Electrical Installations in Ports and Marinas for Recreational Boats
1. Purpose and Scope
These requirements apply to electrical installations in ports and marinas that supply power to recreational boats. Vessels using these facilities must meet the requirements of applicable European Directives as provided in Article 6 of the Low Voltage Regulation. Vessels affected by Directive 94/25/CEE are excluded from this scope.
For the purpose of this instruction, a pleasure boat is defined as any floating unit used exclusively for sports and leisure, such as boats, yachts, and houseboats. A seaport is understood as any pier, pontoon, or floating breakwater suitable for anchoring or mooring pleasure boats.
2. General
Electrical installations in ports and on pleasure boats must be designed and constructed with appropriate materials to ensure the safety of personnel and prevent risks of fire or explosion.
Generally, the rated voltage of installations supplying power to pleasure boats should not exceed 230 V AC single-phase. Exceptionally, three-phase 400 V AC may be used to supply yachts with high electricity consumption.
3. Safety Protection
Protection against direct and indirect contact shall comply with ITC-BT-24, with the following considerations:
3.1. Protection by Low Voltage Security (MBTS)
When using MBTS, protection against direct contact must be ensured at all rated voltages. Insulation must withstand a dielectric test of 500 V for one minute.
3.2. Protection by Automatic Feed Cutting
Regardless of the system used, protection must be ensured by a residual current device (RCD). In the case of a TN system, only the TN-S variant shall be used.
3.3. Application of Protective Measures Against Electric Shock
3.3.1. Protection by Obstacles
Protective measures by placing obstacles or out-of-reach placement are not permitted.
3.3.2. Protection Against Indirect Contact
Equipotential bonding not connected to earth is not allowed for protection against indirect contact in non-conductive locations.
4. Selection and Installation of Electrical Equipment
4.1. General
Electrical equipment should have at least an IPX6 degree of protection according to UNE 20,324, unless enclosed in a cabinet with this level of protection that cannot be opened without specific tools.
4.2. Pipes
The following types of piping may be used in ports and marinas:
- Cables with copper conductors, insulated and sheathed within: non-metallic hoses, rigid non-metallic conduits of high strength, medium strength galvanized conduits, or elevated mineral insulated cables with PVC protective cover.
- Cables covered in armor and thermoplastic or elastomer material.
- Cables and materials with superior mechanical protection to the above.
Do not use overhead lines to supply power to breakwaters. In floating installations or pipelines that may come into contact with water, cables used shall conform to UNE 21,166 or UNE 21.027-16, as appropriate for the rated voltage of the cable.
4.3. Switchgear
4.3.1. Switchboards
Distribution boards in ports and marinas should be located as close as possible to the mooring points they supply. Panels and associated socket outlets placed on floating facilities or jetties are to be installed at a height of 1 meter above the walkways. This distance can be reduced to 0.3 m if additional protective measures are taken.
Switchboards should incorporate a power supply base for each connection point.
4.3.2. Socket Outlets
Except in the exceptional cases referred to in Section 2, socket outlets shall be of a type established in UNE-EN 60,309, with the following characteristics:
- Rated voltage: 230 V
- Rated current: 16 A
- Number of poles: 2 and earth
- Degree of protection: IP-X6
Each outlet must be protected by an individual overcurrent device of 16 A or higher. The power outlet base should be protected by an RCD not exceeding 30 mA. A single RCD must not protect more than one outlet. Outlets arranged on the same pier or jetty must be at the same level, unless they are supplied by separate transformers.
4.3.3. Connecting to Pleasure Boats
The connection device for recreational boats will consist of:
- A contact plug with earthing conductors, conforming to the characteristics set out in Section 4.3.2.
- A flexible cable of type H07RN-F, securely connected to the pleasure boat through a connector, conforming to the characteristics set out in Section 4.3.2.
Cable lengths should not exceed 25 m. The cable should have no intermediate connections or splices along its length.