VoltSafe Blog Team – May 6, 2022
Finally! A marine shore plug that resolves the most common shore power hazards: VoltSafe Marine.
Most boating enthusiasts are aware of the dangers that come along with their favourite pastime. But, should enjoying your day out on the high seas come along with the worry of being electrocuted or seeing your beloved boat on fire? Well, there is a marine plug that is on its way to the market that will eliminate shore power hazards and take the stress out of boating. This means you will enjoy your day out on your boat with your friends and family without having to worry too much about the common risks.
Let’s look at the hazards faced by boaters and how the VoltSafe Marine plug will resolve the concerns surrounding these hazards. When you’re finished checking out the blog, flip over to our new VoltSafe Marine website.
Safe boating
The most common safety hazards, with offshore power and boats, are electrocution and electrical fires. 
The risk of electrocution is present each time you plug and unplug an electrical plug around water. Having 120V flowing through traditional electrical prongs on the dockside or falling into water increases that risk. It’s time to leave accidental electrocution to the “super-genius” characters on Saturday morning cartoons.
Disconnecting both the active and passive ends of the VoltSafe Marine plug deactivates the current flow within the plug. So, even if the plug were to fall into the water, there is no risk of electrocution or tripping any electrical breakers. Simply dry the contacts, connect both ends back together, and you’re on your way to power your very own “S.S. Minnow”.
Now that you know how safe the VoltSafe Marine plug is around water, how about fire prevention? The trouble with traditional pronged plugs is that each time you disconnect and then reconnect a marine plug, an electrical arc occurs. Electrical arcs corrode the prongs on the plug and leave carbon deposits behind. These deposits then create resistance to the connection, which eventually leads to heat generation, which can then lead to an electrical fire.
The VoltSafe Marine plug eliminates the electrical arcing by utilizing the company’s unique electrical fingerprint technology. I know, I know, it sounds made up but, the “Tony Starks” in the engineering department at VoltSafe developed the electrical fingerprint technology to allow electricity to flow only when the contacts meet each other magnetically. And because this method allows electricity to flow faster than traditional pronged plugs, it eliminates the electrical arcing that we see in traditional plugs. So no arcing means no overheating. No overheating means no fire. Safety is key.
Strong connection
One cause of overheating is a poor connection. Conventional shore-power plugs require the user to twist and lock the plug blades and use a locking-ring mechanism to secure the mechanical and electrical connection. However, the plugs will still deliver current, even if there is a poor connection. So in situations where there is a lot of movement of the boat, for example, whenever there is a passing wave, the connection can become loose if not properly secured. As the plug works its way out of the receptacle, it reduces the contact area of the blades. When the surface area of the connection becomes inadequate to meet a high power draw demand (such as that required to power an air conditioner or water heater) then this will lead to overheating.
The VoltSafe Marine plug eliminates the question of a poorly connected plug with the use of an LED light indicator. The indicator confirms a connection. Simple, isn’t it?
Remote monitoring
If there is ever an issue with the plug’s connection, VoltSafe’s accompanying app will send a push notification. This will allow you and your marina manager to address the issue immediately.
The app works via Bluetooth, Wifi or LTE connectivity and will allow remote monitoring and control of your plug from your phone. An additional benefit of the app is that it will allow marina operators to confirm how much power your boat is using in order to provide precise moorage billing. Now that’s smart.
If you are concerned that stressing less about shore power will lead you to forget that you have a plug connected and pull away from the dock, well, not to worry. The magnetic connection of the VoltSafe Marine plug means the plug will disconnect from the dockside connection. So you will never have to worry about looking back and seeing a broken, floating dock behind you.
Safe. Simple. Smart. Stress free. Now jump on over to our VoltSafe Marine website to learn more about the new standard in electrical marine safety.