# Filthy Shore Power Cord Solution?



## Groven (Sep 15, 2008)

I'm sick of cleaning scuffs off my boat from grimy shore power cords! New cords seem to go tacky after just months in the South Florida sun. Does anybody have a creative solution for an inexpensive DIY to retrofit shore power cords with a cover that addresses this problem? Marinco sells a cover, but it is $50 and only 24'; I'm looking for something simpler and much cheaper. A company in the UK sells power cords with a rope cover, which is brilliant, but it isn't a retrofit.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cut one end off the cord, put tubular webbing over the cord, put a new end on the cord.


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## PorFin (Sep 10, 2007)

Umm -- just a thought here, but wouldn't just cleaning the cord periodically work? Maybe I'm not fully understanding the problem...


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cleaning the cord doesn't fix the problem of them breaking down under UV exposure and getting sticky.


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## k1vsk (Jul 16, 2001)

Buy some hangers sold at most marine store which allow you to hang both a shore power cord and dock water hose off the lifelines keeping them off the deck thereby eliminating the mess and additionally avoiding tripping on the clutter. Alternatively, run the cable along the dock to the shore power plug rather than along the deck.


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## PorFin (Sep 10, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> Cleaning the cord doesn't fix the problem of them breaking down under UV exposure and getting sticky.


OK, I missed the point (nothing new there.) I inferred "tacky" as to mean "looks crappy" instead of "tacky" as in sticky or gummy.


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## DwayneSpeer (Oct 12, 2003)

*wire organizer*

Why not use the split loom wire cover material. The half inch size should work fine and would eliminate the need to take one end off. You can even get it in yellow if you prefer. See Corrugated Tubing, Flex Tubing, Split Loom Tubing, Flexible Plastic Tubing, Corrugated Wire Loom for a source.


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## ottos (Aug 12, 2008)

Has anyone tried applications of 303? Preferably while the cord is still new...


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## billangiep (Dec 10, 2003)

Removing the tacky,sticky and the gummy...
In the shade and after removing the cigarette from you mouth, soak a rag with acetone and give her a good rubbing. A few years a ago I bought a used cord on the cheap and this cleaned it up nicely. Also works for old fenders.


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## COOL (Dec 1, 2009)

I recall that years ago, cruisers were touting
Avon's Skin So Soft as a multi-purpose cleaner.
It supposedly works well for cleaning gummy 
plastic and rubber.


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## btrayfors (Aug 25, 2006)

That would be cool, especially since SSS doesn't work worth a damn as a mosquito repellent, despite lots of claims 

I like the split loom solution....simple, inexpensive, likely to work very well.

Bill


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Plastics that get gummy after exposure are literally oozing uncured plasticizer. That is often at least slightly toxic and a sign of inferior quality, so beware.

But solvent cleaning or simple degreasers will get it off, and eventually it will stop oozing out. If it is from a reputable vendor, I'd take it back and say "Uncured plasticizer! Oozing! TOXIC! Refund please." and look for a better power cord.


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## RichH (Jul 10, 2000)

The 'sticky goo' that forms on the surface of vinyl objects after long term exposure to the sun is 'dioctylphtalate' a chemical that is used as a mold release and additive to the PVC molding process. 
The good news is the dioctylphtalate is soluble in 'light weight' mineral oils - such as kerosene, mineral spirits, PB-blaster, etc. Just apply/spritz, let soak, rub off with a towel. Works on 'sticky' vinyl 'fenders', yellow power cords, etc. etc. etc.


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

My Marinco power cord still gets "gummy" even after ten years (and at their prices, they should come out and clean it themselves!). If the gumminess gets away from me, I go the acetone route. If it is not so bad, then lacquer thinner or mineral sprits. When I keep up with it I use the power cord cleaner from West Marine. I have tried several things to seal it after cleaning. Penetrol did not work for me and the cord cleaners did not last so long. Lately, I been applying a good wax (with UV inhibitors) after cleaning and that seems to keep it looking good the longest.<O</O


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

How about folding a thin piece of cloth around the cord and running a straight stitch along the edge to make a cover ? Easy, cheap. When it gets shabby just make another one.

Or, alternatively, get some thin cordage and make something like a chain of half or clove hitches close together along the length of the wire to make a kind of bumper around the wire that keeps it from touching the deck. Probably be pretty if you did it.

Or, cut a piece of garden hose down it's length, open it up, and put the cord inside of it, then release so the garden hose makes a cover over the line.

Or, get a better cable ?

Or, get some cable wrap.

Or, get some cardboard tree wrap.

Or, paint the cable.

Or, ... ?


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## Ulladh (Jul 12, 2007)

Clean then wipe down with armor-all vinyl protectant from any auto part store, and repeat when the cord looks like it needs it.


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

wind_magic said:


> Or, alternatively, get some thin cordage and make something like a chain of half or clove hitches close together along the length of the wire to make a kind of bumper around the wire that keeps it from touching the deck. Probably be pretty if you did it.


You could get a few pieces of line and braid or weave them around the cable to cover it, that would look really nice. That is how they make a lot of line we use on boats, braid strands around a core to make a cover, I think it would turn out well if you did the same thing around a cable.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

wind_magic said:


> Or, cut a piece of garden hose down it's length, open it up, and put the cord inside of it, then release so the garden hose makes a cover over the line.


Wouldn't that do the same thing? I guess white garden hose would last a little longer and not stand out so much as a green one 

EDIT: OP, I missed that you know about the Marinco Zip Cover, Oops


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

wind_magic said:


> You could get a few pieces of line and braid or weave them around the cable to cover it, that would look really nice. That is how they make a lot of line we use on boats, braid strands around a core to make a cover, I think it would turn out well if you did the same thing around a cable.


Here, this is what I was talking about, except instead of ribbon use thin line, and instead of a pole, wrap the cord around your cable to make a braided cover for the length of cable that is on your boat.


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## sailjunkie (Nov 4, 2009)

PorFin said:


> Umm -- just a thought here, but wouldn't just cleaning the cord periodically work? Maybe I'm not fully understanding the problem...


OK, the above question may be off-topic, but I'm curious about the answer myself.


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## ottos (Aug 12, 2008)

Forgive the hijack, but it seems related...

Would the same solutions apply to rubber armoured binocs? Acetone, mineral spirits...

I have a 20 yo pair of Tasco's that have gone gummy.


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

I found that I was able to clean our Marinco Cable very effectively with "Goof Off" (see Welcome to the Goof Off Website ), available at Lowes, Home Depot et al. Once the cable was clean, I washed it down with a little warm soapy water and then, once it had dried, I coated it with 303 UV Protectant (see 303 Aerospace Protectant - UV protection from the sun for Rubber, Vinyl, Plastic and Neoprene ), carried by most marine hardware stores. It seems that if one re-coats the cable every few months or so with the 303, deterioration is minimized.

FWIW...


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## KeelHaulin (Mar 7, 2006)

Just so everyone is aware; "goof off" is just xylene that is re-packaged and marketed as a magical cleaning product. So if you want the same thing without the marketing just buy xylene or xylol from the hardware store.

Now if we could just find out what is in '303'...

I run my shore cord down the slip finger (neatly); that way we don't need to coil it and re-string it when we sail. I turn the power off at the dock box before we unplug to be sure it's off while away from the dock.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Goof Off is not just xylene. Take a look at the MSDS and you'll find it is:

30-35% Diethylene glycol monomethyl ether
25-30% xylene
5-10% ethylbenzene

So yes, there is xylene in it, but that's like saying a human being is "just" water, because we have so much water content. In this case the other chemicals outweigh the xylene as well.

IIRC pure xylene kicks off and evaporates way faster, too.


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## KeelHaulin (Mar 7, 2006)

Hmm... I wonder what is in the other 25%. I thought it was Xylene as it smells nearly the same. Usually when I go to buy a product like Goof Off I check the MSDS and sure enough most times it is a standard solvent that is re-packaged. Xylene works almost the same; and without the ethylbenzene which is nasty stuff.

Most lemon oils are just mineral oil with a lemon scent.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

KH-
One never knows, although a case of beer at any college chem lab should get you a detailed spectroanalysis of any bottle of "stuff" you need to know about.<G>
An MSDS doesn't have to be complete, they allow for trade secrets and chemicals that won't make you glow in the dark, or blow up while being extinguished. Good case in point: Sta-Bil, the famous pink fuel stabilizer. Anyone who has used it knows how well it works, but the MSDS only mentions something like 98% nahptha (gasoline stock) and there's no word of what the real important secret active ingredient is. 
Incredible how common benzene products are, considering how tetragenetic (isn't that the new word for "cancerous" ?) they are.
I know what you mean about 'standard' ingredients, I see people rave about Seafoam every month, while the MSDS says "alcohol, oil, gasoline" pretty much in plain English.


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