Wayne.B wrote:


The AC neutral and safety ground (normally white and green) are
definitely tied together. As I understand it, this is an ABYC
standard although somewhat controversial. The AC safety ground and
the boat DC grounds appear to be totally isolated however.


This seems to say that tying the AC
neutral and grounding wires together is
required by the ABYC standard. The
antecedent to the OP's "this" is ambiguous.

My copy of the ABYC standard is not
ambiguous. It says:

"Neither the shore-grounded (white)
neutral conductor nor ungrounded
current-carrying conductors shall be
grounded on the boat."

In the case of an onboard isolation
transformer, the transformer's secondary
"neutral" is connected to the boat's AC
ground system. But the "shore-grounded
(white) neutral conductor) is NOT
grounded on the boat. This is also an
ABYC standard.

Since it has not been revealed whether
the OP's boat employs an isolation
transformer, it is not clear whether his
boat is in violation of an ABYC standard.

DIY electricians are cautioned to inform
themselves of relevant standards, safety
practices, and electrical fundamentals
before undertaking boat re-wiring tasks.
In addition to potential safety hazards,
any surveys reporting improper wiring
may impose economic costs as well.

Chuck

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