Making an Electricity Budget on A Sailboat
Is your energy production sufficient to meet your electrical needs? Read this text to understand how to assess the electrical balance sheet of your boat.
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How Nautical Charts Represent the World
It is not a conspiracy, nor a computer bug. It is a fact established mathematical fact in 1837: every rectangular map of the world is a lie.
Forecasting Tides With 37 Numbers
Tides are special. Almost all aspects of the weather are the outcome of complex interactions: cloud formation, winds, or rain patterns. For any of these dimensions, advanced numerical modeling is required in order to produce reliable forecasts, often limited to a window of four days. These models rely on large...
Diesel Engines: First Principles
A diesel engine relies on a controlled explosion in four stages: intake, compression, explosion and output. Unlike gas, diesel ignites on compression alone in the cylinder: no spark plug is needed.
What is an MPPT Charge Controller?
An MPPT charge controller regulates a fluctuating power source prior to redirecting it to the batteries. It prolongs the battery life and reduces the charging time.
The Rules of Twelfths and Twentieths
Is the rule of sixths better than the Oceans and Fisheries “rule of twenthieths” for manually calculating tides? Here is the punchline: they both yield similar results.
Stepping the Mast: Yves Gélinas’ Approach
I describe how Yves Gélinas taught me to step the mast on Jean-du-Sud. The approach takes a day and no additional equipment… if the boat is properly configured.
Repowering An Alberg 30: Final Remarks
I have finished Jean-du-Sud’s power train install. I answer why I chose a Beta Marine 20, detail the unforeseen costs and analyze the install time.
