2022.09.15
Continuing the theme of boat modifications, the latest project was to replace the shore power plug with a SmartPlug. The standard plugs are notorious for having issues, and lots of boats catch fire every year due to electrical fires caused by these plugs.
Luckily, the swap out for the SmartPlug is super easy - it uses the same wiring and same bolt pattern, so it really just takes a few minutes to have a much safer connection.
While I was messing with the shore power wiring anyway, I took the opportunity to add a galvanic isolator. I dont know exactly how it works, but it prevents other boats at the marina that are also on shore power from using your anodes. Newer boats come with a galvanic isolator already installed, but our 2018 didnt have one. The entire process was simply:
In the end, both jobs together took less than an hour, and that was with me triple-checking every step. Small amount of work for a lot of extra piece of mind - highly recommended!
@briandunnington
We had a big windstorm blow a tree down but made the best of it
Upgrading our solar setup for energy independence
A few small upgrades for the boat and an end-of-summer trip to the San Juan islands
Replacing the shore power plug with a SmartPlug and adding a galvanic isolator
Installing a Discovery Bay Power Hauler Crab/Shrimp Pot Puller