Breaker by shore power inlet serves as main breaker?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Your choice, in deciding which rules to ignore, is also, somewhat arbitrary.

and the underwriters choice to provide insurance or not depending on your arbitrary choice.

[OS2Dude]

Originally Posted by gpsatsea

I am adding a second shore power circuit. I will add, as advised, a 30 amp double pole breaker, 2 ft from my shore power inlet.

Does the panel inside also need to have a 30amp main breaker or does the one near the inlet suffice?

On our boat we have two 30A shore power inlets (SMARTPLUG). Each goes to an ELCI double pole breaker within 3 feet of the inlet, just like yours and serve as the main breakers for the boat. (They are actually listed as 'Main Breakers'.)

I think main breakers on the panel in our situation is a waste of space, and they are only there for 'convenience' / because the panel has a space labeled that way / they just weren't removed when new breakers were added. They are not required to be in both places.

[sinnerman]

On my boat, to have the main breaker installed within 2ft of the shore power connection would require it being inside the lazarette, which makes little sense.

[gpsatsea]

Thanks OS2Dude and others. That agrees with what I was thinking. If you want to comply with the 10 ft ABYC recommendation, and have a main breaker near the inlet, you don't need another inside the cabin.

After all the good suggestions, and two weeks of reading and contemplating, I have decided to try and operate on just one 30 amp shore power cord. I am replacing the Aircon with a smaller unit and will disconnect the water heater that I have only used twice in 6 years.

That circuit is already wired with a breaker in the lazarette, feeding the breaker panel in the cabin. I will however upgrade the Square D double pole breaker in the lazarette with a BSS ELCI. That should make everyone happy.

Thanks again.

[sailingharry]

When I was doing some related wiring, I addressed both the leakage protection and the distance issue (like many, my boat from 1998 had far more than 10' to the breaker). I installed a breaker in the lazarette, where it is a bit awkward to get to (I can reach it in under 10 seconds, but I do have to get on my knees and reach up inside). I test it a couple times a year when I notice it on ohter projects, but otherwise never touch it.
Getting a nice packaged single breaker solution was impossible, so I built my own. It is this breaker: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NTVB6VY installed in this box (requiring some cutting): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077QM9VM9 for a really nice install for way under $100.
Note that the breaker is listed as "single pole" but the wiring diagram shows it opens the neutral. I think it is a terminology issue, where "two pole" is normally the 220V breaker with two hot wires, and "single pole" is 110V with one hot wire.