T-Pain Is On A Boat: Re: [Electric Boats] Rewiring DC electric system and Grounding

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Re: [Electric Boats] Rewiring DC electric system and Grounding

On my boat I asked about the grounds when installing my EP system. The advice was to not hook up the house 12 volt and the 48 volt grounds together. So I did not. In three years I have not seen any adverse corrosion issues or zinc anode deteroriation (appears to be about the same or a little less than with the diesel) on the shaft zinc. Likewise as has been mentioned the AC is not connected to either ground either. In effect they are three different systems and are treated as such.

Capt. Mike

http://biankablog.blogspot.com

--- On Tue, 3/1/11, John Green <v_2jgree@operamail.com> wrote:

From: John Green <v_2jgree@operamail.com>
Subject: [Electric Boats] Rewiring DC electric system and Grounding
To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 12:43 PM

Hi, Although not as boat (or electrical!) savvy as most here, I am refitting a gutted boat, and did get some insight from another forum a while back, re a caution they had about what I was assuming at the time.

I have what I thought was a negative (side of battery) grounding system throughout the boat.
It consists mainly of single strand heavy copper wires. They connect to a plate type item that has a through-hull connection, and to all rigging fittings. Down the centre of the boat it has copper straps.

Apparently this is all part of a ground plane system for vhf radio, as well as static protection.
The reason I am posting this is that apparently systems such as this should never be connected into the electricals as an overall boat negative ground system.

Also during that other forum discussion (liveaboard.com) it seemed to be that the highest rates of problems were from shore supplied current, and bad grounding in marinas generally. The end result for me was to set my mind on having no shore power wiring, and to avoid marinas.

my 2 cents,
John

1e. Re: Rewiring DC electric system and Grounding
Posted by: "John Raynes" johncraynes@gmail.com eboatdrives
Date: Tue Mar 1, 2011 2:57 am ((PST))

Brian,

Thank you for bringing the "Grounding" question to this forum. I hope there
is an expert among us who can really nail down how to create a ground for
electric propulsion. I recommend a ground bus bar wired to the underwater
metal, ie rudder and steering system and attached a ground wire from the
negative side of the battery for my ground. Please others on this forum
comment on this very important issue. Has ABYC finished the official rules
inregard to grounding for electric systems??

John Raynes

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