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Springtime Safety Reminder

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Good reminder for sure. Thanks for sharing. I always wondered about this and electric boat lift motors. Wouldn't there be an increased risk when these are installed on an aluminum lift????? Wouldn't a solar setup with less voltage be the way to go in regards to safety?
 
That's why I switched to a 12vdc lift with solar charging. I removed all the 115vac from my dock 4 years ago.


My next door neighbor always has an extension cord hanging down off the dock poles in the water from shore to the lift. Makes me nuts. I've told him several times it's crazy dangerous and he answers "I have it on a GFCI". And, I can tell you with certainly that will NOT protect you.
 
I hate people like that. It's those hacks that cause the loss of life. I bet he drives on bald tires too because he has brakes on his car....
 
TomS said:
That's why I switched to a 12vdc lift with solar charging. I removed all the 115vac from my dock 4 years ago.


My next door neighbor always has an extension cord hanging down off the dock poles in the water from shore to the lift. Makes me nuts. I've told him several times it's crazy dangerous and he answers "I have it on a GFCI". And, I can tell you with certainly that will NOT protect you.
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TomS, obviously has enough power to lift, I assume it adds a little to the cost but certainly worth it.  Can you tell us a little more
 
We have 220v at the dock and it gets checked every year. We don't use extension cords. It's all up to and beyond code. I look at neighbors wiring and just shake my head.
 
The key is to have the GFCI far away from the potential contamination to earth. I see all the time where folks mount a box right at the shoreline and that set-up only protects anything that is plugged into the outlet or on the load side. It most likely won't help prevent water electrocution when a box fills up with water as in this tragic case. Even worse when the box is not rated outdoor and bonded to earth. A GFCI dedicated breaker feeding outdoors would be a solid way to provide protection. cwag911 you probably have a double pole GFCI I would suspect?
 
My wife and I were boating Friday evening not more than 1/4 mile from where the two ladies on Lake Tuscaloosa were electrocuted.  I read about it online Saturday morning but at that time they had not confirmed the cause of death. It's hard for me to understand why this can happen.  It seems proper maintenance and common sense (i.e. no metal ladders) could prevent this.
 
I would say for those who think their neighbor has a shoddy setup, report it to the local code enforcement dept. Sometimes you have to protect people from themselves.
 
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Good reminder, thanks for posting.  As I look around our cove off the main lake all I can see is metal lifts and ladders, most with power.  Guess I should have an electrician confirm mine is safe.
 
So sad . Another sad thing is, most have probably never even heard of it. 
 
Just read that article on FB.  Good reminder as spring comes around for all of us to rethink safety issues with a new summer boating season ahead of us. 
 
This is a great reminder and particularly for newer boaters like myself.  I am one of those who had never heard of this problem. Thanks for posting!
 
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