Location of ground bus bar on 2020 R29

[strangecrew]

I'm looking to install a galvanic isolator and want to be sure I do so inline properly. I looked through the manual and while there are schematics, I didn't see an indication as to where the ground bus bar is physically in the vessel. Or if it's easier and readily known, which ground line to intercept with the isolator. Note, NW version of the 29 so a single 30A shore power feed. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Wee Venture]

Your shore power inlet connector will have 3 wires connected to it: hot (black), neutral (white) and ground (green). The green wire goes back to the AC panel ground bus, and there is then a connection from that bus to your main DC ground bus for the boat. Remove the green wire from the shore power connector and connect it to one side of your galvanic isolator. Then connect a new length of green wire of the same gauge (#10 AWG) from the other side of the isolator back to the shore power connector. That should do it.

John

 

[strangecrew]

Your shore power inlet connector will have 3 wires connected to it: hot (black), neutral (white) and ground (green). The green wire goes back to the AC panel ground bus, and there is then a connection from that bus to your main DC ground bus for the boat. Remove the green wire from the shore power connector and connect it to one side of your galvanic isolator. Then connect a new length of green wire of the same gauge (#10 AWG) from the other side of the isolator back to the shore power connector. That should do it.

John

And that is about as succinct and complete an answer as I could have hoped for. Thank you. I'd neglected to think about focusing on the shore power ground connection. Thanks again!

 

[Wee Venture]

You’re very welcome! I recently installed one myself so it’s fresh in my mind. As an aside, I also installed a SmartPlug at the same time since I was already pulling the shore power connector out anyway. It installs in the same cutout and screw hole pattern. I had been thinking about it for some time but there was recently a boat fire in the marina right next to ours just a few docks away. It started with a shore power connector that overheated and spread to the boat. That was the kick in the pants I needed to part with the money and do the installation. They’re not cheap but they’re far superior and safer to the twistlock design that’s been around for many decades.

John

 

[Someday*]

That smart plug looks like a good idea.