Sailing Safety - How to Hook Up to Shore Power the Right Way!

When you hook up or disconnect from shore power, make the prevention of electrical shock your number one goal. Walk your crew through the procedures shown below, and follow these two safety rules before you begin:

Safety Rule #1. Never hold the live end of a shore-power plug.

Safety Rule #2. Shoreside receptacles are always LIVE! Some shoreside facilities have breaker switches to shut off the power; others have continuous live power. Assume they're all live and play it safe.

HOOKING UP TO SHORE POWER

1. Go dead ship. Shut down the engines and generator. Turn off switches first: lights, navigation equipment, and all accessories at the power panel. Check panels near the console and in the cabin. Turn off breakers and rockers (main breakers) last.

2. Plug into boat receptacle. The receptacle on the boat has no power, so plug it in. Most plugs require a push and quarter turn to lock into place. The better plugs have a locking ring to prevent the plug from pulling out of the receptacle. On boats with multiple receptacles, consider color-coding the main shore-power plug and receptacle cover plate with Day-Glo paint.

3. Plug into shoreside receptacle. Ask the dockmaster to secure (turn off ) the power momentarily. Whether you can secure power at the pier or not, go ahead and plug in. Check the plug and receptacle to make sure they mate. If not, ask the dockmaster for an adapter. Don't force things. If you get resistance, stop and find out why. Remember to give the plug a quarter turn and finish up with the locking ring.

4. Energize power from pier to boat. If not already energized, turn on the power at the pier. Return to the boat and turn on rockers. Then turn on the accessory and equipment switches.

DISCONNECT SHORE POWER FOR GETTING UNDERWAY

1. Go dead ship. Turn off lights, nav equipment, and all accessories at the power panel. Check all power panels in the cabin and topside. Shut off the black or white rocker (breaker) switches last.

2. Remove shoreside plug. Ask the dockmaster to secure the power momentarily. If shoreside power cannot be secured, you can nevertheless pull out the plug from the shoreside receptacle.

3. Remove boat plug; coil and stow. Remove the plug on the boat. Screw the receptacle cover plate back over the receptacle. Coil and stow the shore power cord in a dry area.

4. Start engines and energize power. Start the generator and engines. Turn on the main rocker switches first, then the accessory switches. Finally, turn on lights and navigation equipment.

Use these easy sailing tips for sailing safety when you hook up or break shore power on your small cruising or racing sailboat. Keep you and your crew safe and sound--wherever in the world you choose to sail!

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Captain John teaches sailing skippers the skills they need to set sail for a day, a week--or a lifetime! Get his popular free report "Ten Top Boat Safety Checks for Cruising Boat Skippers" at Learn to Sail at Skippertips.com.

John offers free sailing tips, articles, sailing videos and newsletter at Learn to Sail at Skippertips.com.