| I've been wiring cars and motorcycles for 30 years. I also work with microcontrollers and supporting circuity and electronics in general. Somebody suggested that I get into boat electrics and maybe I could help support my cruising kitty (when the time comes) by working on other peoples sailboats. It seemed like a good idea, so I set out learning what I could and to gain some experience. The first thing I did was to buy every book I could lay my hands on on boat wiring and read them from cover to cover. Now that I've wired and repaired a few sailboats I realized that out of all the books I have, only two were refered to continuously while the rest have collected dust. This book is one of them. First of all, it is a very easy book to read. There is not a wasted word in the whole book. All concepts are concise and easily understood. When you need a diagram to grok a concept, it is there. You can sit down and read this book like a novel it's written so well. Second, it leaves no assumptions. Sure, I'd like to think I know all things electrical, but I don't. Sailboat electrics is as different from automotive electrics as cake is from pie. I learned about the difference between marine and automotive batteries. I learned about corrosion and zincs. I picked up the concept of sailboat characteristics in a lightning strike. These are the categories that are not covered in automotive books or even in general Electrical Engineering courses. I think this book should be every boaters first choice in sailboat electrics. I recommend it to everyone who has an interest. If you feel you need even more detail, or equipment-specific knowledge, you can always pick up (my 2nd must-have book choice): Boatowner's Mechanical & Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boat's Essential Systems. Between the two, you will have on hand a reference to everything you will need to know. |
