Shore Power

[Dick Zimmermann]

Tom's Question on Shore Power:
If I remember correctly, Buchanan needed at least 1,200 amps (three cables) of 440/450 from the pier. This was the minimum so that everyone could light off and test all their gear each morning. Swing the mounts, run up a test bird, check radios, radar, etc. Seems like I do remember at least one time we could only get 800 (two cables) and that meant watching the load very carefully so we didn't trip a breaker. I do not remember ever using all four of our 400 amp cables.

Mark Falade, MM3, 1976-80:
If I remember correctly they hooked up three cables that I had always thought were each one leg of 3 phase power. 1200 amps does ring a bell. I was an MM so a sparky would be the better authority on this. The bosun's once accidentally blew salt water in the hookup box while the sparkys were hooking up power. Big explosion. That's the time i found out that even a good sized chief can run pretty fast and do some mighty acrobatic things when he wants to. Noone was hurt.

Fred Shortreed,  EMCM, 1971-75:
The Buchanan normally received 1200 amps of shore power when in-port.  The usual hookup was two cables forward and one cable aft. However with your installation being in a true cold iron status, there will be no fire pumps, fresh water pumps, air compressors, galley equipment, and only general lighting. So you will only need 800 amps (two cables), and maybe less than that if you are not running any of the ships A/C plant or other hotel services.

Gerry Gerrard, EM2, 1968-71
You would probably only need one 400 amps 3-phase 440 volt electrical connected to the shore power box located on the 01 level just forward of the ASROC Launcher amidships. This will give you power to main control switchgear group. You would want to turn off all breakers, except shipboard lighting transformers forward and after switchgear groups, close the main bus between the forward and after boards, and then select whatever breakers you want up to 400 amps.

Jerry Boock, MMCM, 1986-91
If I remember right we had a maximum of 5 receivers for shore power cable.  Normally we would only hook up 3 or 4 of them.