Power outlet

tbcb7271

Cadet
Joined
Jun 14, 2020
Messages
10
I'm not a electrical guy so I could use some help. We plan to do some camping on an island with our pontoon and wanted to know if theres a way I can hook a power outlet up to charge phones and maybe run a coffee maker ? :)
 

alldodge

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
42,064
Phone charger can be run off a cigarette lighter socket and an adapter on a 15 to 20 amp line.
https://www.amazon.com/Compact-Car-Socket-Power-Adapter/dp/B002HQYM5E

A coffee pot needs a lot more power. Will need a dedicated battery and an inverter. If your pontoon uses a outboard then your alternator probably doesn't put out enough power to recharge the bat in a short time. Need to know what your plan is for extended stay times
 

tbcb7271

Cadet
Joined
Jun 14, 2020
Messages
10
The boat does have a USB port and It does have an outboard. I’d like to be able to use a coffee pot though. I was thinking of putting an extra battery in with a inverter but not sure how big it should be. Think 1000watts will cover it ?
 

alldodge

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Staff member
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Mar 8, 2009
Messages
42,064
Coffee maker is 600-1200 watts, depends on which one you get
Probably a 1500 would be best
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
16,081
Bought a 12v coffee maker to use while surf fishing. Takes 15 minutes to brew a pot but it works
 

pwiseman

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 4, 2005
Messages
207
I have done a good bit of boat camping and most often used a French press which makes a nice brew fast. All you need is hot water and your camp stove can heat water pretty fast. Handy dandy themos should keep your brew hot so you can take it with on the water. Throw in a couple LED lanterns and you should not need an inverter or extra battery. Those do work well, but cost quite a bit and once you drain your main battery it will take quite awhile to recharge from your alternator.
 

KD4UPL

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
671
Big coffee pots can be 1,500 watts. Small ones are probably 800 to 1200 watts. That will be roughly 80 to 150 amps out of a 12 volt battery bank. I think at minimum you would need 2 sets of 6v golf cart batteries to support that. That's still considered not enough battery for that load but since I assume you'll only use it once a day you can probably get buy.
You'll need 2/0 battery cables and a 200 amp DC rated fuse.
If it takes 150 amps for 1/4 hour to make coffee that's about 40 amp hours from the battery. If your alternator has 20 amps to spare after running the boat's other loads it will take over 2 hours of run time to recharge your battery bank.
I'd just get my caffeine from Mountain Dew.
 
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