Making the right connections Issue 101 : Mar/Apr 2015 For electrical wiring aboard boats to meet recognized standards for safety and reliability, wires should be connected to equipment and other wires...
Basic steps for making reliable connections Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015 If you own an older boat, an important skill to master is the proper technique for soldering electrical connections. At some point,...
Chargers that work only with a charge Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 We turn the key to try to start the engine and . . . nothing. This might not have been so bad, but our Pacific Seacraft Dana 24, Sockdola...
Silent power for home comforts afloat Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 There are only two practical ways to get AC power on board when not plugged into shorepower: with a generator or with an inverter. Althou...
Proven procedures keep the juice flowing Issue 103 : Jul/Aug 2015 I joined the Navy right out of high school many years ago and they saw fit to teach me to be an electronics technician. Throughout my ...
Find the fault with a multimeter and a flowchart Issue 104 : Sept/Oct 2015 When one of your engine instruments stops working, it’s good to be able to diagnose the problem yourself. If you know how to ...
Cooking up volts in the galley Issue 105 : Nov/Dec 2015 Jones was a large man who said everything with a smile, even if he was insulting you. As I walked into the marina’s restaurant and bar, a favori...
Wired to a solar panel, it knows when it’s dark Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 Wouldn’t it be nice if someone sold an automatic switch for a masthead anchor light? There may be one for sale, probably online...
Diodes overcome a dearth of switches Issue 106 : Jan/Feb 2016 I recently replaced the fragile and outdated original plastic circuit breaker panel on Nurdle, my 1979 Bristol 35.5. As part of this proje...
Track down trouble using logic and the right tools Issue 107 : Mar/Apr 2016 Electrical wiring on a typical good old boat has a tough life. The combination of salt, water, copper wire, and electricity ...
Low-wattage lighting at low cost Issue 107 : Mar/Apr 2016 One of the best things that has come along for boaters (and homeowners) lately has been LEDs for lighting. They’re cooler in operation, seemin...
Put an anchor light on automatic Issue 109 : Jul/Aug 2016 After receiving a citation for not having an illuminated anchor light while moored in Miami’s Biscayne Bay, I did some research on how to buil...
Generating electricity via the prop shaft Issue 108: May/June 2016 When we are anchored for any period of time, our solar panels and wind generator pretty much keep up with our power needs. On a passa...
Making two wires do the work of three Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 While I have never seen it in a physics textbook, I think there is an electrical law particular to good old boats. I call it Churchill’s...
Don’t be shocked by aging insulation Issue 110 : Sept/Oct 2016 When we were in Patagonia a few years back, we tied up at a marina in Puerto Montt for several weeks. We dug out our power cables a...
GOB’s troubadour tests conductors with an electric baton Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016 As part of a major refit of our Tartan 37, Higher Porpoise, we decided to replace all the in-mast conductors whil...
Clip-on solar lights illuminate and identify Issue 114: May/June 2017 For about $5 each, I made wireless lights that I can install anyplace on the boat we have a 1-inch rail to clip them on to. They b...
A tour of the marina was illuminating Issue 114: May/June 2017 My good fortune to live on a small barrier island in Florida is offset by the misfortune of full-time employment that requires me to comm...
A new alternator delivers on the promise of faster charging Issue 116: Sept/Oct 2017 Electrical systems aboard cruising sailboats hang by two threads: the capacity and reliability of the batteries and...
Making it himself, he controlled both the design and the budget Issue 123: Nov/Dec 2018 While the electrical system aboard our Alberg 35, Tomfoolery, might have been state-of-the-art when she was buil...
An alternator puzzle leads down an illuminating electrical rabbit hole. Issue 130: Jan/Feb 2020 For several days while anchored off a remote Pacific island, wind and solar power took care of the batte...
Rethinking a battery lifting strap results in a longer-lived piece of essential boat gear. Issue 130: Jan/Feb 2020 Batteries are heavy. In a sailboat they are best positioned low, near the centerline,...
Need emergency running lights? Try soda caps, PVC, and a little ingenuity. Issue 132: May/June 2020 On a recent sail approaching our anchorage at dusk, I switched on the running lights and saw the sta...
Adding a second engine switch in the cockpit made singlehanding safer and easier. Issue 141: Nov/Dec 2021 Reading Robb Lovell’s review of the Beneteau First 345 (September/ October 2019), I realized f...
Installing a new motor in a dead solar vent was far more satisfying than the alternative. Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 Shortly after buying my 1975 Tanzer 26 in 2011, I installed two 4-inch Nicro solar ven...
From a spare parts drawer and a galley, you can make a quick and easy anchor light. Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022 A functioning anchor light is a basic piece of vital equipment on board. And while you might...
An externally mounted sensor takes the guesswork out of the holding tank status. Issue 143: March/April 2022 In 2014, I rebuilt the holding tank in our 1978 Bristol 29.9 using 3/8-inch polypropylene w...
Installing GFCI outlets is an easy way to make your shorepower system safer. Issue 145: July/Aug 2022 Ah, shorepower. Love it or hate it, it’s important, especially if you are a liveaboard. In a cold ...
Repurposing a 12-volt car cooler transforms an icebox into an inexpensive DIY fridge. Issue 145: July/Aug 2022 Our boat Allamanda, a 1984 Alberg 29, has an icebox for keeping food. While this is a fai...
An array of flexible, foldable solar panels enables extended cruising even when it rains. Issue 148: Jan/Feb 2023 Some people are motivated by the lure of wealth, fame, and power. I’m motivated by bee...
