Sailboat Electrics Simplified [Hardcover]

Don Casey (Author)

Book Description

Series: IM Sailboat Library | Publication Date: March 31, 1999

Don't Be Baffled by Your Electrical System--Handle Repairs and Improvements with Ease

With clear illustrations and simple explanations, Don Casey shows you exactly how to install wiring . . . make good, safe connections . . . match your battery bank and alternator to your needs . . . troubleshoot problems quickly . . . avoid shore power problems . . . and more--all without a lot of technical jargon.

"Don Casey's book provides clear guidance on how to create and maintain a robust electrical system. Don's lucid explanations and numerous illustrations make what is normally mysterious and invisible--electricity--into something the reader is able to understand with confidence. An excellent addition to the sailor's seagoing library." --Chuck Hawley

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Don't be baffled by your electrical system--handle repairs and improvements with ease! With clear illustrations and simple explanations, Don Casey shows you exactly how to install wiring... make good, safe connections... match your battery bank and alternator to your needs... troubleshoot problems quickly... avoid shore power problems... and more--all without a lot of technical jargon. "Don Casey's book provides clear guidance on how to create and maintain a robust electrical system. Don's lucid explanations and numerous illustrations make what is normally mysterious and invisible--electricity--into something the reader is able to understand with confidence. An excellent addition to the sailor's seagoing library."--Chuck Hawley.

About the Author

Don Casey credits the around-the-world voyage of Robin Lee Graham, featured in National Geographic in the late 1960s, with opening his eyes to the world beyond the shoreline. After graduation from the University of Texas he moved to south Florida, where he began to spend virtually all his leisure time messing about in boats.

In 1983 he abandoned a career in banking to devote more time to cruising and writing. His work combining these two passions soon began to appear in many popular sailing and boating magazines. In 1986 he co-authored Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach, an immediate best-seller and the book responsible for pushing many would-be cruisers over the horizon. He is also author of This Old Boat, a universally praised guide that has led thousands of boatowners through the process of turning a rundown production boat into a first-class yacht, and of Sailboat Refinishing, Sailboat Hull & Deck Repair, Canvaswork & Sail Repair, and Inspecting the Aging Sailboat, all part of the International Marine Sailboat Library. He continues to evaluate old and new products and methods, often trying them on his own 30-year-old, much-modified, Allied Seawind.

When not writing or off cruising, he can be found sailing on Florida's Biscayne Bay.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (March 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070366497
• ISBN-13: 978-0070366497
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing > Instructional

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book - worth twice the price, August 26, 2002

By 

Arno E Jones (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sailboat Electrics Simplified (Hardcover)

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.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding book, July 3, 2000

By 

Gerald Siu (Santa Monica, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sailboat Electrics Simplified (Hardcover)

An outstanding book. I myself knew absolutely nothing about electricity when I first bought this book - although obviously it didn't make me an expert, it nonetheless taught me what I needed to know to start modifying my boat's electrical systems. I admit that I am biased - Don Casey is one of my favorite sailing authors - but if you are a novice and need to upgrade your boat's electrics, this is the book to get.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars elegant, June 28, 2000

By 

joel bremer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sailboat Electrics Simplified (Hardcover)

I have a twenty-five boat with modest electrical needs. This book gave me all the foundational material I needed to start and finish my project but more importantly presented the material in a very readable even entertaining fasion while remaining efficient. Great diagrams, great book, great sailing.