Upcoming Electrical Testing: What to Expect

Ahoy, fellow NYC boaters!

We're launching a club-wide initiative to test all vessels for stray current. This is a crucial step to ensure the safety of both our boats and our neighbors. Stray current—often from 110V shore power systems—can cause serious damage to your vessel and others. Left unchecked, it can lead to electrolysis, corrosion, and even electrical shock hazards.

Why:
As you may remember, last season we experienced some electrical issues. As we work through the solutions, your boat needs to be part of the process. To that end, we will begin testing all boats at the club, as well as visiting vessels.

Testing helps identify any issues, whether they're coming from your boat or a neighbor’s. Each dock post is equipped with a 30mA ELCI, which will trip if stray current exceeds the threshold. However, even low levels of current can add up across multiple boats, potentially causing dock-wide power outages.

What to Expect:
We’re setting up a scheduling process so we can come to your vessel and perform the test. While the booking system is still being developed, we’ll be in touch soon with next steps. The test will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes, and owners must be present.
During the test, we'll connect your shore power through our testing device, turn on individual systems—starting with common ones like the hot water heater or air conditioner—and capture the readings. The goal is to pinpoint any sources of stray current and document them clearly.

You’ll receive a summary of your test results, and all findings will be securely stored in the National Yacht Club database to support ongoing safety efforts.
If we find a 110 or 220V circuit on your boat that is leaking a higher-than-safe level of milliamps, we’ll let you know directly. This way, you can act before it causes harm or trips the dock ELCI.

Why It Matters:
This initiative isn’t just about your individual boat—it’s about the collective safety of all vessels on the dock. A small issue on one vessel can affect everyone connected to that dock. By working together, we can ensure our marina remains safe and reliable for all.

We’ll also share tips on galvanic isolators and other tools that help reduce stray current risks.
And if you’d like to dig deeper into the topic, we recommend Boatowner's Illustrated Electrical Handbook by Charlie Wing—a trusted reference for marine electrical systems.

Guest vessels will also be included in the testing program to keep everyone safe.

Stay tuned for more updates and scheduling information—and thanks for helping to make our docks safer, together!