“Dieufort walked the pier with me, then wrote down which pedestals read high and which didn't. I handed the list to our dock master as it was.”
Henryk S.Marina owner
Marine and waterfront electric · Galesville, MD
Dock and shore-power wiring, with a source for every safety claim
Hoyte Marine Electric wires marinas, private docks and waterfront houses on the Chesapeake. When we tell you something about dock safety, we can show you where it comes from.
- Licensed and insured in Maryland
- Written estimate before any work
- Weekday visits
What we wire
- Shore-power pedestals
- Boat lift circuits
- Dock lighting
- Dock feeders and panels
- Ground-fault testing
- Waterfront house panels
Checked claims
Six things we say about docks, and where each one comes from
Nothing about dock safety goes on this site until we have read it in a source. The full list, with what we held back, is on the dock safety page.
| Where it comes from | What we say | |
|---|---|---|
| Swimming near a powered dock | Where it comes fromElectric Shock Drowning Prevention Association, “Preventing ESD” (electricshockdrowning.org) | What we sayDon't. Nobody should swim in or near a marina, dock or boatyard where AC power is in use, even when the water looks calm. |
| Salt water as an exception | Where it comes fromSteve D’Antonio, Waterway Guide, “Electric Shock Drowning and Electrocution Prevention” | What we sayIt isn't one. Nearly all recorded cases were in fresh water, but the author we read says salt water is not safe either, and that there are no exceptions. |
| A detector with a green light | Where it comes fromElectric Shock Drowning Prevention Association, “Preventing ESD” | What we sayA green light on a leakage detector doesn't make the water safe to swim in. |
| Ground-fault protection at the pedestal | Where it comes fromNFPA 70, Article 555, section 555.35, as summarized by EC&M magazine, “NEC Requirements for Marinas and Boatyards” | What we sayThe model electrical code asks for ground-fault protection on each boat receptacle that trips at 30 milliamps or less, and 100 or less on the feeder to the dock. Your county's adopted edition decides what applies to you. |
| Pedestal height | Where it comes fromNFPA 70, Article 555, section 555.33, as summarized by EC&M magazine | What we sayReceptacles on a fixed pier sit at least 12 inches above the pier surface. |
| The boat's own protection | Where it comes fromElectric Shock Drowning Prevention Association, “Preventing ESD” | What we sayA boat with AC power should carry an equipment leakage circuit interrupter or an isolation transformer, checked by an electrician trained in boat wiring standards. |
Services
What we do on the water and at the shore
Dock side only. We wire up to and including the pedestal, the lift and the lights, and we don't wire inside boats.
Shore-power pedestals
New and replacement pedestals, wired, labeled and tested before a boat plugs in.
Dock feeders and panels
The run from the shore panel to the pier, with disconnects you can find in the dark.
Boat lift circuits
A circuit and a disconnect for the lift motor, sized for the motor on the nameplate.
Dock lighting
Post and rail lights on a circuit of their own, in fittings made for wet places.
Ground-fault testing
We test the protection at each pedestal and write the readings down.
Waterfront house panels
Outdoor outlets, a panel in a damp garage, a feed to the boathouse.
Where we stop
We wire the dock, not the boat.
Boat wiring follows different standards and needs a marine electrician trained in them. We say so on the first call.
Our work ends at the pedestal receptacle, the lift motor and the dock lights. If your boat's AC system needs a look, we tell you who to ask, and we can meet them at the pedestal so the dock side is ready.
Dock side: pedestals, feeders, lifts, lights
Boat side: not ours, and we say whose it is
A written note of what we tested at the pedestal, for whoever checks the boat
How a job goes
From the first call to a signed-off dock
Seven steps, in order, so you know who is doing what and when the power is off.
- 01
Step 1: You call, or text a photo
Send a picture of the pedestal, the panel or the lift. We call back in office hours to book the walk.
- 02
Step 2: The dock walk
Winsome or Dieufort walks the pier with you or your dock master, reads each pedestal and photographs what we find.
- 03
Step 3: A written estimate
Itemized, with the permit and inspection fees on their own lines. It stands for 30 days.
- 04
Step 4: The permit
We apply to Anne Arundel County before work starts, and book the inspection.
- 05
Step 5: The power-down window
We agree a time with the marina or the household before we order parts, so boats are not plugged in.
- 06
Step 6: The work, then the test
We wire it, test the protection at each circuit and write the readings in a report.
- 07
Step 7: Inspection and sign-off
The county inspects the work where a permit is required. You keep the report.
Licensed in Maryland
Whose license is on the work
The county's License Division issues the license, and the number sits in the footer of every page. You can ask the division to confirm it.
License
Master General ElectricianVerify
MD Lic. 000000 · Anne Arundel County License Division
The county's full master class. Its master limited class covers industrial plant work only.
Insurance
General liability
Carrier named on the certificate · Policy 000000
Cover for damage to a dock, a boat or a house while we work. Ask for the certificate.
How to check
The license
Call the Anne Arundel County License Division, linked beside the number in the footer.
The insurance
Ask us for the certificate. Marinas often ask for one before a contractor comes onto the dock.
Sample reviews
What a dock walk is like
“They explained why the boat lift needed a circuit of its own before they touched anything, and they labeled the breaker so none of us has to guess.”
Mila K.Waterfront homeowner
“We asked where each safety line in the proposal came from. Winsome sent the pages the same afternoon.”
Edson C.Yacht club board member
Sample reviews.
Service area
The creeks and shores we work on
Galesville and the Anne Arundel shoreline, across the Bay Bridge to Kent Narrows and Queenstown, and south to Chesapeake Beach.
Anne Arundel County
- Gambrills
- Crofton
- Lothian
- Galesville
- Churchton
- Herald Harbor
Queen Anne's County
- Kent Narrows
- Grasonville
- Queenstown
Calvert County
- Owings
- Dunkirk
- Chesapeake Beach
- North Beach
We don't wire inside boats, and we don't take jobs on the Eastern Shore east of Queenstown or south of Chesapeake Beach.
Questions
Before the dock walk
Do you work on boats?
No. We wire the dock side: pedestals, feeders, lifts and lights. Wiring inside a boat needs a marine electrician trained in boat standards, and we tell you that on the first call.
Is it safe to swim near our dock?
The sources we read say no. Nobody should swim in or near a marina, dock or boatyard where AC power is in use. The dock safety page names each source.
Do you take night or weekend calls?
No. We work weekdays, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., so there is no night rate. If something is burning or sparking, or someone is hurt, call 911 first. We schedule the repair the next working day.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. The county license class and the insurance entry are in the footer and in the credentials section above, and we send the certificate on request.
What does a dock walk cost?
We charge a visit fee, tell you the amount when you book, and credit it to the work if you book within 30 days. The pricing page says what moves the final number.
Do you handle permits?
Yes. We apply to Anne Arundel County and book the inspection. If a job also needs a waterfront permit, that one is the owner's or marina's, and we tell you at the walk.
Book a dock walk
Tell us where the dock is and what you want checked. We call back in office hours.