[C38] How I almost lost our '38

[PAUL NOTTE]

       We have owned Impulse exactly one year today. One of the first things we did was to install a new shore panel with newer circuit breakers, not only did it look great, it allowed me to put the hot water heater and the battery on their own separate breakers. I left ALL the cabin outlets on one breaker and moved on to other things I thought needed attention first.
    I have been trying to spend one night a week on the boat , I find this gives me some time alone and being somewhat obsessive compulsive I get to take things apart and put them back together,it's how I learn. I have a rule that when I leave the boat I close all the sea cocks and turn off the power , I think it's a good rule . On Tuesday after spending the night on the boat I decided to walk up to the coffee shop and left a small ceramic heater plugged in to the left side V berth outlet , when I returned about an hour later I could smell burnt wiring. Following my nose it led me to the head, the outlet there was warm to the touch ,did I mention the breaker had not tripped. I shut off the breaker pulled out the plug and found the positive wire had melted back from the plug for about two inches then melted the positive wire.
     I have room for three more breakers in my new panel so I'm going to split up the circuits like I should have when I put in the new panel and main feed. I will also follow my own rules in the future.\
 
Paul  Impulse
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