Nigel Calder

I have a 1977 Pearson 28 and have replaced the old Atomic 4 gas engine with a three-cylinder Universal 20hp diesel engine. Do I need to change the original propeller that was driven by the Atomic 4?

Friends have suggested that I change over to LED lights down below. I was told that the LED lights are brighter and require less electricity. However, when I went to purchase LED lights a sales associate told me…

I have two 6-gallon gas tanks on my 25-foot O’Day, but when the motor quits and I have to switch tanks, there is still about 1 1/2 gallons left in the “empty” tank…

I’m finding conflicting advice on whether a tapered prop shaft should be lubricated prior to installing a propeller

Last season I repowered my Catalina 30 with a new M3-20B Universal diesel engine. Its power curve was substantially different from the original engine, so I also changed the propeller. I ordered a new shaft, a new coupling half (fitted at the supplier) and a new prop.

I have a 1977 Pearson 28 and have replaced the old Atomic 4 gas engine with a three-cylinder Universal 20hp diesel engine. Do I need to change the original propeller that was driven by the Atomic 4?

I recently bought a share of an older boat, a Cape Dory Intrepid 9-meter, and put new 12-volt AGM batteries in her. Something, however, is draining the batteries.

I want to move aboard my Alberg 37 next summer and cruise up the East Coast from Annapolis to Maine. I plan to anchor out most of the time. My boat is simple and my electrical demands are otherwise low, but I do like cold drinks, so I want to be able to run my fridge, which draws 2 to 4 amps, without constantly running the engine.

I just read Nigel Calder’s article on the costs of generating energy (“The Cost of Energy,” Dec. 2012) and found it fascinating. I understand there is a high cost for generating energy at anchor by running an engine, but is there an additional cost to generating energy while underway? If my engine is running the alternator to recharge the batteries, as well as moving the boat, surely it must add to the load and increase my fuel consumption. Is the increase significant, miniscule or somewhere in between?

The government has, for a decade, studied the possibility of generating electric power from the tides. Because a sailboat on a mooring is subject to tidal flow, why can’t we use this method to help generate power? Sailboats sit on moorings for long periods, sometimes for weeks, and even a trickle charge would be beneficial.