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Hi everyone,

ive had my narrowboat for about four months and have been happily living off the leisure batteries. However I now have the opportunity to access shorepower and would like to have access to a few luxuries from time to time (like tv, or the ability to charge my laptop onboard). I have no idea what to do though. My boat has no power sockets whatsoever. As far as I know the only things that run off 12v are the lights and water pumps (shower, oven, fridge etc works off gas). there is no external socket for shorepower. I assume that in order to access shorepower I need quite a bit of work done on the boat. Can anyone explain - slowly - what I need to do? Many thanks for reading.

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19 minutes ago, 40ftnarrowboater said:

Can anyone explain - slowly - what I need to do?

You need a 'lead' to connect the Onshore bollard to the boat.

You need a plug receptacle fitting onto the boat to receive the end of the lead.

The back of the plug needs wiring into a 'fuse box' / RCD,

You then need to run a 'circuit' of mains cable (DO NOT use domestic flat twin & earth) around your boat.

Installing sockets where ever you think you need them (put in more than you think - you will find a use for them.

 

If you are not comfortable with DIY electrics then 'get a man in' who does know.

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10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You need a 'lead' to connect the Onshore bollard to the boat.

You need a plug receptacle fitting onto the boat to receive the end of the lead.

The back of the plug needs wiring into a 'fuse box' / RCD,

You then need to run a 'circuit' of mains cable (DO NOT use domestic flat twin & earth) around your boat.

Installing sockets where ever you think you need them (put in more than you think - you will find a use for them.

 

If you are not comfortable with DIY electrics then 'get a man in' who does know.

 

 

Much easier would to buy a 12Vdc laptop charger and 12Vdc telly. Both freely available on line.

 

 

 

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I would suggest that you also get a decent battery charger fitted so you can charge the batteries when the shore line is connected and the charger will also, in the main, supply the 12V demand. Actually you can charge your laptop on board  with a 12V car charger. If you got a 12V TV then the mains charger would  power that a  well.

 

I echo Alan's final sentence. The fact you are sensible enough to ask suggest that your working with mains electricity that can kill may not be such a good idea.

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As per #2, but you don't necessarily need a 240v circuit on the boat.  Provided you install a proper shoreline inlet plug, leading to a RCD that in turn leads to a single socket, you can charge your batteries on shorepower (I use a 20A 'fit and forget' PACO charger) and then run everything on 12v.  I have a Cello TV that is 12v.   You will need to look elsewhere on this forum to find out how to best provide a mains earth connection to the hull of the boat. 

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