Long Beach Marine Electric connects boat owners with marine electricians, and two rule changes now shape a lot of that work: one on the dock and one on the boat. Neither is brand new, but both are reaching more boats every year as marinas rebuild and owners upgrade.
On the dock: 30 mA pedestals (NEC 555.35)
The 2023 National Electrical Code, section 555.35, requires ground-fault protection of no more than 30 mA on each marina shore-power receptacle, with 100 mA on feeders. The code cites ABYC Foundation research identifying 30 mA as the threshold that prevents most electric shock drowning incidents.
Why it reaches boats now: marinas apply the current code when they rebuild docks or replace pedestals. Long Beach’s Alamitos Bay Marina was rebuilt basin by basin from 2011, a roughly $96–98 million project, and other harbors are on similar cycles. Boats with small leakage faults that ran for years on older pedestals trip the new ones in seconds.
What owners should do: if your boat trips, it’s leaking current. Get a leakage test rather than looking for a pedestal that doesn’t trip. See why a boat trips the shore power breaker and marina ELCI requirements.
On the boat: lithium batteries (ABYC E-13)
ABYC ratified E-13, its lithium-ion battery standard, in 2022, and it applies to systems installed after July 31, 2023. It covers systems of 600 watt-hours or more (50 Ah and up on a 12-volt boat), requires a battery management system, recommends a warning before the BMS disconnects the battery, and requires detailed manufacturer documentation.
Why it matters now: lithium conversions have gone mainstream, and insurers increasingly use E-13 as their yardstick. Some decline lithium risk outright. Others accept it with a documented, standard-compliant installation.
What owners should do: talk to your insurer before buying batteries, design the whole charging system for lithium, and keep the installation records. See lithium batteries and boat insurance.
The common thread
Both changes reward boats wired properly and documented, and expose boats that aren’t. A leakage test and a written summary of electrical work are becoming as normal as a haul-out survey. See marine electrical inspection or call (562) 374-7233.