Today, I am starting my review section of my blog with a review of Marinco shore power extension cords. If one reads my reviews I hope to save cruisers precious time and money. This review spotlights two different cords manufactured and sold by Marinco which is available at West Marine. Also available at Amazon if you want to deal with online stores.
The two items I have tried are the Marinco cord with quick grip and both are rated for 30 amperes. The other was the normal screw on type. I purchased the first a quick grip type because it cost more so I thought it was more quality than the screw on type. I was wrong. The tabs that grip the outlet have springs and plastic piece in the locking mechanism. After two years of weathering, the spring broke and the whole bottom clamp fell off. See the picture below:
The cord with the screw on protector keeps the cord connected to your boat. The seal that this makes is more water tight than the clamp on model. I highly recommend the screw on seal. This actually costs a few dollars cheaper than the quick connect type. My cord cost $94 plus tax.
The quick connector cost me over $200 when it failed because I had to buy a new cord and a new outlet. As the connection failed, it melted the outlet. If you have a quick connector type I would purchase a screw on type right away because I’m sure this kind will fail. I am lucky the thing didn’t catch my boat on fire. Then where would I be? People like me have so much time and effort in their boat. My boat is like my lady. I am never 100% satisfied with my boat but I sure can not live without it!