Key points at a glance Key points at a glance. Original editorial diagram. Water off the end of a dock looks exactly the same whether there's current in it or not. Ontario's Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) calls this an invisible hazard.
Quick answer: Faulty wiring on a dock or a boat plugged into shore power can energize the water, and a swimmer in it can lose muscle control and be unable to swim to safety. You can't tell by looking. Keep swimmers away from powered docks, never use damaged cords, and have a Licensed Electrical Contractor check dock wiring. Call 911 in an emergency.
Key points at a glance. Original editorial diagram.
Water off the end of a dock looks exactly the same whether there's current in it or not.
Ontario's Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) calls this an invisible hazard. When electricity leaks from faulty equipment into the water around a dock, the water itself becomes energized. ESA's dock safety brochure says a person in that water could lose muscle control and be unable to swim to safety or call for help. The brochure names power boats with faulty wiring connected to shore power as one source.
That changes your job as an owner. You're not there to investigate live wiring at the water's edge. You're there to spot concerns, keep people out of the water near a suspected fault and get qualified help.
Who Is Responsible for the Dock's Wiring?
A new charger doesn't prove an old dock circuit is up to it. A tidy receptacle doesn't prove the wiring behind it is sound.
Ask who's responsible for the dock's electrical installation and when it was last checked. At a shared dock or a marina, that may be the property owner or the marina operator. At your own property, ESA strongly recommends having the wiring, outlets and other dockside equipment checked by a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC).
ESA also calls for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protection on outlets on floating piers and docks. Choosing, installing and testing that protection is the contractor's job, not a weekend project. Keep a record of the assessment and any repairs, so that when equipment, water levels or the dock layout change, you have a starting point.
Do a Visual Check Without Opening Anything
Look over every accessible cord and plug before use. ESA says never use frayed or damaged cords, and make sure every marine cord has a ground pin (three prongs). Don't use a cord that's cut, crushed or modified to fit an outlet.
Make the check about the route the cord actually takes:
- Is it pinched under a hinge, a rail or a hatch?
- Is a connection lying where the water can reach it?
- Does anyone have to step over it to board?
If something looks wrong, tell the person responsible for the dock before you connect. Don't open a receptacle, bypass a protective device or try a live test because the boat needs charging today. When a protective device trips, stop and get the fault assessed. Finding a way around it defeats the whole point.
Keep Swimmers Away From Powered Docks
Swimming off the dock is half of a Rice Lake summer. Around a powered dock, it shouldn't be. Don't let anyone jump in to grab a dropped item or to "see if there's a problem". The fault might not even be on your boat. It could be on a neighbouring boat plugged into the same dock.
Tell guests before they show up in swimsuits. A clear word from shore beats an explanation after someone's already in the water. ESA also suggests signs near your dock warning that there could be electric current in the water.
If you suspect an electrical fault:
- Keep people out of the water and away from the affected equipment.
- ESA says to turn off the power at the electrical panel right away. Do that only from a safe location, and don't approach flooded equipment or put yourself in danger to reach a switch.
- Call 911 in an emergency.
- Don't go into potentially energized water to attempt a rescue, and keep others out too.
- Have a Licensed Electrical Contractor check the system before anyone uses it again.
Recheck After High Water or Storm Damage
ESA says high water levels raise the risk of electric shock. If you suspect water has risen above outlets or other electrical items, don't approach them. If high water has affected the equipment, disconnect the power, again only from the panel and only if you can do it safely.
After the water goes down, ESA wants your LEC to check the wiring, outlets and other dockside equipment. Don't reconnect a submerged outlet or cord just because it's dry on the outside.
Use that interruption to look at the whole chain: supply, dock, cords, charger and boat. Decide who's getting each concern fixed before ordinary use starts again.
What We See at HBW
If you keep a boat in a slip at a marina, you're the person most likely to notice that something has changed. You use the shore cord and the receptacle every trip. A damaged cord, a loose or cracked receptacle, or a breaker that keeps tripping are all reasons to stop, leave it unplugged and tell the marina.
Battery chargers are the other regular visitor on a dock. If you charge your boat's batteries at the slip, our Mercury boat battery guide covers the battery side, and the charger and its cord belong in the same visual check as everything else. New to the lake? Start with our Rice Lake boating guide, and if you're renting for the first time, our first-time rental guide covers the day itself.
Three Questions Before You Plug In
- Who has checked this installation? Know the responsible person and the Licensed Electrical Contractor to call.
- Is this cord and equipment suitable and undamaged? Three-prong marine cord, no cuts, no fraying, no improvised adapters.
- Do guests know to stay out of the water around powered docks? Don't leave the warning to chance.
A visual check isn't an electrical inspection. In Ontario, dock electrical work belongs with a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
Sources
Spot Something at the Dock?
Leave it unplugged and tell whoever runs the dock. For wiring at your own property, call a Licensed Electrical Contractor. For your boat's batteries and onboard charging, put in a service request at hbwservice.ca.
Phone: 905-342-2153
Service: hbwservice.ca
Configurator: mercuryrepower.ca
Address: 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON
