shore power question

Unless someone added a ton of stuff to your boat, I see no reason why it would possibly need 2 50amp cords running to it. You are using a Y now but in theory you could plug into two 50 amp outlets on the dock.

I can almost guarantee it left the factory with two 30amp outlets. Probably still has original breakers on each leg of 30-40 amps.

Somewhere in the past mine was converted from 2 30's to a single 50. Done behind the outlets in the cockpit. I have never had an issue running everything on a single 50. There is a benefit to running two 30's - easier to find power at docks, cords are much cheaper\lighter, and more overall power.

I am no expert at electrical, but maybe someone in the past had 50 amp outlets available and swapped them out for the 30's. It could be as easy as putting back the 30 outlets to the A&B legs or combining to one of your existing. You really need to trace everything on the boat and understand what you have there today.

I also have a 1981 42'.

read the power outlets on the boat carefully. What you probably have is 2 50A 125v outlets.

Your Y adapter is a 50A 250v.

On mine, i have two dongles that each convert the 50A 125v to 30A 125v plug. I then have two 30A 125v shore power cords that run to the Y adapter which converts the two 30A 125v's to a single 50A 250v.

I would think that there is potentially a Y adapter that accept your 50A 125v's from the boat and convert to a single 50A 250v and then you could run a single 50A 250v shore power cord to the dock. But i haven't researched it, so i don't know for sure.

Hope this helps.

Check the size of the wiring on the shore cord. The 30 amp plugs are notorious for burning up if you try to start 2 ac units at a time. Quite a few got changed out to 50 amp plugs. Most boats run the ac units on one bank and the remainder of the house service on the other bank.

This is correct, except they're inlets. 2 - 50 amp 125v coming into the boat. Easiest way, as suggested is to have the 2 - 50 amp 125v to 1 - 50 amp 250v splitter at the inlets connected to a single 50 amp 250v cord to the dock. Twin 50 amp 125's on the dock end do not exist anymore, if ever.

Rare, but they do exist. Watch Hill. Fire Island has it, and the number one spot at the dock in Waterford NY has it because one of the canal boats has that power and uses that spot when there.

Pascale's advice to check the plugs is spot on, because it could be 50/125's (most likely with that boat), 50/250 if it draws more than 50 amps and you're able to split you load (least likely and that "Y" would defeat its purpose, or even twin 30 amps going into (1) 50 amp at the pedestal (quite possible).

50amps at 250 volts= 100 amps at 125 volts.

Swapping the 2- 125V 50AMP inlets to 1 250v/50amp inlet and wiring it correctly and using 1 250v/50amp cord would be easier.....but then you're looking at $1000 in parts (the cord and the inlet plug,waterproof cover) You might also have to change the diverter switch (gen to shore).

But at the same token, you could easily overload a 30amp shorepower cord using a 250v/50amp to 2-30amp Y and 30 amp cords.

Exactly, each 125volt lead has a 50 amp breaker, yet everyone is using a 50' 125volt cord rated for 30amps, not 50amps.

There is but it is costly, Here is what you would need to do. 1. But a 50' or so 50amp/250volt shorepower cord. 2. Install a 250v 50amp boatside recepticle with cover. Wire the boat's shorepower wires to the 250 volt 50amp boatside plug making sure that each of the boat's 125 volt hot wires are on a seperate leg of the 250volt receptacle. Install A proper 250volt 50amp breaker on the boatside. If you're not a good electrician, I would hire a marine electrician to perform the work. Then based upon your panel, you may need to install a 250volt 50amp, off, generator selector switch. Without knowing what your boat has, it's hard to determine, but you may only need the cord and the boatside receptacle and may be able to utilize your existing 50amp/125volt breakers for each leg but I don't believe so.