Tips to Solve Your Shore Power Connection Problems

Shore power connections by Marinco.

Keeping a boat shipshape at the dock pays dividends. Neat and clean looks great and passersby say what a“well-maintained vessel you have.” Feels good, doesn’t it?  Yet every boat owner knows problems are just over the horizon, and keeping shore power connections shipshape is a no-brainer. That’s what I wrote for my story in the February 2018 issue of Southern Boating. But when you take care of your power connections, they will take care of you. For example, always power down before connecting or disconnecting cords. That’s the message from experts who understand the challenges consumers face with marine shore power, and they advise that it’s not as difficult as it seems.

Top on the list of challenges is keeping the flow of electricity constant and safe. “Maintaining a reliable connection between the boat, cord and dock pedestal is the biggest challenge for recreational boat owners,” explains Matt Elsner, product manager for Marinco, a leading manufacturer of shore power products. “This is solved by ensuring the cord is properly twisted into the inlet and receptacle and using the included locking ring (15A, 20A, 30A or 50A locking devices) to connect the cord to the inlet.”

Another challenge is the identification of connections, specifically differentiated between 50A 125V or 50A 125/250V. “The vast majority of 50A connections are 50A 125/250V,” Elsner adds. “Users confuse the two configurations as they look very similar.” Consumers should verify the voltage (125 or 125/250) which will be noted on the inlet or receptacle. Additionally, 50A 125/250V inlets and female connectors contain a visible grounding plate that can be used for identification.

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