The beauty of twist lock connectors...

[Steve_C]

https://smartplug.com/marine/cordsets/

[dkroar]

Here's a good link for Denali Rose's smartplug:

https://svdenalirosenc43.blogspot.co...-at-fault.html

and

https://svdenalirosenc43.blogspot.co...king-news.html

Hopefully that will work.

[alansmith]

Please go to marinehowto.com and find out why ( technically) you should be converting over to a smart plug. You dodged a bullet on that hookup. Take the 10 minutes to read a very good marine electrician’s observations of just how bad those units are and why Smart Plugs addressed those short comings ( pardon the unintended pun).

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by alansmith

Please go to marinehowto.com and find out why ( technically) you should be concerting over to a smart plug. You dogged a bullet on that hookup. Take the 10 minutes to read a very good marine electrician’s observations of just how bad those units are and why Smart Plugs addressed those short comings ( pardon the unintended pun).

Here's the link:


https://marinehowto.com/shore-power-...tplug-vs-1938/


"Marinehowto" is our own MaineSail, our resident marine electric guru, and he hates the Marinco plugs with such a passion that he doesn't sell SmartPlugs to avoid any hint of a conflict of interest. The article is a great read; read it!


Here's a Marinco plug in its natural state:



credit: the article linked above





If that looks good to you, then by all means keep your Marinco shore power connector. Otherwise, throw it in the trash where it belongs, and install something designed for boats and designed in this century. Not necessarily the SmartPlug -- the blue connectors are good, too, and Victron makes a nice version of the standard IECC blue plug, and probably ANYTHING will be a huge leap forward from the 1938 designed Marinco connector.

[zeehag]

so many with issues regarding marinco power cords.. wow
i have used marinco since 1990 without any issues. i also make sure my twist lock is twist locked. dock workers remove and replace p=lugs without twisting em. always check your plug after dock workers.. i check mine once monthly or more frequently. my crash pump i empty my dinghy also used a marinco plug in.no issues.
i have however seen a 50 amp pedestal cause a short due to fail install. i have seen much fail due to operator error.... but i donot hate my twist lock plug. and my cord ends are clean. and waterproof.

[tanglewood]

I think it’s worth noting that the NA 30A, 120V twist lock plug is quite different from the 50A 120/240V plug. The later is very robust, and I have felt no need to even consider replacing with a SmartPlug.

[jkleins]

Originally Posted by tanglewood

I think it’s worth noting that the NA 30A, 120V twist lock plug is quite different from the 50A 120/240V plug. The later is very robust, and I have felt no need to even consider replacing with a SmartPlug.

My 50 amp plug was just as bad as the ones mentioned here. It had burn marks on the plate before I replaced it with smartPlug. Maybe you have a different one but mine seemed no more secure then my old 30 amp.

[tanglewood]

Originally Posted by jkleins

My 50 amp plug was just as bad as the ones mentioned here. It had burn marks on the plate before I replaced it with smartPlug. Maybe you have a different one but mine seemed no more secure then my old 30 amp.

They are a fundamentally different design. With the 30A plugs, the prongs support the plug and wire. With the 50A 120/240V plugs there is a metal cylindrical shell that includes the ground contact, provides mechanical support, and is the twist lock mechanism.


Part of my reluctance to even consider a Smart Plug is that it only solves half the problem, and it's not the problem half. In my experience, it's the shore side of the shore connection that doesn't get maintained or replaced when worn out. Once one half is damaged, it will be subject the arcing and in turn damage whatever you plug into it. I think that's 80% of the "problem" with shore power connections and cords, and Smart Plug doesn't help. So forfeiting standards compatibility isn't worth it for something that only addresses 20% of the problem.

[gonesail]

i don't get it. the smart plug still has to plug into a twist lock connector at the dock. if you use the lock ring on the boat you are good to go. agree with the OP .. the shore side is the problem and the smart plug will not fix that

[zeehag]

when your pedestal has faulty wiring no hyperpricey plug will make a difference.

[CarlF]

While not as good as the smartplug solution, a 50amp cord from Hubbell only costs a tiny bit more than a cord from Marinco. Hubbell is a 100 year old Connecticut based company that primarily sells to industry and utilities - not a private equity funded consumer products roll-up like Marinco or the mystery Chinese brands.

The female end of the Hubbell cord at the boat has a hefty metal locking ring that is far superior to the flimsy plastic ones on other cords. When tightened down to the metal threaded inlet, the plug on the 50 amp Hubbell is locked tight. It will not turn or wiggle.

Of course, it has to be used properly. You have to remember to twist the plug before tightening the collar. But I am the only one to ever touch that end of the cord.

As said, the end of the cord at the pedestal is a serious problem in the US with little prospect for change.

[CarlF]

While not as good as the smartplug solution, a 50amp cord from Hubbell only costs a tiny bit more than a cord from Marinco. Hubbell is a 100 year old Connecticut based company that primarily sells to industry and utilities - not a private equity funded consumer products roll-up like Marinco or the mystery Chinese brands.

The female end of the Hubbell cord at the boat has a hefty metal locking ring that is far superior to the flimsy plastic ones on other cords. When tightened down to a metal inlet, the plug on the 50 amp Hubbell is locked tight. It will not turn or wiggle.

Of course, it has to be used properly. You have to remember to twist the plug before tightening the collar. But I am the only one to ever touch that end of the cord.

As said, the end of the cord at the pedestal is a serious problem in the US with little prospect for change.

[CFS Klopas]

My idea of an electrical system upgrade is to attach a twist ring to the Marinco plug which may have fallen off before I acquired the boat or was never there.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by CarlF

While not as good as the smartplug solution, a 50amp cord from Hubbell only costs a tiny bit more than a cord from Marinco. Hubbell is a 100 year old Connecticut based company that primarily sells to industry and utilities - not a private equity funded consumer products roll-up like Marinco or the mystery Chinese brands.

The female end of the Hubbell cord at the boat has a hefty metal locking ring that is far superior to the flimsy plastic ones on other cords. When tightened down to a metal inlet, the plug on the 50 amp Hubbell is locked tight. It will not turn or wiggle.

Of course, it has to be used properly. You have to remember to twist the plug before tightening the collar. But I am the only one to ever touch that end of the cord.

As said, the end of the cord at the pedestal is a serious problem in the US with little prospect for change.

carlf..is not merely usa wherein this issue is seen frequently. the almost mega next boat over with empty slip between had immediate blackening of 50 amp plug at dock pedestal. when dismantled i saw the ends of the bare nekkid shiny wires for 1/4 inch. nekkid to sea water and environment. oopsy finally decided to short out at the plug. was impressive and took less than 15 min to find, peeyooo saved the morning.
it has taken over 3 weeks to repair this issue i hope correctly, and 3 visits from marina maintenance crews for a full day dismantling of pedestal. the bigger issues were at seawater level on this confabulation. what appears to be well installed could well cause a flameout..

[GrowleyMonster]

I use the Marinco type twist lock connectors. I have seen them burn up, and they will, if you are not careful. Make sure you have a good connection. Feel the connection, and if it is at all warmer than the cord a couple feet away, you have a high resistance connection. The male contacts can be bent slightly for better contact. You can paint them with a sharpie and see where and how well they make contact. For connections that are out in the weather, it is important to make sure they are decently sealed. I am not a bit shy about covering with vinyl electrical tape. Sealing rings do not always seal. Inspect carefully when disconnecting, look for heat and smoke damage, replace as necessary. The 50a 120/240 connectors as @tanglewood says are indeed way more robust. I only have a single 30a circuit on the boat but I have both a 30a and a 50a connection available. Just leave off connecting to the red marked contact inside, and you have a single hot/neutral circuit. This allows me to use a heavy duty 50a 250v cordset. The connection is much stronger and knock on wood, so far I have not seen one burn up. I have pigtails for feeding it at the shore box with 120v. Of course I have plenty of 30a cord as well, for use when I only have 30a/120v shore power connection available, and I don't like the 30a connectors much, but they are still very standard, open source, easily replaced, and safe enough if you take precautions like temp checking, sealing, strain relief, etc. The smart plug is a great system, yes. Safer, yes. Like most safety things, it takes the burden of actually checking stuff away from the owner. If the owner is a forgetful or dismissive or unknowledgeable person, then fantastic. If the owner is more responsible and meticulous, the difference in overall system safety is less pronounced. A lot of safety stuff these days is designed that way, to idiot proof a system, which encourages idiots to flourish. And increase profit to the supplier, of course.



Some guys at my marina have noticed a lot of burned out male connectors from plugging into the shore receptacle and at least one now makes up a short 30aMale/30aFemale sacrificial pigtail so he never has to replace a cord end in the middle of the night. He just grumbles a bit, replaces the pigtail, goes back to sleep, and complains to the marina in the morning. Sometimes they fix stuff. Sometimes they don't.