Nigel Calder, Author at BoatHowTo

Interview by Sailing Zingaro

Nigel Calder — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 09:48:54 +0000

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Marine Photovoltaic – Advances in Onboard Solar

Nigel Calder — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 09:05:11 +0000

Refinements in solar power technology offer significant opportunities for marine applications, and some risks as well. BoatHowTo expert Nigel Calder delves deep into today's solar cell technology with recent developments and possible pitfalls. An earlier version of this article was initially published in Professional BoatBuilder Magazine. For a decade or so, in the technically, financially, […]

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Dock Talk with Nigel Calder & Jeff Cote – 2nd Edition

Nigel Calder — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 08:52:18 +0000

Nigel Calder and Jeff Cote got back together for another round of expert talk on marine electrical systems. Here are the other parts of the series: Nigel Calder and Jeff Cote got back together for another round of expert talk on marine electrical systems. Here are the other parts of the series:

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Understanding Marine Electrics: How to Recover Lost Capacity in a Sulfated Battery

Nigel Calder — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 20:36:23 +0000

If you have a lead-acid battery that seems to be discharging faster than it used to and recharging faster than it used to, it may be sulfated. In fact, it probably is sulfated! This is a common issue with batteries that are not regularly fully recharged, which is also a common situation with boat batteries. […]

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Understanding Marine Electrics: The Challenges of Using Fuel Cells on Boats

Nigel Calder — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 14:10:10 +0000

With the growing interest in renewable energy and new ways to store energy, fuel cells seem like an interesting option. However, having been on the fringes of three well-funded marine fuel cell projects that never made it to commercial viability, I know only too well the challenges to optimizing fuel cell installations in boats.Hydrogen Storage […]

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Understanding Marine Electrics: Converting a 230V SHORE POWER system to 120V

Nigel Calder — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 14:03:03 +0000

In the USA, when you plug into an outlet in your house or on a boat you are plugging into a 120-volt circuit. In Europe, when you do the same thing, you are plugging into a 230-volt circuit.Equal Power, Different AmpsLet’s say we are plugging in a microwave with a power rating of 1000 watts […]

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Understanding Marine Electrics: Corrosion Issues with Thru-hulls and Seacocks

Nigel Calder — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 13:52:16 +0000

Let’s talk corrosion! There are two types, galvanic and stray current. They are very different and should never be confused.Galvanic CorrosionGalvanic corrosion occurs as a result of properties inherent in metals. When immersed in a conductive liquid (an electrolyte, for example saltwater) all metals have a ‘natural’ voltage. If you place two different metals in […]

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Understanding Marine Electrics: Maximizing Battery Life on Your Boat

Nigel Calder — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 13:45:31 +0000

Do the quality lead-acid batteries on your boat last at least five years and preferably ten? Very few do. Most boatowners have come to assume changing batteries every two or three years is normal whereas this is, in fact, an indication of expensive improper systems design and battery maintenance.Cranking BatteriesA battery that is solely reserved […]

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Understanding Marine Electrics: Why You Shouldn’t Scrimp on Marine Electrical Connectors and Terminals

Nigel Calder — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 13:37:58 +0000

You can often ‘save’ money by buying conductor terminals from auto parts stores or online retailers like Amazon rather than a marine chandler. However, there is a reason I have put ‘save’ in inverted commas. It is because these savings may well be illusory, and quite possibly turn out to be expensive, and sometimes very […]

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Understanding Marine Electrics: Lightning Protection for Boats

Nigel Calder — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 22:02:00 +0000

Somewhere around 20 years ago I was asked to prepare a revised draft of the American Boat and Yacht Council’s (ABYC) lightning protection standard. I was drafted for my linguistic skills, not my lightning expertise. I recruited several PhD lightning experts to help. In the end, the standard was downgraded to a ‘technical information report’ (TIR). […]

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