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Electrical ground is a term used to describe the reference point in an electrical circuit from which voltage is measured, a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the earth.
Read more: Ask Andrew: Electrical Installations – Part 3:...
Last time we looked at making proper electrical connections – the tools, supplies and methods needed to make connections between components and wiring.
Read more: Ask Andrew: Electrical Installations – Part 2:...
With the Vancouver International Boat Show just around the corner I contacted Campbell and Alex at Trotac Marine to find out which new products will be highlighted at their booth this year.
Winter is a great time to look at some of the hidden spaces on your boat – to take stock of what is aboard, areas of improvement and ways to upgrade.
Read more: Ask Andrew: Electrical Installations – Part 1:...
whether you choose power or sail (or both) batteries are an important part of your boat’s electrical system.
If you walk the aisles at a boat show, visit a marine store, or stop in at a repair shop, you’ll likely be inundated with digital displays, vivid touch-screens, NMEA compatible devices, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Read more: Ask Andrew: SmartPlug looks like a smart solution
Informed estimates are that barely 10% of Canadian pleasure craft have underwater lighting but in Florida it’s a far higher percentage. And, among new luxury cruisers...
This continues our look at improvements to marine electrical systems. Following on our feature on new battery technology, here we review re-charging those batteries, starting with shore cords and isolation transformers. We’ll follow with a subsequent review of generators as well as alternators, dynamos, solar panels and fuel cells. As we noted in the April 2012 Canadian Yachting on page 50, new battery technology is increasingly common in marine applications, but new technology batteries need to be well matched to charging systems and first, you need a power source.
Heating and cooling systems add immensely to cruising comfort, whether you boat in cool shoulder seasons or contend with hot, muggy summers. Most boaters learn quickly that extending their season is ideal – Canadian summers are so short, whether you’re on the west coast or the Great Lakes. In central areas, summer is short but it can be hot and humid, and winter is too cold for much cruising in all parts of Canada. Extending into spring and fall makes boating so much more enjoyable, to say nothing of helping justify the costs.
With a source of external power, shore-cord or generator, current still needs to be fed back into your battery banks to reset their chemistry and return them to full electrical output. This requires a battery charger. Here most boaters can rightly claim to confusion. There are dozens of brands available and most products are a “black-box” with little to distinguish one from the others. There is nothing to show a quality comparison or actual performance, save massive ‘spec’ sheets that tell us too much, usually in techo-talk; incomprehensible without an advanced degree.
Lifestyle
To Own, or Not to Own? Boating without boat ownership
Katherine Stone
all the fun and no hassles without ownership.
There’s nothing like owning your own boat – a dream come true for many boating enthusiasts! But along with the joys of boat ownership come the headaches, frustrations, time-consuming repairs and maintenance, and a constant outflow of cash.
Someone once told me that owning a boat was like having a hole in the water into which you poured money – an accurate description if ever I heard one!
Read more about Boating Without Boat Ownership......
Boat Reviews
Grand Banks 60 Skylounge
The Canadian market has always been a tough nut for yacht designers to figure out. Summer days get really hot; other days are downright cold. There is always the chance things could change in the blink of an eye and let’s be honest, who among us hasn’t stepped off the boat wearing shorts, flip flops and a warm jacket? Canadian yachting has always been a world of contradictions, which is why designing cruising yachts for this market has never been easy. It’s not like Florida or the Med, where weather is dependable throughout the year.
Read more about the Grand Banks 60 Skylounge............
Olympic One-Person Sailing Dinghy Completes Name Change “ILCA Dinghy” Is New Face of World’s Most Popular Racing Boat
Austin, Texas, USA (25 April 2019) – In the wake of last month’s termination of its contract with its European builder, the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) announced today that, from 25 April 2019, all new, class-approved boats will be sold and raced under the “ILCA Dinghy” name. This change will have no impact on existing ILCA-authorized boats and equipment, which will be able to race alongside ILCA Dinghies in all class sanctioned events.
“It’s a big change for a racing class that hasn’t seen anything like this in our almost 50- year history,” said Class President Tracy Usher.
Read More about the ILCA Dinghy............
Destinations
Make Mariposa One Of Your Summer Destinations
Take your boat and a beautiful waterfront setting, pair that with a fantastic musical lineup of over 100 Canadian and international performers, spice it up with an awesome food truck alley, add in an artistically diverse artisan’s marketplace and finish it with a Folkplay area dedicated to children’s fun and you have the successful recipe for the Mariposa Folk Festival.
Each July this longstanding musical tradition kicks off the summer at Tudhope Park in Orillia on the picturesque shores of Lake Couchiching and you can get there by boat. This year’s festival runs July 5-7 and is celebrating 20 years back in the city where it all began 59 years ago.
Read more about the Mariposa.....
Marine Products
Mercury Marine Launches New Mercruiser V8 6.2l 370hp Jet Ready Inboard Engine
Mercury Marine is pleased to announce the launch of the new MerCruiser V8 6.2L 370hp Jet Ready inboard engine. The new Jet Power Inboard uses MerCruiser’s 6.2L small block V8 powerplant in an inboard configuration and has a tailstock in place of a transmission to allow for an easy connection to a jet pump via a jackshaft.
“This engine provides boat builders, dealers and consumers with a Mercury inboard jet option that provides easy integration with a jet pump, a full warranty on jet applications and enables consumers to leverage Mercury’s best-in-class dealer network for service,”,,,
Read more about the Mercruiser V8 Inboard Engine............
Groupe Beneteau unveils its first motor foiler
After developing the Figaro Beneteau 3, the first production foiling sailing yacht, Groupe Beneteau has launched a new innovation, unveiling its concept foiling motor yacht.
DEMS Sarrazin Design, Noval and SEAir brought on board a range of design, technical and mechanical skills, alongside the innovation, naval architecture and product design experts from Groupe Beneteau.
Read more about Beneteau's Motor Foiler............
