ed’s boat tips

OK I’ll admit it, I’m a bit depressed. For most of us here in North America, we’re roughly half way through the boating season. For me that means time is flying by too fast. Badly depleted shaft anodes, time to replace them! Anyhow, one of the super important maintenance items you must remember to check at this time of year is the sacrificial anodes on your boat. If they look like the ones in the photos below, replace them to be certain that your boat’s underwater metal stays in good shape. …

We received a query over the weekend that’s worth sharing because its the sort of question that I’ll bet many of you have had if you are dealing with an on-board DC to AC inverter. Shannon writes in: Ed- “I’m having a problem with installing an Inverter in a 86 32′ Wellcraft. it is a 6K run/12K surge inverter. It is connected to two banks of two D8 batteries.The problem is that the polarity light comes on and the 30A breaker pops when power is applied. So I tried switching the wires on the …

I’m just back from one of my favorite annual missions. For the last few years I’ve been honored to be a judge at the Mystic Seaport classic boat rendezvous in Mystic, Connecticut. This year I was assigned to be one of the judges in the 40 ft. and up power yacht category and I had the pleasure of checking out some absolutely exquisite boats. My favorite in this year’s grouping, and ultimately the big prize winner for the weekend was a beauty named Dolphin from Sorel, Quebec, Canada. The boat …

First, let me apologize for not posting since last week. I’ve been traveling and really tied up with meetings and such. But I’m back at it.  We received a scary message from one of our readers several days ago, and I need to share this because it is illustrating a super dangerous situation that you all need to know about. First of all, the reader bought one of the reference cells I mentioned in my July 8th post. So, as all people curious about such things would do, he decided to check out …

It’s been a year and I’ve just heard from our friend Vincent regarding his Alerion/Mastervolt electric yacht. As discussed last summer one of the big questions that remained unanswered regarding the boat was the actual range with just battery power and limited regeneration capability. Well, as some of us expected, and the designer wisely anticipated, the second set of Mastervolt LION batteries has been installed. Vincent reports: ” After a methodical 11 hour day yesterday, and some sore …

Love it. We’re internationally famous! I received a nice note from a reader in Switzerland yesterday. I’m sharing this as I know his is a question that many folks have.

Should battery cells be equalized? The July 4th holiday weekend sent me into super busy mode so sorry for not posting in a few days. I received an email from a reader today though that asks a good question that I’ll bet a few of you may have. Dave writes in: Ed, I saw a product advertized as “Battery Equaliser 12 Ounce # BE12oz” which is to increase battery longevity… what do you think?I have two four year old 8D wet cell batteries and these things are expensive! Cat 3208120 amp …

Most folks who know me also know that I like all boats, power and sail. Folks who really know me well also know that I prefer classic looking boats that seem, to my eye anyhow, to have timeless appeal. My own Flyzone is a good example of how my taste in boats runs. Check it out here: http://www.edsboattips.com/construction-a-technical/87-eds-boat   Anyhow, this past weekend I had an opportunity to “modernize” a bit and get a feel for a boat with 900 Mercury 4-Stroke Verado horsepower. Here’s …

I’ve touted the PulseTech equipment on this site before, and I’m going to do it again. Why? Because I’m a believer. I use their equipment and have for years. I know for sure it increases battery life. Well, last week a PulseTech dealer in Minnesota (think really cold and batteries get hit hard, especially in the winter) sent around some photos of battery plates from the inside of some batteries he used in an experiment to see what really happens over time to batteries charged with and …

I recently received a query from a reader regarding a requirement for double hose clamps on all of the hoses in his boat’s fuel system. It seems that during a recent survey for insurance the surveyor recommended that double clamps be added “based on ABYC Standards”. The reader is a little confused because the boat hasn’t been modified since new 6 years ago. So, what’s the real deal here? This one is easy to answer. The ABYC does NOT require that double hose clamps be used anywhere in your …

Ed demonstrating how to use electrical test equipment to an adult ed group Over this past weekend I received an inquiry from John asking about where he might find some good training opportunities to learn about his diesel engine and electrical system. Hey Ed- “I have been a sailboat owner for many years, but have never learned about maintaining a diesel engine or the electrical system. Where can I get training that is better than a generalized overview; training that would be practical …

Rick writes in with a really good question about his batteries and Prosine 2.0 Inverter charger. I’m going to share this one because I’ll bet many of you have similar questions/concerns. Prosine 2.0 Inverter charger is shown in the center-upper unit with yellow trim.