Shore Power Gremlins

Hi,

I just picked up this 1979 Pacemaker 33 SportFish a few weeks ago, and am having problems with the shore power system. I have 2-30 amp Feeds to a 60 Amp 120 VAC Box. When I bought the boat, it was in a covered slip, and the owner noticed that some of the receptacles were dead. After towing to my dock, I tried tying in to my 20 amp GFCI 120 VAC Receptacle, but every time I tried to switch something on, the GFCI tripped. I mean just turning some lights on, the GFCI tripped. I checked the polarity with the plug in testers, and the receptacle on my dock is correct. Where do I start in troubleshooting? I pulled each of the breakers, and then did a continuity test, and they were all working properly.

I don't mind getting my hands dirty, but really don't like being jolted with 120 VAC. I am at a loss as to how to proceed. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

Seth Anderson
Moon, VA

Disconnect AC source going into the boat. Go to each outlet and test for continuity between the female plug terminals at each outlet. Whichever ones show continuity, that is where you have a short. Remove that recepticle, and fix/replace. If recepticle okay, start tracing the wire back to the VAC box to look for shorts. If all of them show continuity, then you have a short in in the VAC box.

Typically your short will be at the recepticle itself or where is terminates into the VAC box. Of course, there are exceptions, expecially on a boat.

Also, in some of the older boats they tied the neutral and the ground together. They have to be separated. in other words, you need to install a buss bar and move the grounds. I have had to do this on a few vessels.

Dockside - Very good point - I forgot about that.

SO, DRSeth - test for continuity between ground prong on the plug and the neutral prong. If all show continuity, you may have a common ground and neutral, and that needs to be changed, as Dockside said.