Today, I started seriously changing the outlets to GCFIs. Theoretically, you only need one GFCI at the start of each circuit and all the outlets downstream are covered, but I decided to change out them all – the old sockets where knackered and the GCFI were only a few bucks more.

First,to make sure there was 0 chance of me dying, or blowing the boat up. I disconnected the shore power, and then for good measure hit the cable in my boat, so no-one passing would plug in back in.

Then I removed the whole electrical panel, just to make sure (I’m replacing it with a snazzy blue seas one)

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Here is old outlet, yuk

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First, removing the panel

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Pulling it out – notice the 6 wires since it’s linked in series

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A quick snip and those connectors are gone (replacing them with proper heat-shrink crimped connectors)

outlet4

The Second Worst Bit by far was the next bit – get the corroded as hell old metal box out, after 45 mins of tugging pulling, out it came

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Now, the worst bit – getting the new box in.

THIS TOOK FOREVER – the new boxes had a stupid screw bulge to allow them to be connected – this meant I had to grind the hole bigger using my dremel, which took ages.

After a couple hours swearing, it was in!

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…….. and then I ran out of time and had to leave, since it had taken me 3-4 hours to do one outlet and it was getting dark (since I have no boat power I have to LEAVE WHEN IT GETS DARK) so I didn’t even have time to start the new connectors.

That is part 2, I guess.

There are 7 of these in the cabin and one under the cockpit (that I am replacing entirely, since it was wired with solid wire on no breaker. What the hell!). Basically I’m doing this till the heat death of the universe.

 

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