Shore Power

Shore power is the mains electrical supply provided from a marina pedestal or pontoon to a vessel through a rated cable, plug and onboard inlet. It lets a boat run battery chargers, sockets, refrigeration, heating or air conditioning while alongside, without relying on the engine alternator or generator.

Good shore power management keeps batteries ready for essential loads such as Navigation Lights, the Bilge Pump and VHF Radio, while reducing noise and fuel use in harbour. Incorrect polarity, undersized leads or poor shore earth connections can create fire, shock and galvanic corrosion risks, so inspect cables and match voltage and current ratings before plugging in.

Before departing the dock, confirm your batteries are charged and high-demand equipment has been tested. PredictWind users often update forecasts over marina Wi-Fi while connected to shore power, sync onboard data through DataHub, and prepare GRIB downloads or routing before switching back to vessel power at sea.