have AC light at the dock)
Outlets
Battery Charger

Figured that was all we needed and so far so good.

When looking at other posts on this site for a location for the shore power outlet we saw some that put it on the cockpit side and just ran the wires forward to their AC panel. We (oops) I thought about that location as it seemed to protect the connector from being smacked while loading up the boat.

The Admiral likes to sit there and lean back while we sail so SHE vetoed that idea right quick.

All in all we are very happy with our BlueSea panel with volt meter and the outlets let the deckhand (read as me) vacuum out the boat easily when the Admiral tells me I have to

.

Dannie · Post by **Dannie** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:53 am

Thanks Don, I am thinking the port side also Vs the cockpit side. Seems like I will bump it will loading gear and would if trhe dock is port side.

Moe · Post by **Moe** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 5:45 am

If you want to meet ABYC standards, you'll need a waterproof, locking 30A inlet and a ganged double "master" breaker in both the hot and neutral lines in the first 10 feet of wiring from the inlet (preferably much closer). [edit] A red light or LED wired for 120V must be connected between the neutral and ground lines to indicate hot and neutral being swapped in the shorepower (aka "reverse polarity"). A green light or 120V LED should be connected between hot and neutral to show the boat is connected to shorepower.

If you're going to potentially use all 30A and have a 30A master breaker, you'll need a 15A breaker for each circuit with outlets or hard-wired devices. That can be one breaker, if all your outlets, etc are daisy-chained in one circuit, but if you have an AC panel with 3 15A breakers, you can give each outlet its own.

If you don't need all 30A, you can use only a 15A ganged double "master" breaker and run the daisy-chained line off that.

Outlets should be GFCI protected.

Use marine-grade 10/3 for inlet to master breaker and 14/3 on the 15A circuits.

I'd recommend a galvanic isolator in the ground line at the point of the master breaker. It may seem pricey, but it's a lot cheaper than replacing an outboard mount, or if the motor isn't tilted up, a lower unit and prop, if other boats in the marina are leaking current.

The AC ground should be connected to the vessel's DC negative bus at one, and only one point. That may already be done in an on-board battery charger, such as some Guest brand models. Some don't do this to avoid having to use a galvanic isolator, but not doing it is a dangerous condition. [edit] And some of those who don't and think their outboard is safe don't realize the battery charger is doing it for them.

Hope this helps,
--
Moe

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 10:21 am

Dan - adding to Moe's post a bit.

I can see going the 'cheap and simple' connector route if you will use shore power under the following conditions...

1. Small 110 loads like a light, computer, curling iron, the like
2. Always used under supervision
3 When not in use, 110VAC is disconnected at both shore and boat (disconnecting only at the boat is a recipe for disaster
4 No kids on board

If one cant meet these I would recommend doing the full ABYC type install.

Frank C · Post by **Frank C** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 10:31 am

My boat is not slipped, so I have no AC installation, and little need. However, if it was slipped I'd want the hook-up design to be as starkly evident and grossly obvious as possible. Seems this would likely be a connection on the exterior "DC-bulkhead" (the "cockpit backrest" of the cabin) just portside of 26X companionway and clearly evident from the helm position.

I once saw a really BIG boat pull away from the slip while forgetting to disconnect ...

Dannie · Post by **Dannie** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 11:56 pm

Thank you guys, it makes sence to to it the correct way and now that I think of the hook up I do want it to be obvious to not make the mistake that Frank talks about. I do not see putting all the gear on the 110V like some of the others are doing, but you never know. Time to put my shopping list together and head to WM or BW
Thank you Again

Don n Cheri · Post by **Don n Cheri** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 7:44 am

Frank C said

I once saw a really BIG boat pull away from the slip while forgetting to disconnect ...

Once watched the Gal in front of me at the gas station drive off with the hose still in her fill spout and laughed till I thought I would cry.

Then we got a car with the gas fill on the passengers side (Yes you all can see where this is going)
I went in the station to get the Admiral a Pepsi and came back out and got in the car, handed her the drink and started to drive away. There was this strange popping sound so I got out and there was this nozzle sticking out of the car……….. I HATE CARS WITH THE FILL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE.
We learned a bunch from this that we apply to the boat.

As part of the stress relief for the 30 amp connector on the port side of the boat we make a loop in THE BIG YELLOW CORD and hang THE BIG YELLOW CORD on the winch. If we are docked on the Starboard side we run THE BIG YELLOW CORD over that side and hang a loop over that winch as well.

Coming out of Langley we saw another 26X and wanted to meet the Captain and crew so hurried to depart. Yep I forgot to disconnect THE BIG YELLOW CORD but when I jumped onto the dock to loose the lines there was this THE BIG YELLOW CORD thing hanging there to remind me. So just unplugged THE BIG YELLOW CORD. Everyone just knew that I was following the departure checklist. Yes we have one and yes unplugging THE BIG YELLOW CORD is on it.

Sorry Frank, I guess I'm trying to justify my choice for the shore power connection

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Possible wiring routes on 26X & Shore power question

Possible wiring routes on 26X & Shore power question