Mechanical

Just what is a "commercial" or "continuous" duty rating on an engine, and should I get that?

Matt starts with the reason that these ratings exist, and then moves on to how to select the correct engine duty rating for a displacement boat.

In the last chapter in this Online Book, John wrote about how chronic underloading of your engine can wreck it, as well as waste fuel and produce unnecessary carbon. In this chapter we get to the good stuff: how to solve the problem for both new and existing engines.

Running your engine at low power settings can slowly kill it. Here's what to do about that. This could save you a bunch of money and aggravation.

So far in this Online Book we have learned about the fundamentals of engine and propeller efficiency and, in the last chapter, we looked at a way to make our existing engines a bit more efficient. In this chapter Matt explains a much better way to get the very most out of every drop of diesel fuel.

John answers an interesting question on the relative benefits of installing a watermaker...or not.

Matt brings his customary clarity to a complicated subject: propellers. Reading this post will cause you a bit of brain sweat, but doing so can help you get big gains in engine efficiency.

Do you carry aluminum propane tanks like we do on "Morgan's Cloud"? If so, you need to listen up as Phyllis shares some things about re-certifying and replacing them that we learned the hard way...$500 worth of hard way.

Here's a simple easy-to-build gadget that will make a huge difference to the effectiveness of your freezer, by circulating the air so the stuff at the top and farthest from the plates does not thaw, while the food at the bottom and against the plates remains frozen, particularly when the freezer is packed tight.

Matt explains those graphs that adorn engine brochures and manuals. Understanding these diagrams is the key to better fuel economy and less problems with your diesel engine.

Most yacht engines are horribly inefficient, but that can be fixed. Matt, AAC Engineering Correspondent, introduces the book with this chapter.

Some thoughts from Colin on vital training for voyaging sailors. Taking the steps he suggests could save your cruise.

Do you need a diesel generator to go cruising? It's a surprisingly simple decision governed by only two criteria.

Have you ever wondered if a diesel electric drive would be a good option for your boat? It's a complicated decision, but it just got a got simpler.

Colin has some great tips that will help you maintain your engine's raw water system.