Table of Contents

List of Troubleshooting Charts List of Tables Acknowledgments/Preface to the Second Edition Introduction Chapter 1. Establishing a Balanced Battery-Powered Electrical System Introduction The Peculiarities of Boats Batteries How They Work; Electrolyte Variations; Modes of Failure; Automotive (Cranking) Versus Deep-Cycle Batteries; Wet-Cells Versus Gel-Cells; Nicads--The Ultimate Battery Getting Down to Specifics Determining Power Requirements; Providing the Necessary Capacity; Providing Adequate Charging Capabilities; Establishing Correct Voltage Regulation Putting the Pieces Together Is It Better to Have One or Two Battery Banks for House Use?; Charging More Than One Battery Bank from a Common Alternator; Monitoring and Control Summary: A Balanced System Postscript Chapter 2. Maintaining and Troubleshooting a Battery-Powered Electrical System Batteries Safety; Routine Maintenance; Testing a Battery; Problem Batteries Alternators How They Work; Installation and Maintenance; Charging Problems; Repairing Alternators Voltage Regulators How They Work; Different Regulators: Internal, External, P and N; Voltage Regulator Bypass Devices; Troubleshooting Voltage Regulators; Emergency Voltage Regulation Diodes Identification and Rating; Heat Sinks; Testing Battery Isolation Diodes Chapter 3. Understanding and Troubleshooting Electrical Circuits; Proper Installation Practices Basic Concepts and Measurements The Water Analogy; Making Measurements; The Multimeter: An Essential Tool DC Circuits Ground Versus Insulated Return; Troubleshooting with a Voltmeter; Troubleshooting with an Ohmmeter; Ground Faults ("Earth" Leaks); Don't Leave Port Without a Multimeter AC Circuits The Importance of Grounding; Safety Versus Corrosion; Typical AC Circuits Afloat; Testing AC Circuits Proper Electrical Installation Cables; Connections and Terminals; Installing Cables; Distribution Panels Chapter 4. Corrosion, Bonding, Lightning Protection, and Grounding Corrosion Galvanic Corrosion; Stray-Current Corrosion Bonding and Cathodic Protection Cathodic Protection; Unbond and Isolate Lightning Protection The Importance of Grounding; The Path to Ground; Protecting Electrical Circuits and Electronics; Lightning Protection The Common Ground Point Chapter 5. Battery Chargers, Inverters, Wind and Water Generators, and Solar Panels Battery Chargers How They Work; Ferro-Resonant as a Yardstick; Performance Implies Regulation; Troubleshooting Inverters How They Work; Batteries: The Limiting Factor; Matching the Demand to the System; Inverter Installation; Troubleshooting Wind and Water Generators How They Work; Pros and Cons; Installation and Maintenance; Troubleshooting and Repair Solar Panels Basic Terminology; Key Factors in System Design; Installation; Troubleshooting Chapter 6. AC Generators and Electric Motors (DC and AC) AC Generators Generators: How They Work; General Maintenance; Troubleshooting Operating Problems; No Output: Armature Type; No Output: Alternator Type with Brushes; No Output: Brushless Alternator Type; Disassembly and Bearing Replacement; Variable-Speed Technology (VST) Electric Motors How They Work; Speed Regulation; Troubleshooting; Starter Motors Chapter 7. Marine Electronics Troubleshooting Electronic Equipment Preliminary Troubleshooting Antennas and Grounds Siting an Antenna; Antenna Installation; Grounds Radio Interference Sources of Interference; Tracking Down Interference; Preventing (Suppressing) Interference Saving Soaked Equipment Chapter 8. Diesel Engines Operation and Maintenance How They Work; Preventive Maintenance Troubleshooting Part 1: Failure to Start Failure to Crank; Engine Cranks But Won't Fire Troubleshooting Part 2: Operating Problems Overheating; Smoke; Loss of Performance; Water in the Crankcase; Low Oil Pressure; Inadequate Turbocharger Performance; Problems with Engine Instrumentation Winter Layup Recommissioning Chapter 9. From Transmission to Propeller Transmissions and Shaft Brakes Transmissions: How They Work; Maintenance; Troubleshooting; Shaft Brakes Connecting a Transmission to a Propeller Shaft Couplings; Engine Alignment; Constant-Velocity Joints Shaft Seals Stuffing Boxes (Packing Glands); Mechanical Seals; Lip-Type Seals; A Dripless Future? Bearings and Propellers Cutless Bearings and Struts; Propellers Chapter 10. Refrigeration and Air Conditioning CFCs and the Ozone Hole Marine Refrigeration Balancing Refrigeration Needs with Boat Use Iceboxes: The Key to Sizing; Refrigeration Choices Operation, Troubleshooting, and Repair How Refrigeration Works; Routine Maintenance Charging and Topping-Up Procedures Handling Refrigerant; Gauge Sets Chapter 11. Plumbing, Toilets, Through-Hull Fittings Plumbing Copper Pipe or Tubing; Metal Pipe; Plastic Pipe; Hoses Marine Toilets (Heads) Discharge Regulations; Heading Off Toilet Problems; Troubleshooting and Repair Through-Hulls and Seacocks Types of Seacock; Installation Chapter 12. Pumps and Pump Switches Pumps How They Work; Pros and Cons; Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Repair Pump Switches Pressure Switches; Level Switches Chapter 13. Steering Systems, Autopilots, and Wind Vanes Steering Systems Types of Steering; Maintenance and Troubleshooting Autopilots How They Work; Problems with Autopilots Wind Vane Self-Steering How It Works; Maintenance and Troubleshooting Chapter 14. Stoves, Cabin Heaters, Water Heaters, and Lanterns Basic Safety Gas Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Compressed Natural Gas; Installation; Troubleshooting Gas Appliances Alcohol, Kerosene, and Diesel Appliances Fuel Quality; Troubleshooting; Overhaul; Diesel Drip-Pot Stoves Electric Water Heaters and Stoves Water Heater Problems Chapter 15. Spars and Standing Rigging Spars Wooden Spars and Spreaders; Aluminum Spars and Spreaders; Downwind, Whisker, and Spinnaker Poles Standing Rigging Wire Rope; Fitting End Connections (Terminals) to Wire Rope; Rod Rigging; Fitting Rigging to a Boat; Inspection and Maintenance; Tuning a Rig Chapter 16. Running Rigging, Deck Hardware, and Roller Reefing Blocks Terminology and Loading Factors; Maintenance Winches How They Work; Servicing and Overhaul; Powered Winches Anchor Windlasses General Maintenance; Problems Common to All Windlasses; Horizontal Manual Windlasses; Vertical Manual Windlasses; Electric Windlasses; Hydraulic Windlasses Roller Reefing and Furling How It Works; Problems and Answers; Summary: Do's and Don'ts; Maintenance; In-Mast and Behind-the-Mast Reefing Glossary Appendix A: Checklist of Winterizing Procedures Appendix B: Freeing Frozen Parts and Fasteners Appendix C: Tools and Spare Parts Appendix D: Useful Tables Index

About the Author

Niger Calder is the author of Marine Diesel Engines (1987, 1991) and Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual (1989, 1995), the success of which has made him the most sought-after marine how-to writer in the U.S. and U.K. He has published more than 800 magazine articles in SAIL, Cruising World, Ocean Navigator, Yachting World, etc., and lectures on cruising to sell-out crowds. He is also the author of The Cruising Guide to The Northwest Caribbean (IM, 1991) and Cuba: A Cruising Guide (Imray, 1996). He will be testing his newest ideas with his family during a six-month cruise to the Caribbean and South America this winter.

Reviews

A truly remarkable bible--This book is the best kind that I am aware of, and it should become part of the ship's library for every self-sufficient cruiser.''

An impressive compilation of advice on boat equipment and systems--one of the best we've seen--Much of the information cannot be found anywhere else.''

Several feet of shelf space in [our] technical library is devoted to material published in recent years on marine systems for small craft. But the single most frequently reached for reference in this collection is [this book]. . .It has effectively supplanted everything else on that shelf.''

This book should come as standard equipment with every boat.''