Shore Power Safety

[Midnightsun]

Just a heads up to all regarding shore power cords as this is usually ignored. Instead of me going on and on, this is about as explicative as it gets. Please read this entire article, well worth it, definately an eye opener. https://marinehowto.com/shore-power-cor ... g-vs-1938/

I am not trying to sell Smartplugs although I did convert mine as I do believe they are the way to go. The point of this post is to get everyone to check your cords on a regular annual basis and replace as required. Also look for issues at the pedestal connector and report it to the marina if you see anything. A quick look every time you connect/disconnect is easy however you need to know what you are looking for. Black marks anywhere around any connector is a sign of a major issue awaiting to happen and must be addressed immediately.

If you decide to go all out and replace your boat side connector with a Smartplug as opposed to a new common cord, here is the link. https://smartplug.com

[g36]

very nice read. thanks . heat is indeed a bad thing with anything electrical. many issues could be lessesend if people would just pay attention look for corrosion,burnt contacts etc, or give a bit of thought to what they are doing, at my marina and probably everywhere, like leaving shore cords still powered up and looped or layed on the dock as they go out for the day of boating. stupid!

[Tireless]

Thanks for the article. I will share it with a boater friend of mine who had this very issue. In his situation, when the plug was arching it increased the amperage in the line and fried the board on the air conditioner, $$$$. I see these shore cables on boats all the time without the rings and due to the movement on the water, the boat rocks and the plug starts to arch heating up the plug. Everyone is using old technology, including me.

[bud37]

Good read..thanks

I have made a habit of checking the cord plugs when not drawing power and powered up with the IR temp gun...compare the two. Maybe catch something going bad early on.

This is a mighty large business to get changed around, no matter what, you will always have the uneducated and the " I don't cares" to deal with.

If you want some real excitement, walk the docks with your clamp meter....

[Viper]

Good post Hans. I've been preaching the benefits of the SmartPlug for years. It's still a tough sell though. Also made some recommendations to a company rep about coming up with some incentives for marinas and boat manufacturer's to make the switch. The problem with converting your boat right now is that the system is only as good as the weakest link in the chain which will be the adapter between the SmartPlug system on your side and the older style plug of the marina's pedestal. Best that the weak link be as far away from the boat as possible though.

[AaHubb]

While on the topic of shore power safety. Has anyone been following the talk of requiring GFCI protection for shore power systems?

..Aaron

[Midnightsun]

Nope, have not heard about that yet. The electrical systems on docks are so antiquated and nothing much ever seems to be done so I think we will all be six feet under before that actually happens.

I did look into this which is probably what you are referring to, costly to say the least as it also needs to be combined with their breaker. Over $500 US plus install. https://smartplug.com/marine/elci-sensors-and-breakers

[bud37]

One thing for sure, if they were to get properly wired GFCI on the dock side then I believe there might be a large number of boats that are going to have problems getting power.

Maybe some marinas have upgraded to this already. The sooner the better for peoples safety Imo, No Swimming in marinas is a given, but people trip and fall in all the time.The guy behind me one year used to jump from the dock to his swim platform with the live cord end in hand cause he left it plugged in at all times ( its easier don't you know.... ), until it was pointed out the stupidity of that act,it apparently never crossed his mind ??

There still needs to be more education as to safe practice by boaters and marinas in regards to electrical safety and the more we talk about it the more people will be more informed.....good thread so far....

[Viper]

There is a company out of Florida that manufactures GFCI pigtails that you plug your shore power cord into and it plugs into the dockside pedestal. Can't recall the name of the company but I know I have it recorded somewhere. Will post when I find it. I know NTP-Stag is a distributor of the brand in Canada.