simonhopes
There’s something about open waters which draws people’s attention. Estate most ancient stories from humanities past deal with the idea of humanity’s seas. However, there’s another universal element of humanity’s relationship to seamanship. People have always needed to carefully consider and ration resources when boating. It was true in the past and it’s true up to this day. However, the nature of resource usage has changed dramatically. One of the great things about technological progress is that people now have considerable freedom to improve their lot in life. And it’s as true for those on the water as on land.
One of the best examples of this in recent times is the shore power pedestal. It’s an idea that makes efficient use and storage of resources to a whole new level. Of course, this brings up an obvious question. What is a shore power pedestal? To answer this one must first look at something known as a dockside power source. These were typically fairly rudimentary ways of providing power to a boat or ship. While not a firm rule, they tended to be fairly crude and fragile.
A proper power pedestal takes the basic idea of a dockside power source and brings it into a more modern mindset. It takes advantage of recent technological advancements to create something that’s not just more efficient than the prior implementation. A proper power pedestal is also safer. There’s also a huge advantage to be found in how they’re manufactured.
A power pedestal comes with a full uniform design. This means that everyone knows exactly what to expect from it. Boat wiring can be rather finicky. And earlier power solutions would often add even more uncertainty to the mix. This was less than ideal for anyone who really needed to depend on them. And again, just as in the early days of sailing people still need to depend on resource management. Finding oneself without power when it’s expected can lead to dangerous situations. Consider a situation where one can’t use radio when there’s a need to request assistance. Or for someone who is entering a cold area and needs power for heat. There are hundreds of reasons why one might need reliable power when on the open water. And anything which impedes that need is worrisome.
On the other side of things, having reliable power is a considerable bonus for any marina. Someone who has a consistent power supply can offer an extra layer of reliability to their feature set. And this all leads to one of the most significant reasons why this is such a reliable system.
The power pedestals have a standardized system of waterproof weathering in place. This higher level of protection is immensely important for any source of electricity that needs to sit in continual proximity to moisture. It’s not just a matter of direct contact with water either. Just the humidity one will find next to water can be a big problem with electricity. But power pedestals are specially designed to handle all of these issues. They usually incorporate a base layer of molded resin. It’s then given an additional coat of UV-resistant polyurethane.
The end result is a reliable source of power at marinas. It also means that the marina and boat owner alike gets a big advantage. Having reliable equipment available helps everyone. Marina owners won’t need to continually replace equipment when it’s reliable and hardened against the elements. And likewise, stability provides something that sailers can rely on as well. It’s one of those situations where every person involved in the transaction is able to benefit.
