32a 230v shore power inlet on 16a marina supply?

[SailingAda]

Hiya

My boat doesn't have a dedicated shore power inlet but I'm looking to install one and the SmartPlugs have caught my eye. They have 3 options for 230v, 16a, 32a and 50a.

My current marina power pedestal supplies 16a but we are of course planning to travel internationally. Would we be future-proofing by installing a 32a inlet instead of 16a?

I assume the 32a inlet would have no issue pulling from a 16a supply? I also assume I would need to purchase a 32a cable for it.

The inverter/charger I'm having installed is the 48v 5000w Victron multiplus 2 which can accept up to 50a on AC side.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

[Tupaia]

What size is your boat? The inverter power is irrelevant with regards the shore power supply it runs off the batteries. If it is a charge / inverter then 50a at 12v or 600 watts - 3 amps tops for 240v supply.


Fit a 16 amp inlet and carry a 16 - 32 amp adapter for the odd marina that only has big sockets.

[paul2884]

Not that many 32a sockets on the pontoons over here unless you are over 50'. You can always put 32a on the boat and use a 16a plug for connecting to the shore but what will you need all that power for? If you have Li batteries and a big charger but most boats are run to use as little electric as possible.

[SailingAda]

Hey

Thanks for the replies.
It's 39foot but will be all electric. Being converted from diesel to electric. 10kw motor running off 48v. 16x3.2v 302ah lifepo4 cells.
Victron Multiplus 2 charger/inverter.

Guess I figured the 32a inlet couldn't hurt if I'm installing from new anyway. You wouldn't agree?

[sailingharry]

I would go with the larger plug. One really nifty thing about the Victron Multiplus is the ability to throttle the incoming electricity. Here in the US, 30A is the usual power pole, and what my boat is rigged for. However, because our demand is low and sometimes there is only a 15A household outlet available, we very often use a 100 ft 12 gauge household extension cord, only suitable for 15A. I have set my inverter up to limit shore power current to 15A, it will adjust charge loads and/or supplement current by inverting to keep the shore power load limited. So if all we have is the charger running, no worries at all. If we turn on the microwave, it stops charging. If we turn on the coffee pot at the same time, it begins to invert to make up the difference. The numbers change in your 220 volt world, but the concept remains the same.

Install the 32 amp outlet to be future proof, and then set your inverter up to protect the power cord, power pedestal, and breakers.

[SailingHarmonie]

You have a (nominal) 14.5kW-hr battery bank. I have a 12kW-hr house battery bank, and I run everything I need in a 52 foot boat with a 16A/220V shore power connection, and keep the batteries topped up. Including AC, two freezers, a fridge, some electric cooking, but mostly gas.

The only advantage I can think of for spending the significant price premium for a 32A connection is that you’ll be able to make full use of the battery charging current out of the Victron, although that really doesn’t matter that much, it doesn’t often matter how quickly batteries are charged when shore power is available.

50A/220V plugs are on the superyacht docks, although even there they are rare. The big boys tend to go right to 440/3 Phase. You’ll never see one at a slip for a 39 foot boat. I have never seen one at any slip I was tied to.

A nominal 14.5kW-hr battery seems really small to run a 10kW propulsion system and everything else too, but that’s something else.