Great Circle Power

margo123 · 03-31-2012, 09:15 AM

We are seeking information about the power at the docks on the Great Loop. We hope to be making the trip in the next 3-4 years. We are in the process of selecting a boat that will meet our needs for the doing the trip as well as other trips. The boats we are considering have different current requirements. One has a 50 amp and the other 100 amp. We are favoring the 100 amp boat but have a concern about power availability. We have been told that it can be done and others have done it without trouble but...Can anyone provide input about the power availability when traveling with the 100 amp through the great circle.

Capt J · 03-31-2012, 08:51 PM

You must be looking at a fairly large vessel if you are looking at a yacht with 100amp service. What size vessels and draft are you looking at? Don't forget your height needs to be down to 19'2 or less to clear the bridge South of Chicago. I have done the great loop in entirety as Captain on a 75' Hatteras MY, and 1/2 of it again on another boat I took to Ohio.

Capt Bill11 · 03-31-2012, 10:41 PM

If you go with the 100 amp service be sure to get a 2 50a to 1 100a smart Y. Even then you may find you'll be using your genset a lot. Especially once you get on the rivers.

NYCAP123 · 04-01-2012, 09:06 AM

From my trip down the Erie I don't recall seeing any 100 amp service and 50 was scarce.

RT46 · 04-01-2012, 09:20 AM

Interesting topic,
I have never done the trip, but I would bet that there isnt even alot of 3OA...

I can vision tying up at some walls along towns without power at all.....

I would plan on a good inverter and generator system and any shore power you find a bonus....

NYCAP123 · 04-01-2012, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RT46

Interesting topic,
I have never done the trip, but I would bet that there isnt even alot of 3OA...

I can vision tying up at some walls along towns without power at all.....

I would plan on a good inverter and generator system and any shore power you find a bonus....

You would be correct. We stayed on 2 docks with no power or water at all. With a larger boat the trip needs to be very well planned. When cruising with a 40'er (twin 30 amp) you can pretty much pop in anywhere. Once you hit 50' (50 amp) you'd best call ahead. Over 80' and certainly 100 amp or better you'd best plan like a vacation. On places like the Erie Canal and I'd imagine much of the Mississippi/Ten-Tom (haven't been there yet) even more so.

Capt J · 04-01-2012, 09:51 AM

I was able to find 50 amp on the Erie at every stop, everynight. Troy docks, a marina on the west side of that big lake you cross going west, then another marina that said "the redneck yacht club" right before you go north at 3 rivers, and of course at Oswego. 100amp is non-existant but you might find 2-50's and be able to use a splitter. This was on a 58' Searay which was about the biggest size you could most likely find dockage in most places.

When I did the trip in the 75' Hatteras, we anchored across all of the Erie Canal and only was able to tie up along that long concrete wall at that one city....of course without electric........I forgot the name. In the great lakes you could find dockage. Going south from Chicago, there were only 2 or 3 marina's that could accomodate this size and only 1 had shorepower.......length is a bigger issue than the electric. We tied up to lots of anchored barges or just anchored on the Ohio, Tennessee, Tenn-Tomm, Tom bigbee.......We anchored 4 out of 5 nights on this trip up and down.......sometimes we passed a marina that could accomodate us, but it was 11am and no sense stopping so early.

margo123 · 04-01-2012, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capt J

You must be looking at a fairly large vessel if you are looking at a yacht with 100amp service. What size vessels and draft are you looking at? Don't forget your height needs to be down to 19'2 or less to clear the bridge South of Chicago. I have done the great loop in entirety as Captain on a 75' Hatteras MY, and 1/2 of it again on another boat I took to Ohio.

The boats that we are considering are a Fleming 55 and a Marlow 53. The Marlow
has the 100 amp.

margo123 · 04-01-2012, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capt J

You must be looking at a fairly large vessel if you are looking at a yacht with 100amp service. What size vessels and draft are you looking at? Don't forget your height needs to be down to 19'2 or less to clear the bridge South of Chicago. I have done the great loop in entirety as Captain on a 75' Hatteras MY, and 1/2 of it again on another boat I took to Ohio.

The boats we are considering are a Marlow 53 and Fleming 55. The
Marlow has 100 amp

Capt J · 04-01-2012, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by margo123

The boats that we are considering are a Fleming 55 and a Marlow 53. The Marlow
has the 100 amp.

A 100amp service on a 53' boat is unheard of. Are you positive that it does not have 2-50amp recepticles or cords, and 100 amps total? If that is the case you could get away with using 1 50amp cord 95% of the time. (If you decide to use the oven or all of the burners on the stove or washer and dryer, you could temporarily shutdown an a/c or hot water heater, and stay within 50amps.) Both boats would make excellent loopers if you can easily get their height down below 19'2" and it would just be personal preferance at that point.

margo123 · 04-01-2012, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capt J

A 100amp service on a 53' boat is unheard of. Are you positive that it does not have 2-50amp receptacles or cords, and 100 amps total? If that is the case you could get away with using 1 50amp cord 95% of the time. (If you decide to use the oven or all of the burners on the stove or washer and dryer, you could temporarily shutdown an a/c or hot water heater, and stay within 50amps.) Both boats would make excellent loopers if you can easily get their height down below 19'2" and it would just be personal preferance at that point.

I'm sorry 2 50 amp receptacles. At the marina we keep our boat
we would have to purchase two slips to use both receptacles.

RT46 · 04-01-2012, 06:15 PM

you may have 2 50A 125V (110V 3 wire-1 hot) hook ups on the boat

that is different from 50A 250V (220V 4 wire- 2 hot)

you can run the boat with a 30A adapter but you will have to shut off breakers and conserve what you are using.

Sometimes, if i have too, i can plug into 15A but that pretty only runs the battery charger and a few lights, no AC or heat.

Capt J · 04-01-2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by margo123

I'm sorry 2 50 amp receptacles. At the marina we keep our boat
we would have to purchase two slips to use both receptacles.

You should be able to run 90% of the equipment on that 53' Marlow on 1-50amp/250volt. Like I said in my post earlier......UNLESS you are running the oven or washer/dryer with all of the a/c's going you will not have a problem.......If you need to run the dryer or oven, just temporarily shut off 1 a/c......