Shore Power. Is yours Safe?

Would you sit in a bath with an electric fire?

I thought not. So why sit in a plastic box in the sea with a dodgy mains wire?

Most boats in a marina are connected to the 240 volt mains supply via a cable. This cable is in close proximity to an excellent conductor (sea water) and has no less than six connections before it enters your boat. All of which are exposed to the effects of salt water. OK your shore power connection should be protected by a 30ma circuit beaker and any electric shock you may receive probably won't kill you (unless you have a dodgy heart), but it will be most unpleasant and will almost certainly fling you into the sea.

You should have your cable checked every year and if the cable shows any signs of damage it should be replaced. Marine Electrical will check your cable free of charge, just call into our Beaumaris showroom, and we will test it for you while you wait. Not only will we check the cable to make sure that it is safe, we will also check the cable using an Alpha Pat tester to ensure that all the connections are correct and safe. Most faults can be repaired while you wait, for only a few pounds. Not certain what to look for? Have a look at our rogues gallery below.

Click on the image to enlarge	The picture shows two shore power cables. The left cable should be checked out. The orange cable has faded indicating exposure to sunlight. This can make the cable brittle, constant movement can crack the cable exposing the cable to salt water. The main culprit here is the white cable on the right. This is typical of an imported boat. The US cables are much heavier as they have to carry twice the current. The standard 16 amp plugs are not designed to accept this type of cable. The solution would be to change the cable. Low cost and simple.
Click on the image to enlarge	In this example the black cable is not the correct grade, also being black makes it difficult to see. This should be changed for high visibility yellow arctic grade cable.
Click on the image to enlarge	Once again the cable on the right is faded showing that it is time for a new cable. You do not need to rush out and spend hundreds of pounds on a cable, Marine Electrical will fit the correct grade of cable for you at a fraction of the cost. The cable on the right once again gets the trophy for the worst cable. This is a bit of domestic flex, OK for a small extension at home, but hopelessly inadequate for a shore power supply.
Click on the image to enlarge	What a tangled mess!!! Never coil a mains shore power cable. When heavy loads are applied e.g. fan heater, water heater, kettle etc. The coiled cable will become warm, this will lead to brittle cables, cracking and exposure to mains and sea water. Not a good mixture. Wrapping the cable several times around a metal object will make the problem much worse.
Click on the image to enlarge	These plugs are splash proof. They are most definitely not water proof. They should never be used for extending cables this close to the water. Instead have a cable of the correct length made up for you.
Click on the image to enlarge	This months star prize has to go to this little gem, spotted in a local marina. The cable from the 16 amp plug is a bit of domestic flex fitted to a normal domestic trailing plug. This then has a domestic three pin plug fitted to an old extension lead. When the photo was taken it was pouring down with rain. In fact I think this one can be added to our " How Not To" pages.