Plugs on Ships

[dawg]

When on ship, I noticed that most sockets in the accommodation area were of the double pin European type.
Which I think is commonly called "Schuko".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schuko

There were plenty of adapters and appliances for the UK triple pin type plug http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BS_1363, and I was able to use a cheap Continental adapter from a well known high-street catalogue shop (though, actually, I didn't, I used the ones that were there).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_ele ... al_adaptor

I notice that this adaptor provides no earth, and should thus only be used with "Class II" a.k.a. "double insulated" appliances.

I've seen these types of "4UK-to-1EU" adaptors on sale:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/extension-acces ... 18&sr=8-10

...but my first instinct would be to get a surge protected one, if I wanted to plug a laptop in, such as this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Masterplug-4gan ... 876&sr=8-3

Or some other intermediate protection
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Universa ... 16&sr=1-22

Any experiences or ideas?

[beer-engineer]

Re: Plugs on Ships

Plugs on ships depend really where it was built and who it was built for. I've been on cargo ships with european 2 pin and ships with british 3 pin plugs. If you're an engine cadet change the plug. It's easy!

[steamer]

Re: Plugs on Ships

If you're a deckie, just take the plug off, bare the wires and bung em in the socket with matchsticks for safety.

[dawg]

Re: Plugs on Ships

Don't really have permission for changing plugs.

One thing I've unearthed (weak electrical pun... tumbleweed...) is that (according to UL and the IEEE) you shouldn't use one surge protector plugged into another, because there's a fire risk. I'll have to investigate whether there is any in-built surge protection in the bulkhead-mounted socket block, as one option seemed to be to use a surge protector with an earthed adaptor plugged into it.
The 2-pin plugs on the ship have two earth contacts on the edge, so maybe just a cheap surge-protected 4-way would be fine, but if there is some kind of varistor or surge diode inside, would have to use a non-surge adaptor - the elec officer only had non-surge types IIRC.

[beer-engineer]

Re: Plugs on Ships

Don't really have permission for changing plugs.

It's changing a plug lol.

[dawg]

Re: Plugs on Ships

Don't really have permission for changing plugs.

It's changing a plug lol.

...actually it's changing a socket that's the issue.

..but anyway, I suppose if there is a question in there I guess I was wondering if there are any rules of thumb about whether large ships usually have in-built surge protection in their sockets.

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/pluggi ... 52472.html

I'll just take a few, and go and have tea and tiffin in the sparky's office.

[barnowl]

Perhaps it would be helpful to collectively generate a list of ships and their corresponding hardware? I came here hoping to find a list such as:

Line A - Ship X - European 2 pin
Line B - Ship Y - UK 3 pin
Line C - Ship Z - etc...

I would offer to start us off, as during my induction day we toured the Queen Elizabeth (althogh I didn't check the plug sockets as I wasn't planning to be posting this). So, I don't know the answer there...

Can the members of this forum collectively generate such a list?

[Clanky]

OK, I can tell you that I have never been on a ship with built in surge protection on the 220V system.

The closest that I have come to that would be a rotary converter which was fitted instead of a transformer (440V motor driving a 220V generator) which provided some form of smoothing / voltage surge protection.

I have not really used surge protectors and not entirely sure how they work, but you would need to be sure that they will work on an 2 phase system as opposed to the single phase and neutral system generally found ashore. To be honest i have generally found it easier over the years to simply use my laptop bursting into flames occasionally as a good excuse to buy a new one.

[alistairuk]

Perhaps it would be helpful to collectively generate a list of ships and their corresponding hardware? I came here hoping to find a list such as:

Line A - Ship X - European 2 pin
Line B - Ship Y - UK 3 pin
Line C - Ship Z - etc...

I would offer to start us off, as during my induction day we toured the Queen Elizabeth (althogh I didn't check the plug sockets as I wasn't planning to be posting this). So, I don't know the answer there...

Can the members of this forum collectively generate such a list?

Most passenger ships will have the US and EU socket type throughout the accommodation and cabins and appropriate voltage supply although the frequency is apparently slightly different than on land? I'm sure an engineer can explain that but from a deckie perspective stuff you plug in still works... If it's a ship catering to the UK market then chances are it will have UK sockets as well in the cabins.

Either way it's good idea to take a couple of EU and US adapters - u can get them for 99p in one of those BM Bargains / Poubdland / pound stretchers etc.

As with clanky never used surge protectors and none of my stuff has blown up despite being on ships with dodgey electrical supplies for past 9 years.

[Snowy]

My only 2p on this is don't put a 110v round pin plug on your iron and think you're a genius as it fits the weird extra socket in your cabin. Your iron will never heat up enough and the engineers will shout at you.

[bobofinga]

My last ship had a combination of EU and UK plugs , was really quite annoying. I have a 4 socket multi bar with EU>UK connection... works a treat.

[GuinnessMan]

Perhaps it would be helpful to collectively generate a list of ships and their corresponding hardware? I came here hoping to find a list such as:

Line A - Ship X - European 2 pin
Line B - Ship Y - UK 3 pin
Line C - Ship Z - etc...

I would offer to start us off, as during my induction day we toured the Queen Elizabeth (althogh I didn't check the plug sockets as I wasn't planning to be posting this). So, I don't know the answer there...

Can the members of this forum collectively generate such a list?

Are you serious?

[endure]

Are you serious?

I don't think he's thought it through...

"As of 2011, there are about 104,304 ships with IMO numbers in the world"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship

[jamieboy77]

I don't think he's thought it through...

"As of 2011, there are about 104,304 ships with IMO numbers in the world"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship

We could always condense it to how many shipyards build for how many companies in how many countries?

[Chiefy]

We could always condense it to how many shipyards build for how many companies in how many countries?

Crack on then