Why Solar over Shore Power?

On a cool November morning, the 50’ Ocean Alexander named “Dos Mas” rested in its Puget Sound slip while its owners enjoyed coffee in Arizona, fifteen hundred miles away. Close by “Dos Mas”, another couple at the South Tacoma Marina noticed a burning plastic smell. They soon saw smoke coming from the 50 OA’s pilot house. By the time they put on their shoes and grabbed a dock hose, the polyester window coverings and canvas over the bridge bench were engulfed in flames. Fortunately, the fire was easy to extinguish as it was on the outside of the boat. The fire department arrived shortly after and reported that the fire started from an arcing shore power cord, which had ignited the canvas cover over the bridge settee and then caught the window covers on fire.

The extent of damage was unfortunately very expensive, and it took almost a full year to restore the boat to its original glory. The fire caused large holes that burned through the gelcoat and fiberglass, and it also charred the teak window frames surrounding the three windows, which were subsequently shattered due to the cold water that was sprayed on them during the emergency response. After a thorough assessment, the insurance company determined the total cost of the damage at an astonishing $95,000 for just about five minutes of fire.

Did the boat really need 110 volts of dock power while it was at the dock? The bilge pumps are connected to the DC battery bank. Besides a few low-voltage dehumidifiers, nothing else required power. Two 100-watt solar panels and a smart solar charger would be enough to keep the batteries charged for the bilge pumps and dehumidifiers. UNPLUG AND PANEL UP!