Norm, Do you try to group breakers and fuses? Like maybe having a small panel in each cabin? If not, what system do you use for locating them so they can easily be found in a pinch?
Thanks, Philip McConnell USSV Gryphon On the hard in pieces in Ft. Pierce Norm of Bandersnatch wrote: > > Good point Lee. > > I do have a circuit breaker at the feed point of the buss. It is a > three-phase ac surface mount breaker I found cheap at a flea market, of > 100 amps each leg, each leg wired in parallel. It is also handy for > turning off the buss when I am working on it. The only time it trips is > when I have an extraordinary load on the windlass, but I can bypass the > breaker if I need to do so. And, yes, I did consult with the breaker > manufacturer, Heinemann, who said the breaker would work fine in my > application except for possible premature tripping due to uneven > distribution of the load across the three legs. > > But I would not hook up any 12 VDC system in a boat without a way to > shut it off. Electrical fires are a large threat and you must be able > to shut off the juice to have a prayer of putting out the fire. > > The only exception is the engine starting circuits. I have never seen a > breaker or fuse on a starting circuit, not that there are none > anywhere. I think Ann-Marie explained it well some time ago why that is > so but I don't remember his words, but I imagine the same reasons would > apply to the buss. > > In order to have a significant effect on the buss the short would have > to be very large to survive. That is, whatever is causing the short > would have to be pretty big to survive being across the buss as the buss > can deliver hundreds of amps which would turn most shorts into opens in > short order. Even more so if I didn't have the 300 amp breaker, over a > thousand amps would be available to open the short. > > Each load has it own fuse or breaker at its feed point. So a short in a > load would only pop its fuse. > > Also note that most of the buss is very well protected being tucked up > against the hull out of harms way. > > I am not at all worried about something shorting the buss. > > Also note that the 12 VDC buss system is the latest, greatest, thing on > the new boat market championed by such luminaries as Nigel Calder. > > > Norm > S/V Bandersnatch > Lying Julington Creek > 30 07.695N 081 38.484W > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Lee <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > *To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[email protected]> > *Sent:* 7/22/2008 1:17:49 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Liveaboard] Hello everyone > > Hi Norm, > > > > I see all of praise of your electrical setup. But I frankly am > scared to death of it. Do you have any circuit breaker protection > in the event of a dead short. From what you have listed in your > setup a dead short would affect every electrical component connected > to the two feeds on each side of the boat. It could also short out > everything connected to it (if you had a problem, everything would > be dead). I totally understand the concept of your setup but the > risk could totally fry everything on your boat not to mention the > fire hazard of the setup. Am I missing something here? This is not > an attack of your setup but rather some clarification of it. > > > > thanks > > > > * **^~ * ~~*^ ~ ** ** **/_/)/**/ /**_~ *~~*/ /**/ยค /*-Lee > > */ /* > > > > > > > > > > *From:* [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *On Behalf Of *Norm of > Bandersnatch > *Sent:* Tuesday, July 22, 2008 9:14 AM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [Liveaboard] Hello everyone > > > > Welcome to the List Randy, > > > > Hard to give advice to an experienced cruiser. Fifty-five feet LOA > (I assume on deck, not including bowsprit - part of the rigging) is > a big boat. My 63' on deck vessel can be a handful, especially the > maintenance. > > > > I do have a "bullet proof" fuel system that has evolved to be so > over the course of the decades I have been building my vessel. If > you like I will send a write-up about it. > > > > My 12 VDC system consists of large gauge (00) twisted pairs from > the house batteries to the bow and to the stern along the hull/deck > joins on both sides of the hull that feed all the 12 VDC loads from > off-stickers very near the load itself. They come together at the > bow to feed the windlass. All the loads act as if they are > connected directly to the battery. It is Good Thing when every > device is receiving essentially house battery voltage no matter > what. other loads are on. This is similar to the latest whiz bang > system with electronic switches to turn loads on and off but without > the fussy, expensive, unreliable, electronics. > > > > You don't have to have the load switches at a central control panel > with a pair of conductors for everything. With the big buss system > the switches are at the loads. You gain a little exercise, and a > huge degree of reliability, ease of maintenance and functionality. > > > > Cell phones, ATMs and our Verizon Air card for Internet access. > Most lights are fluorescent, more LEDs as time goes by. Propane > cooking and hot water. > > > > If you have any specific questions just ask. I have been living > aboard since launching in 1981, cruising and anchoring out (no > marinas) since 1997. > > > > > > Norm > > S/V Bandersnatch > > Lying Julington Creek > > 30 07.695N 081 38.484W > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* Randall Gibbons <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > *To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:[email protected]> > > *Sent:* 7/21/2008 2:53:29 AM > > *Subject:* [Liveaboard] Hello everyone > > > > I am new to this list and just wanted to say hello. I am once > again in the market for a liveaboard boat, and once again > pursuing the only lifestyle that have ever really made me > happy. I have lived aboard twice before on a couple of > different boats, but life changes, divorce, and now realizing > that my yearning for adventure is the only thing that keeps me > motivated, has led me to this place of realization that I can't > settle down. My last boat was a 55 LOA Gloucester Schooner > replica and I made the mistake of letting it go to try and > please my wife at the time, only to end up in a divorce 3 months > later-------with no boat. > > > > Anyway, I have started the search for my new home and I am > feeling the excitement began to come alive again. I look > forward to hearing from you all. > > > > Randy > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Liveaboard mailing list > [email protected] > To adjust your membership settings over the web > http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard > To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ > > To search the archives > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > The Mailman Users Guide can be found here > http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
