Shore power adapters

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MichaelB1969

Guru
Joined
Oct 15, 2016
Messages
679
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Speedy Charlotte
Vessel Make
Beneteau Swift Trawler 44
Hi everyone, I think this year I'd like to actually be able to use power connections when I dock at other marinas. I have 50amp 125/250v, and everywhere I go they seem to have the older 50amp 125v or 30 amp connections.

I am looking at 3 adapters from Marinco.

The 50amp 125/250v (boat) to 50amp 125v (shore).

The 50amp 125/250v (boat) to 30amp 125v (shore).

The 50A 125/250V (boat) to (2) 30A 125V (shore), Reverse Y.

The biggest power draws in the boat come from 3 hvac units and the fridge. However, in NorCal, I rarely use the heat or a/c, and if I do, I wouldn't necessarily need all 3.

So is there any reason for me to get the Reverse Y?

And is my logic sound in thinking that I should get the other 2 adapters as my top priority?

Thanks!
Mike
 
not sure where you go, but from NJ to FL and probably 75 or so marinas, I have never encounteted a 125V, 50A receptacle...only 30s and 125/250V 50A

A tevetse smart y and a 30 to 50A 125/250V Is all I ever needed.

going from a 15 to 30 might come in handy too.
 
I am in San Francisco, and while my marina has 50amp 125/250v, the 4 marinas I've been to ALL had 50amp 125v, including Jack London Square, Monterey, San Francisco (South Beach) and Half Moon Bay.

Now, it's possible that other slips had 50amp 125/250v. However, none of the guest slips I was placed into did.

I literally have not had ONE occasion where I was able to successfully hook my boat up.
 
West coast...need I say more... :)
 
based on sheer probabilities.....dying to hear what other West Coast cruisers have encountered....
 
110/115 V 50 amp is not uncommon in some older BC docks. One needs to be careful when plugging in.
 
If your 3 hvac units are 240 V, then you need the 50A 125/250V (boat) to (2) 30A 125V (shore), Reverse Y. but it will only work if there is 2 phase where you are plugging in
 
Our boat is also 50 amp 125/250 volt. I haven't found a lot of 50 amp/250 volt shore power available in the PNW (Canada included). Since we only need the 250 volt for the air conditioners that we hardly ever use, we get by with just the 50 amp 125/250 volt boat to 30 amp/ 125 volt shore adapter.
 
My boat is 50amp/125v. My home dock happened to have 50amp/125v pedestals. However, I hardest ever see 50amp/125v service at marina guest docks. I have a 50amp/125v shore power cord that stays on my home dock. I have a traveling 30amp cord and have a 50amp/125v to 30amp/125v adapter I carry with me (never used it away from home yet) and connect the cord to my boat with a 30amp/125v to 50amp/125v adaptor to connect the cord to the boat.
 
I’ve never seen a 125/50 amp receptacle in Washington or BC. It’s 125/30 , 250/50 or in old b.c. The occasional 15amp standard household outlet. I just assumed the 125/50 was an old east coast thing.
 
i have a splitter that goes from 250 volts to 2 50 amp 110s it is a hubbel and is in good shape new it was 400$ dollars will sell for 200$
 
ghost said:
I’ve never seen a 125/50 amp receptacle in Washington or BC. It’s 125/30 , 250/50 or in old b.c. The occasional 15amp standard household outlet. I just assumed the 125/50 was an old east coast thing.
Click to expand...



Here in Victoria we are connected to a 50amp 125/208.
 
I have 50A 240V and 50A 120V. Many of the marinas I've stopped at have those two setups. If all they have is 30A 120V I use an adapter that takes two legs of that and comes out with 50A 240V. There's a combination of switch settings on the main panel that lets me switch on the 240V and switch off the 120V and I end up with 240 and 120 power.
 
In the Bay Area, having 30 and 50 amp connectors work. :)
 
ghost said:
I’ve never seen a 125/50 amp receptacle in Washington or BC. It’s 125/30 , 250/50 or in old b.c. The occasional 15amp standard household outlet. I just assumed the 125/50 was an old east coast thing.
Click to expand...

A TF member from WA who plugged into wrong voltage receptacles in Sidney may weigh in. His vessel suffered some damage.

Michael, dock voltages are not always as they may seem. Be careful, carry the right adapters for your area and be prepared to "suffer" a night or two without AC or other higher voltage on boat items.

Thanks Dennis for pointing out there are never absolutes. This thread clearly illustrates why the new dock codes are a good idea, with modifications to GFCI standards as are now in discussion.

But, Canada will be a decade or two away in dock grounding revamps. BC Hydro is not pell mell rushing into a different set of issues. Not to mention 208 volts which gets into another parallel discussion.
 
Last edited:
I find most updated marinas in the PNW are 30a 125v and 50a 125/250v. However there are plenty of older marinas that are 30a 125v and 50a 125v still in the area. The farther north you get the less likely you are to find more than 30a 125v.
 
How does that work if you're plugging into GFCI protected 30A 120V receptacles? Or does it not, due to unbalanced neutral to hot current in each of the two receptacles?
 
ghost said:
I’ve never seen a 125/50 amp receptacle in Washington or BC. It’s 125/30 , 250/50 or in old b.c. The occasional 15amp standard household outlet. I just assumed the 125/50 was an old east coast thing.
Click to expand...

Two years ago one of the marinas in Ganges had 125/50 amp outlets. May have changed by now.
 
MichaelB1969 said:
Hi everyone, I think this year I'd like to actually be able to use power connections when I dock at other marinas. I have 50amp 125/250v, and everywhere I go they seem to have the older 50amp 125v or 30 amp connections.

I am looking at 3 adapters from Marinco.

The 50amp 125/250v (boat) to 50amp 125v (shore).

The 50amp 125/250v (boat) to 30amp 125v (shore).

The 50A 125/250V (boat) to (2) 30A 125V (shore), Reverse Y.

The biggest power draws in the boat come from 3 hvac units and the fridge. However, in NorCal, I rarely use the heat or a/c, and if I do, I wouldn't necessarily need all 3.

So is there any reason for me to get the Reverse Y?

And is my logic sound in thinking that I should get the other 2 adapters as my top priority?

Thanks!
Mike
Click to expand...



Mike—

I have a heavy Hubble Y connector. The male connector is marked 125/250 @ 50A while the two other cable ends appear to be 50 ampere rated @125V. This thing has been gathering dust in my basement long enough for me to think about trashing it. So if it can be of any use, you can have it for $30 to take care of whatever it costs me to mail it to you.

If Mike has no use for this Y, the same offer applies to others, as long as it gets delivered by the U.S. Post Office for no more than the $30.
 
Last edited:
I have a pigtail adapter for sale in the classifieds if that helps.
 
It’s really impossible the answer your question with anything more than a guess without knowing how your boat is wired to utilize the 120/240 power inlet. If you have a wiring diagram, I’d be happy to look it over.
 
I am confused and I know all the possibilities cold.

if people used the correct marine connector designations it would be a lot easier.
 
Last edited:
twistedtree said:
It’s really impossible the answer your question with anything more than a guess without knowing how your boat is wired to utilize the 120/240 power inlet. If you have a wiring diagram, I’d be happy to look it over.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I may have it on the boat. Will take a look.
 
foggysail said:
Mike—

I have a heavy Hubble Y connector. The male connector is marked 125/250 @ 50A while the two other cable ends appear to be 50 ampere rated @125V. This thing has been gathering dust in my basement long enough for me to think about trashing it. So if it can be of any use, you can have it for $30 to take care of whatever it costs me to mail it to you.

If Mike has no use for this Y, the same offer applies to others, as long as it gets delivered by the U.S. Post Office for no more than the $30.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, although I don't think it will fit, as the 50 amp 125/250v connector would need to be female to plug into the male connector on my boat.

BTW, I moved to the Bay Area from Hopkinton, MA. Right around the corner from you!
 
MichaelB1969 said:
Thanks for the offer, although I don't think it will fit, as the 50 amp 125/250v connector would need to be female to plug into the male connector on my boat.

BTW, I moved to the Bay Area from Hopkinton, MA. Right around the corner from you!
Click to expand...

I don't know what to say other than good luck out there. Hopkinton is going through rapid housing developments which you are aware of. The Town started building an elementary school and they had to stop and enlarge the design because of the rapid growth. Ashland is not far behind.

Enjoy yourself out there:thumb:
 
The 50A Y adapter I offered in post #20 has found a new owner and is no longer available
 
We have 2-120V @ 30A inlets and find that a simple 30A Y splitter is fine for us. (even with AC on we don't use more than 30A total) My question is, as we cruise further away from our home base of NH should I be concerned that 120V/30A connections are going away on the east coast?

Ken
 
Can anyone tell me what this is? I've heard of 50A 125V, and 50A 125/250V. But never 50A 250V:
4339-albums438-picture4284.jpg


How about this apparently 50A outlet? I know the above plug doesn't fit into it:
4339-albums438-picture4285.jpg
 
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