Security systems vs shore power contractual limits

Hello guys,

say your yacht is moored in a marina for the winter season, and you want to remote control her conditions and security, mainly by installing a proper wi-fi modem router (or a 4G/3G wi-fi one) and a couple of wi-fi cameras, one for outside and one for inside, or maybe one for the saloon and one for the engine room.

Surely you have to expect a battery consumption of at least 2,5 ampere/h (say 1,5 for the modem-router and 500 mA for each camera).

It means that you have a consumption of at least 60 ampere/day equal to 420 ampere/week.

Now the question is: surely you need to recharge your batteries with the marina shore power; at least once a week, maybe more often; but since the marina's mooring rules (as any one I've ever seen) state that no shore power can be connected and switched on without having people on board, what's the solution? The marina's workers typically check each day the status of any shore power connection, and switch it off in case that they find it switched on.

Surely you don't want to hire a crew for that, and let me say that in such case you surely wouldn't need any remote control.

Then? How would you figure out a - fair - solution, say without going once a week - or even more often - to visit your yacht during a frosty winter?

You're right, NYCAP123, I'd better to say "say you have a berth at a marina". I mean a berth at a pier, with power plug, water and wifi.

Let me say that, for insurance reasons, northern Italy marinas quite always put limits in the contract, such as rules that say no shore power switched on without people on board.

Of course you're right about bilge pumps. But since their consumption of batteries is only in case some water comes in, maybe it's not a problem of mantaining battery charge in normal situations. And if any rain drops would pass the winter cover and the deck planks, half a minute of one of the many bilge pumps would solve the problem without consuming so much.

So, as you and HTM09 did suggest, the solution passes through installing a solar panel system. I personally hate those aestetically horrible hardware, but I've to admit that can be a good help.

Just one point: the solar panels on the market in Italy, both monocrystal and double, seem to have a very less favourable ratio of power/price. Let's say that for that budget you don't get more than 24-30 watts installed.

Thanks for the link. I'll take a serious look.

I do agree with all of you about the fact that shore power might be always kept switched on. But often in our life the realty is different from what would be the ideal conditions.

I always believe that also if our yachts all have very serious electrical systems and components, the risk that our berth neighborough couldn't have the same situation has to be kept in serious consideration.

Since marina's officers surely cannot make an assessment of every boat's electrical system prior to sign a mooring contract, the conditions from boat to boat can be considerable different. And surely nobody wants to see his yacht damaged by a fire caused by electrical accidents on the neighborough's boat.

And, CaptJ, I wouldn't be so certain as you are about what you call "Eurotrash...". Every time I am in US (east, west, north or south it doesn't change so much), I always find myself wondering when the technological world leader nation will finally upgrade (read "totally change") her fragile electrical backbones, mid-tension lines and systems, even switches in the best executive hotel suites. That beeing said by a former Apple manager, in love with great american consistent quality in electronics, musical instruments, marine motors, engineering and biotech, to say a few of the many areas where USA strongly mantain the leadership. Anyway, I can agree with some of you about bad quality of electrical and electronics systems (compared to price level) of some specific european shipyards... Hey, did anybody say Azimut or Beneteau? Many shipyards once built yachts first, and then calculated the correct price, while today they first compute their financial statements, then research the price to try selling a few more boats, and finally the try to assemble a boat while remaining inside the budget guidelines. Suicide fiscal moves of some governments do the rest... (Gotcha! Off topic! Ok ok I beg your pardon...)

Having said that, and hopefully not becoming the target for a lot of poisoned arrows , I'm afraid that the solution to my question will not be in the ideally fair area. I mean that even a 100w solar panel (installed power in theoretical sunny summer conditions) would produce a very low power during long and frequent fog or rainy or cloudy winter days in many northern italy marinas (think to all northern Adriatic ones, to say the largest), thus not balancing the consumption of even few ampere/h. And the most frequent solution is to pay a workshop to periodically switch on your boat shore power connection, despite marina's rules... A very objectionable but practical way out.

Of course, should any of you have different experience and evidences, I am always glad to learn something from gentlemen sailormen and friends.

We made the usual winterizing. All made by serious workshops. The yacht is completely protected with a tighten heavy vinylic cover. Beside engines and generator winterizing - so new antifreeze and new oil and new filters and new zyncs and lubricants and so on - all thru-hulls are closed, strainers are drained, shore water is disconnected, water tanks and boiler and hoses have been emptied and air-blown, antifreeze has been passed through heads outlets, refrigerator has been switched off, all breakers are off except the one that gives power to automatic bilge pumps. Since the marina's connections are on a flat base, there are no savings in being disconnected. And surely "sailing on the cheap" isn't anything we're interested in. Simply, weather conditions aren't so ideal for winter week-end sailing, considering possible winds often stronger than 70 knots (they are called Bora, maybe you have heard something about), heavy snowfalls, fog, and temperature often below 0 Celsius.

That's fantastic! Just an ad like "Comfortable yacht interiors look for a winter lady. Absolute quiet and water fascination are assured. Saloon library and bar are well supplied. Please send photo together with your mobile number."

Hey Moderator, we are only jokin'