Basic Electricity for the Boater
This two-day program will teach the boat owner the basics they need to know to perform simple repair, troubleshooting and maintenance procedures on their boat's electrical system. The course will begin with a look at electricity fundamentals such as the relationship between volts, ohms, amps and watts and how knowledge of their interaction with each other can help to determine such things as appropriate wire sizes to use for various electrical loads on board, how to select appropriately sized and rated overcurrent protection devices like fuses and circuit breakers, and how to determine the appropriate size of such things as shore power systems and battery banks to keep all the equipment up and running. We'll also discuss how to properly terminate wire and some of the basic ABYC Standards as they apply to wire support and chafe protection.
Once the fundamentals are set in place, we'll move on to multi-meter use. The participant will learn how to take electrical measurements for both low voltage DC and higher voltage AC systems, and what those measurements mean. Students are encouraged to bring to class their own instrument (if they have one) so they can familiarize themselves with its use and features. For those who haven't purchased a multi-meter yet, we will discuss what features to look for and what features are frivolous for the average user.
Next we'll review some common electrical system tests the boat owner can easily perform to establish whether their boat's electrical system is designed in accordance with ABYC Standards, and whether maintenance or upgrading of the system is required.
On the second day of the program, the class will get an opportunity to apply their new found skills on a boat at the Seaport by running through some test procedures on the boat and evaluating their findings.
Calendar of Events/Registration
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