Shore power cable....calculation and sourcing.....and questions...

Thetis will move back to Tainan for winter, since the shore power connector is always different, so we need new cable.
There are few items I processed up to now for this.


1. calculation
Some people will tell you what is the current rating you should use base on the size of the boat. I'm looking for a better estimation, since I still have all the manual, I go for a calculation.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IOnrSGMRL_AkS_JO0TNkuuYUeN8ZzrgbEg7Vx3ZbrSo/edit#gid=0

	Watts
boiler	1200
12V Charger	700	frigo at 500W
Micro wave	1270	Max output is 900W
air condition 1	998	4.7A at 230V
air condition 2	998	4.7A at 230V
air condition 3	998	4.7A at 230V
	6164

These are the max power input of items I know which using 220V. of course you won't have every thing runs at max at same time. if you really do it, that would take you 6164W, which turns to 28A at 220V.  Of course you won't reach this figure.
Even with safety consideration, 32-40A rating cable and connector s are all good enough.
This fit what I saw in Ann pin. Most of them, from 40~60fts yachts,  the use mostly 10mm2 3C.
which is about 7AWG.


2. Wire selection:




the currenting of AWG is based on a standard MIL-STD-975
these current rating could be vary base on ambient temperature and the insulation material(temperature allowed ).
So you may find some other different people saying pretty different figures.
and I found a good site for those calculation:
http://circuitcalculator.com/wordpress/2007/09/20/wire-parameter-calculator/

There are some standards for boat cables, such as UL or VW-1...
UL has a category called boat cable, define as here:
Boat cable is rated 600 V, 60°C (122°F) or 75°C (167°F) wet, 60 to 200°C dry locations and, for cable so marked, 60°C (140°F) and lower temperatures where exposed to oil. The cable employs stranded copper conductors in a size range of 18 to 4/0 AWG inclusive for multiple conductors, 16 to 4/0 AWG inclusive for single conductors. Ampacities are in accordance with 33CFR183, Parts 430 and 435.

This is what I have on the power cable for B37:10AWG 3C


On the cable I have on 51:I guess it use industrial cables.


And it comes with an american connector.(this cable is to be used in 亞灣, where they mostly use US type connector and voltage, only 2 slips has 220V)



Which I think it should be ok, since industrial temperature and environment should be similar to the dock.But dock has more corrosion issues.

3. Connectors. The connectors are mostly industrial power connectors, mostly form Europ , Mennekes.

here is the catalog for it.
Mennekes

Mennekes plugs

On the dock of Ann-Ping:

On 51: HUBBELL, this is an american one...



This is some how funny, no? the boat came from Europe, and it have an american connector on it.
And I went to sailing school to check the cables used in the boat show for 51, and the cable connectors looks like these, Germany ones!
(the cable is 10AWG 3C, and pretty short, only 3M an 3.5M, these can only be used in the show):



My question rise again, how could these cables being used on the 51? the connectors are totally different.
I reach out a pic I took on 51 durint the boat show. what a surprise! it did fit, I believe the inlet has been changed.



I'm not sure why this has been done, the the next question is that I know there is a break in the boat right after the inlet. what would be the rating of these breakers and the wires between inlet and breakers.
I wish to find out why they do the modification.(talking about the modified wiring on this boat, I have serious reason to be afraid.....)

I still have a pic of cable connector of B37, this is the shore side, which fits show power outlet of 亞灣. But, the other side for the boat inlet is still a 3 pins european one.

cable connector of B37 power cable, shore side.

Backing on to the 51 current shore power cable, both side connector are US ones, rating at 50A(which is more than enough for my calculation). I understand the shore side is to fit the shore power outlet of 亞灣, but why they modified the boat side? your cable is custom made anyway.
I see no reason of doing this: replacing an original parts with an lower current rating connector of different system.

Now AnnPing use european system....i need to figure out this.....

前艙水龍頭漏水

只有打開使用時,會從上面漏.....

Diesel fuel gage....dead....after few rains...

After the typhoon,  there started to have moisture in my fuel Gage, I don't real care about it, since this happens on B37 as well. but the one on B37 works normally and moisture goes away after few sunning days.

But this one on 51 just dead after 2 days. the pointer is stopped on the most right side of gage after it runs for testing.

Coolant leak......when can you stop leaking....

7/15 before leaving nice 東嶼坪, I have checked and cleared all leaked coolant, and start the engine for 10mins for checking leaking, I got nothing after these 10mins of engine running.

we left the port, set up the sails for returning tainan, nice beam reach at 10~15 knots, we were sailing at 8 kts, with engine at only 1500 rpm.

after 30 mins, I wish to check if there is any "minor" leaking of coolant, since I always find some,not much, under the engine.

Big surprise !! there are quite a lot of coolant leaking under the engine.

I was trying to find the source of leakage from some "old" spot, but those were good.

and I found on top of the engine, on the water tank cap, there is a cooper join with white tape seal. this is where the coolant leaking fast.

I was wondering if we can hold the engine running for 5~7 hrs until we reach Taiwan, my guess is that I have to stop the engine for refilling coolant. and this will take some time, since you need to wait the engine to cool down before opening the vice water tank. We will pass the route of liners, and there are lot of fishing buoy when we approach Taiwan, I need engine to do the job.

So, I decided to try to tight up the connector with hand, with those tubes on top, there is no chance to turn much. I turned it about 30 degree(it's quite loosen though), and the leaking reduced a lot.

I believe we can hold up to tainan.....

the tricky thing is that I have never seen some one use with tape seal on a pressured system, because it can't hold the pressure. it will fail some where some how.....or again....

How to charge batteries with generator

When we start the main engine,the 12v alternator will charge the batteries(both service and start one),but if you only start the generator,it will not charge.

The AC input of battery charger is connected after the breaker of no.3 AC breaker.
So,you need to turn it on for charging batteries using AC generator.
The marking on the AC breakers is not exact, the 2nd one marked socket head,but to use the 220v sockets,you need to turn the 3rd breaker.

This is why all wire should be labeled as diagram....

After Typhoon, we have to move boat back to our normal peer.
Where I usually need to back my boat into place. When backing the boat, the rudder angle indicator is very important to me, the funny thing is that I can't see my rudder indicator bar on the screen...

No time to figure why, backing a 51 foot in to slip with wind blowing boat away from peer, timing and experience helper is important.

Next day, while testing,I push the button for auto pilot, I figure out that my ECU of auto pilot is not on....

By previous experience of stern platform http://b51b37.blogspot.tw/2016/06/stern-platform.html

I understood that the power of ECU is wired from stern platform control relay, with a fuse near by and absolutely no marking nor diagam.

our people take of the control relay for checking,  but when he wire back, he based on a note he marked with color of wiring.

I checked the fuse, a 40A one, it's good. Soon I noticed that the wiring is some how bizarre.

the positive wire from ecu is red, and they tape it to a fuse set which has a orange wire.(which is not good, and this is not noted on the diagram)

As you can see, both orange(+) and black(-) are bolted together on the black terminal(which I believe is negative)

After correcting the orange wire to positive terminal(which I wondering if it would pass any fuse),
my ECU LED light up, rudder indicator and auto pilot is back to work.

I'm not sure if the auto pilot setting(control loop gain...etc) still remain?
will figure that out next time on the sea.

2016_7_11 老闆,我把船擦破了....

颱風過後整理船, 拿起抹布看到汙點就擦....

前艙右側有個地方起泡, 影子被我看成汙點, 擦一擦凸然就越擦越黑.....
他破皮了.....