Essential Boat Electrics

Electricity is vital on board most boats: to keep their systems running and to provide the crew with the services they expect. Much of it will be professionally fitted and many yachtsmen will have little knowledge about the finer detail of electric circuits. But, given the importance of electrical power, some understanding of it is likely to be useful: either to use when required away from the marina or to repair and upgrade your systems. This book is written to provide that understanding and to allow you to undertake electrical jobs on board yourself, properly and safely. It removes the mystique of boat electrics and gives you the confidence to tackle the jobs when you need to.

Included are the minimum formulae and theory required, focussing more on the practical – using simple language and clear illustrations. There are tutorials, from using a multimeter and wiring a circuit, to troubleshooting electrical faults, all using easy-to-follow photo sequences. The book also looks at tasks such as choosing solar panels and batteries and connecting navigational instruments. The book is a great manual for a yachtsman needing to keep the power flowing. It has been thoroughly modernised and updated for this new edition by boating electric wizard Oliver Ballam.

Praise for Essential Boat Electrics

"Straightforward in presentation, this work offers easy-to-read explanations... The book is a typical good quality Fernhurst product: soft-back; clearly printed on good paper with copious illustration."
— Cruising Association

"A book to be kept on the boat together with a selection of the well-illustrated tools… will be immediately useful, even to the least confident."
— Yachting Monthly

"Easy to read and with lots of excellent pictures, Pat Manley clearly knows his subject and has produced an excellent little book."
— Cruising Association

"It is aimed squarely at the beginner with simple text and clear photos and diagrams."
— Practical Boat Owner

"sound, clear information that can be readily understood. It'll give anyone a good grounding in boat electrics."
— Sailing Today

About the Authors

Oliver Ballam runs Seapower Marine Electronics, one of the East Coast's leading boat electronic companies based at the Suffolk Yacht Harbour in Levington, providing state-of-the-art electronics to yachtsmen.

Pat Manley was a keen sailor, and must have had one of the most "self-equipped" boats afloat. He was a technical contributor to Practical Boat Owner magazine, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor.

About Fernhurst Books

Fernhurst Books was founded in 1979, initially publishing books related to dinghy racing. The list soon expanded to include cruising and other watersports. In 2006 the business was sold to John Wiley, but in 2013 a group of sailing enthusiasts (including the original founder) bought the list and name back, once again creating an independent nautical publisher owned and run by sailors. Fernhurst continues to publish books that instruct, inform and inspire those with a passion on, in or under the water. Their 140+ titles range from how-to guides to narrative to coffee-table books, covering sailing, surfing, canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, swimming, diving and fishing.