Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual | 
 enlarge | Author: Nigel Calder
Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
Category: Book
List Price: $49.95
Buy New: $27.65
You Save: $22.30 (45%)
New (17) Used (12) from $27.65
Avg. Customer Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 5402
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 3
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 832
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.2
Dimensions (in): 11 x 8.6 x 1.4
ISBN: 0071432388
Dewey Decimal Number: 623.8500288
EAN: 9780071432382
ASIN: 0071432388
Publication Date: May 31, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Do yourself a favor: if you own a boat, you should also own the Boatowner's Mechanical & Electrical Manual. Written in a simple, accessible style, the Manual is aimed at helping the nonexpert solve problems in marine systems--think of it as a friendly mechanic. Author Nigel Calder explains how the systems work, helps you troubleshoot and identify problems, and presents clear and concise instructions on how to repair them. Best of all, Calder also offers helpful advice on how to prevent future system failure. Absolutely indispensable for boat owners. --M. Stein
Product Description
The boatowner's foremost troubleshooting guide, now better than ever If it's on a boat and it has screws, wires, or moving parts, it's covered in Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual. When you leave the dock with this book aboard, you have at your fingertips the best and most comprehensive advice on: - Battery technologies
- 12- and 24-volt DC systems
- Corrosion, bonding, and lightning protection
- Generators, inverters, and battery chargers
- Electric motors and electric lights
- Marine electronics, antennas, and RFI
- Diesel engines
- Transmissions, shaft brakes, and propellers
- Refrigeration and air-conditioning
- Tanks, plumbing, and through-hulls
- Pumps and watermakers
- Steering, autopilots, and wind vanes
- Stoves and heaters
- Winches, windlasses, and bow thrusters
- Spars, rigging, and roller reefing
"If you had to choose a single book to help you assess and maintain your boat gear, this would be it."—Practical Sailor "A truly remarkable bible. . . . This book is the best of its kind."—WoodenBoat "A major achievement. . . . It would be hard to imagine anything going wrong on a boat that couldn't be figured out with this book."—Sailing World "The world's best technical reference and troubleshooting book."—Sailing Inland and Offshore "This manual will be of lasting interest to anyone who wants to know how their boat works, what has gone wrong when it doesn't, and how it could be fixed."—Classic Boat "Without becoming too complex, the book covers almost every imaginable mechanical or electrical matter in the marine environment."—Work Boat World "Calder lives what he writes, . . . [and] what he offers . . . is practical solutions to problems associated with increasingly complex marine systems. . . . [A] bargain for anyone in the construction and repair side of the boat business."—Professional Boatbuilder
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| Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
A Must Have for Owners of Auxiliary Sailboats May 12, 2008
I have a 1987 Catalina 30 sailboat with a diesel engine. I wish I had purchased a copy of this book six years ago when I bought my boat. I might have saved hundreds and maybe even thousands of dollars in yard bills by doing more of the work myself with the help of this book. I have the 2nd Edition published in 1995. I think it is well organized, well written, and I find the illustrations to be clear. A friend of mine purchased the 3rd Edition, which has updated information, particularly on electronics. However I am extremely satisfied with the 2nd Edition for my needs.
A must have for Cruisers! May 7, 2008
No this is not a book for inland gas boats! This is a book for ocean going vessels. Both power and sail. I have cruised on a 28' Columbia (outboard) and a 41' Islander Freeport (perkins). It was a *must have* with the Cruising Handbook in 4 years of full time cruising. [...] Fairwinds!
Amazing book that demystified so much of my boat February 27, 2008
This is the second Nigel Calder book I own, and I am even more impressed. I am an ASA-certified instructor qualified to teach through bareboat chartering and coastal navigation. I have sailed on all sorts of boats, have owned a cruising style boat for six years, have heard boat owners and students complain about various problems, have read dozens of books, and through all of this have experienced so many mysteries related to corrosion, electrical problems, equipment problems, and issues with various boat systems. For the first time, I feel I have a single reference manual specific to boat systems that not only provides clear troubleshooting steps but goes beyond troubleshooting to clearly explain the mechanical and physical principles that demystify why things go wrong and how the troubelshooting steps systematically work through problems. The explanations are understandable, the instructions and safety tips are effective, and the diagrams and photos are valuable. It has already helped me deal with a grounding problem that was causing our main cirvruit breaker to trip!
Electrical System Design February 23, 2008
I'm redesigning the electrical system for my boat and portions of this book has given me the knowledge to make informed decisions, with an understanding of the trade offs, about what features and capabilities I would like my new system to have. It has also provided information to allow me to make intelligent decisions about selecting new components to achieve my electrical system goals efficiently (save money by not buying things I don't need). I would recommend this book for the person with a basic knowledge of electricity who wants to understand either how their current electrical system works or how they might change it to make it better.
 Great, but no info on gas engines February 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a great book. I love the extensive coverage of electrical systems, as it seems so many boaters have problems with electrical. I was a little surprised that the engine section only covers diesel engines. No big deal, as most of the other stuff applies to gas too (impellers, transmission, etc), but I wanted to know a little about a head overhaul and there's not much there for the gas engine owner.
Still, I'd highly recommend this book to any boat owner who also has the gumption to do the work themselves.
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