Electric propulsion is clean, near silent and can even be self-refuelling, but is it worth the investment? Jake Kavanagh considers the options
The latest small outboards often have batteries that can be swapped out during a trip. This is the new Avator 750W (3hp) from Mercury Marine. Credit: Mercury MarineHow to choose the right electric boat engine
The sheer versatility of the modern electric motor has been harnessed to offer a bewildering choice of drives, but they essentially fall into three main categories:...
Exhaust gas, containing CO, had likely been funnelled into the cockpit between the boat’s transom and an inflatable waterskiing ringo suspended from it...
The men had left the petrol engine running, likely to maintain power to some of the boat’s systemsTwo men lost their lives after poisonous carbon monoxide gas entered the covered cockpit area of a 5.5m sports cruiser, which did not have a CO detector fitted, a Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) investigation has concluded.
Fumes from the Fletcher 18 GTS’s petrol engine...
Is it worth buying a boat with a non-running engine? Vyv Cox has some tips on what to look for before deciding if it’s a viable project
Before deciding to refurbish an old, unworking engine, make sure you’re not wasting your time and money. This is the motor in the original PBO Project Boat Hantu Biru. Surface rust wasn’t a problem, but a holed casing meant it was scrapHow do I tell if an old boat engine is beyond repair?
Although the cost of new...
Gilbert Park installs a temperature monitor and alarm to prevent costly exhaust hose damage in the event of impeller failure
Gilbert Park’s Mitchell 28 Classique Argus had a history of impeller failure that damaged the rubber exhaust hoseBoat exhaust temperature alarm: how to fit one to your boat
Cooling water is driven around the...
Ali Wood gets to grips with Maximus’s faulty electrical system after some unexpected failures made an appearance on passage
The marine alternator had to be removed so the problem could be foundWhile motoring from Yarmouth to Poole with my husband, James, and friend Gilbert Park, something strange happened.
The rev counter on our...
Intrepid dinghy sailors will be honouring a significant event in the SigneT class history with a cross-Channel expedition.
The SigneT class is still thrivingFour SigneTs, designed by Ian Proctor – one of the most illustrious dinghy designers of all time – crossed the Channel in July 1963, departing from Deal in Kent to raise public interest in the 12ft 4in vessel and to prove its seaworthiness.
...
James Wood removes Maximus’s alternator and gets it repaired
Front view of the refurbed boat alternatorAs ever with a small yacht, working in the engine bay is cramped and you have limited visibility.
I’d already established that I would have to remove the wiring from the boat alternator terminals completely...
To rest or wait out weather, heaving to remains a tried and true tactic at sea. Some seafaring traditions are worth carrying on, especially those based on knowledge and techniques derived from thousands of years of misfortunes and triumphs. The art of heaving to is such a tradition. No matter what body of water we sail […]
The post Art in Slow Motion appeared first on Good Old Boat.
After mid-Atlantic battery failure, John Willis decides it’s time to upgrade his battery bank and electrics
New set-up in the bow battery compartment. Credit: John WillisBoat battery bank and electrics upgrade
Sailing to the Azores recently highlighted some electrical weaknesses on my yacht Pippin that had me desperately changing batteries around at sea – never a...
Ali Wood tries out a pair of Slastik sunglasses to see if the continuous strap is a help or hindrance on the water
Ali tests the Swing Slastik sunglasses, with wrap around armsWhen I visited my optician she reminded me to keep wearing sunglasses through winter.
For some reason I only ever wear them for the summer months and spend the rest of the year squinting into the glare.
So when Slastik sent me a pair of sunglasses last October, I decided to put them to the test.
I’d never come across a pair of glasses with a...