Damaged Shore Power Cable?

[Jonah]

Hi all,

I have an electronics question today. When plugging my shore power line into my boat today, I was holding the cable in my right hand. I then touched the metal cap of the boat plug with my left hand, and felt a tingling sensation in my fingertips on both hands. I played around for a bit, and found that this only happens when my right hand was touching a certain part of the power cable (the part where the company logo is, which is also an ugly brown color, as if it got burnt once upon a time).

I asked around, and I'm told that this means I have a grounding issue. I don't really understand what that means, but I was advised to pull the protective coating back from the power cable and make sure that all the wires are in good shape. I suppose I could do that, but I wouldn't know what I was doing.

My question is about safety: can I keep using this power cable, or am I risking an electrical fire?

Thanks as always.

 

[journeyman]

this only happens when my right hand was touching a certain part of the power cable (the part where the company logo is, which is also an ugly brown color, as if it got burnt once upon a time). My question is about safety: can I keep using this power cable, or am I risking an electrical fire?

Get a new power cord!!!!!!!!!!

 

[seasick]

Agree also. You need a new cord. A little tingle could and eventually will end up as a not so little shock or burning cable. I assume that your shore power is not ground fault protected at the dock. If it were, I would expect that tingle to trip the breaker.

 

[SkunkBoat]

If there is discoloration of the cord, I would start there. That usually comes from heat. When the insulating plastic is burned, it becomes conductive. That's not good....

You are in the Bahamas? At a marina or private dock? There should be a Ground Fault Circuit interrupter on the dock power.

You don't seem comfortable with electricity so I would suggest you ask the marina to test your outlet.

There could be an issue with the wiring on the dock or on the boat.

The dock power (or boat) could be wired wrong, with the hot & neutral reversed or the ground or neutral open.

 

[seasick]

If there is discoloration of the cord, I would start there. That usually comes from heat. When the insulating plastic is burned, it becomes conductive. That's not good....

You are in the Bahamas? At a marina or private dock? There should be a Ground Fault Circuit interrupter on the dock power.

You don't seem comfortable with electricity so I would suggest you ask the marina to test your outlet.

There could be an issue with the wiring on the dock or on the boat.

The dock power (or boat) could be wired wrong, with the hot & neutral reversed or the ground or neutral open.

I don't know the exact code for the area that this vessel is docked but here in NYC, the code does not specifically require ground fault protection at each dock/power outlet for shore power.
The marine section of the National Electric Code allows for centralized protection at the main service equipment. In that case though, the trip current is a lot higher than your typical residential GFI outlet. That is to say that small current imbalances at the slip may not and probably won't trip the main central protection equipment.

Most modern boat shore power distribution systems have some sort of GFI protection as well as reverse polarity protection. That protects you in the boat but not necessarily out of the boat and on the dock.

 

[Jonah]

Thanks everyone,

Ok, I'll get a new cord!

The boat is here at my private dock in Nassau. The shore power cable goes to a pigtail adaptor, which plugs into a regular, three-prong US outlet at the end of my dock. We're renting, and I haven't found the breaker for that outlet, but the shore power cable clearly hasn't tripped it yet.

Thanks again.

 

[Fishtales]

you don't mention the age of the cable. in use there is stress on the connector from the cable weight and movement. my guess is you have a leak from the V+ to ground which isn't yet tripping anything. likely will get worse over time so best to just replace rather than splice a new connector. You want it waterproof anyway.

 

[Jonah]

Thanks Fishtales,

The cable came with the boat (a '95 model), which I bought in November. So, for all I know the cable might be as old as the boat! It certainly shows signs of age, especially the brown/burnt spot that I mentioned above.

Just placed an order for a new one.

 

[Fishtales]

best move... good for another 20 years.