Trawler Forum should get a commission from Nigel Calder. I think that Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual is just about the only thing that almost all of us will agree upon.
Jim
Hi Jim,
I'm afraid I'm not a member of the Nigel Calder fan club. While I agree his "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual" is a valuable resource, I personally believe he provides a fair amount of extraneous information, particularly in the electrical systems section(s) of this manual. Much of which is simply TMI for the average user, and more so for the novice. In particular, does anyone not broken down in Bongo-Bongo land REALLY need to know how to overhaul an alternator? Not bad information, just not really pertinent to the average joe trying to make sense out of marine DC electrical systems. In addition, in my opinion, much of Mr. Calder's manual is focused on monohull cruising sailboats. Again, not bad information, but takes some extrapolation into the world of powerboating for most of us.
For a basic primer, I much prefer the Ample Power Primer. This primer is, unfortunately, out of print, and somewhat out of date. It focuses on flooded lead acid technology, with some discussion of gel technology, but does not discuss more modern battery chemistries. It also includes some information on proprietary (and also no longer available) Ample Power hardware that is OBE, as I believe Ample Power Technology is no longer in business. However, it does provide an excellent description of sound DC electrical systems engineering design, along with some easily understandable electrical schematics for both single- and twin-engine powerboats. All are directly applicable to the Original Poster's (Hydrospud) query.
Should anyone be interested, I have taken the liberty of posting a copy of the Ample Power Primer in the Trawler Forum library.
Regards,
Pete