ABYC Section E-8 pertains to AC wiring; E-9 pertains to DC wiring. Stranded wire is the ABYC requirement for both these days, but as was noted elsewhere, the rules are not retroactive. So on an older boat, it'd be a judgement call on the part of the surveyor.

The reason a lot of marinas don't want to accept steel-hulled houseboats is that they're fine until they rust through (usually from the inside outward), and sink right there in the slip. When that happpens, the boat owner often disappears and doesn't answer his calls. And the marina usually gets stuck with the costs of cutting up and removing the sunken boat - neither fun nor cheap!

Aluminum and fiberglass hulls don't usually have that problem and thus, are more often than not, welcome at most marinas. Older fiberglass boats often had wooden stringer problems, where they'd rot out (an expensive repair), but it didn't usually cause the boat to sink.


Vic Willman39065.5176967593

If the boat was wired with solid when it was built and in good condition it will usually be grandfathered in and pass.

"Don't ask Don't tell."

Stranded wire is a Federal requirement for all new boats. Has been since 1978.

Sec. 183.425—Conductors: General

(a) Each conductor must be insulated, stranded copper.

Now, as I said this is a manufacturer requirement, technically the boat owner is not required to change over if the boat already has solid wire, but it is unlikely that surveyor will overlook it. I would suggest that when you get around to rewiring that you use UL boat cable that meets UL 1426.

It is also a ABYC requirement as well.