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Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual 4/E

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"The definitive guide to designing, installing, and maintaining electrical and mechanical systems on your boat"

"Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual" covers virtually anything on a sail or power boat with moving parts: engine, electrical, steering systems, winches, pumps, refrigeration, plumbing, rigging.

Updated to include new chapters and information about hybrid propulsion system, distributed power systems, electrical systems design, and fuel cells, it explores situations for legacy boats (traditional power) and explores options for new boats (hybrid power, fuel cells, inverter strategies), helping you both deal with existing systems and plan your next ones.

Praise for previous editions of "Boatowners's Mechanical and Electrical Manual"

"This book should come as standard equipment with every boat."
"SAIL"

"Truly remarkable. . . . This book is the best of its kind."
"WoodenBoat"

960 pages, Hardcover

First published January 10, 1990

234 people are currently reading
389 people want to read

About the author

Nigel Calder

114 books28 followers

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Community Reviews

5 stars
218 (67%)
4 stars
67 (20%)
3 stars
31 (9%)
2 stars
5 (1%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for Bonnie-jean Mackay.
2 reviews
May 17, 2021
I hope that my experience with this book improves as I move through the systems I need to address on my 1966 River Queen Houseboat. I was eagerly awaiting the book before beginning to install and wire in all the 12v DC devices, including bilge pumps, navigations lights and - well I have a list of 12 items to go on that system. At the moment I received the book, however I was (am) looking for best practices and smart hacks for replacing my shifter cables for my Dana outdrives. River Queen is out of business, and Dana - the outdrive manufacturer - is too, I do believe.
I grabbed the eagerly awaited book package out of the mailbox, tore open the envelope, and turned to the index: "Cables"..."Electrical...", "Steering...". That is all there was! No throttle cables. No shifter cables! Dang!!
Well, here's to hoping everything ELSE I need is in this Mechanical and Electrical Manual.
Profile Image for Stocker Pollard.
9 reviews1 follower
July 22, 2023
As a electrical engineer to that designs luxury yachts, this book was a lifesaver when I started my career.
Profile Image for Kelly Watts.
Author 1 book8 followers
October 13, 2012
Once again, Nigel outdoes himself with clear explanations, troubleshooting and repair steps for all of the other onboard systems...this book includes his expertise on diesel engines as well. Our fridge died a couple of times during our 4-year sailing trip and Nigel rescued us (and all of our precious frozen meat). When lightening surrounded us, we consulted Nigel for tips to avoid an strike. I highly recommend his books for anyone who plans to cast off for a bluewater adventure.
Profile Image for Steven.
145 reviews
September 3, 2012
This book is a must for anyone who maintains boats. This book has vastly improved my experience with breakdowns many times at sea and in the harbour.
3 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2017
Very comprehensive

A one-stop shop to understand and maintain your boat's systems. It's hundreds of photos and illustrations are a very useful complement to the narrative.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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