Galley Essentials with Amanda
Diesel~Electric
We were having battery problems 1 can tomatoes
– they weren’t holding a charge. This
Dinning aboard “Nada”
1 8oz can tomato sauce
wouldn’t be a problem if we could 1 can mild green chili peppers
stay plugged into shore power. We
(thankfully!) don’t have a generator on
by Amanda Swan Neal
1 green bell pepper – diced
1 yellow pepper - diced
Mahina Tiare and generally charge our 1 tablespoon chili powder
batteries with two large alternators off dash cayenne pepper, or to taste
the engine. Unfortunately, the type of dash ground cloves
replacement batteries we needed, 8D Gel,
Left to right: Jake Crump, Peter Hancock,
1 small bay leaf
weren’t available here in Sweden. A few
Terri Calder, Amanda, John and
2 cans red kidney beans - drained
months ago John read about someone
Nigel Calder.
salt
with the same problem In a large skillet,
which was solved by sauté onion, and
deeply discharging beef in oil. Add
the batteries and then tomatoes, tomato
recharging them; thus sauce, chili peppers,
restoring the capacity. ½ the bell peppers and
We decided to give seasonings. Cover and
this a try and set about simmer for 30 minutes
switching on every stirring occasionally.
light appliance. By mid- Add beans and heat
morning the lights were through. Serve on
rather dim and the rice and garnish
voltage was down from with remaining bell
23 to 11 volts. Then peppers. Serves 6.
who should pop by but
Nigel Calder, author of O v e r J a k e ’ s
Boatowner’s Electrical scrummy chili con
a n d M e c h a n i c a l carne I deciphered
Handbook as well of a t h e t e c h n i c a l
raft of other technical conversations to
marine books and articles! emerged from the galley. Nigel popped conclude that basically Nada has a
Nigel and his wife Terrie were up into the companionway inviting us standard diesel engine, and an electric
commissioning Nada, their Malo 46, in below. I don’t know why I had stressed motor driven by either a sophisticated
the bay next to us and he’d come by on our battery problem. Nada, recently generator or batteries to propel the boat,
to invite us to dinner. Nigel confirmed launched out of the factory, was “the possibly new battery technology capable
that deep discharging might restore the project boat”. Multi sized colored wires of accepting extremely high charge rates,
batteries, but cautioned taking them were spewing out of every orifice as if and a “distributed power system” called
below 8 volts as it may cause the batteries someone had grabbed the boats internal Capi2. Terrie had been rather quiet all
to reverse polarity thus ruining them. wiring system and given it a mighty evening, but every time Nigel mentioned
At 9 volts we shut down all the loads squeeze. Nigel enthusiastically began Capi2 she’d roll her eyes. In essence most
down and plugged in the battery charger showing us around shoving boxes, systems were not functioning. There
from shore power. Nothing happened! packaging, tools and stuff in different was no promised electric motor yet and
So we started the engine to charge with directions whilst talking some sort of the “multiplexing” electrical system
the alternator. Still no charging! After a new-tech language; “diesel-electric, continuously started up and shut down
couple of minutes of troubleshooting nodes, multiplexing, hybrid, Capi2, gadgets throughout the boat including
I figured out we had to switch wires permanent magnet.” Thankfully just the galley appliances therefore causing
from the hi-tech voltage regulator to the as my brain matter suffered critical way too much problem solving at the
basic system. Phew….now we could go overload Jake announced, “Dinner’s dock rather than time out cruising.
to dinner on Nada and not bother Nigel ready.” During the next week we had a
with our battery troubles. I put together bow thruster installed in M.T. Between
a salad and we dinghied over. Jake’s Chili con Carne needed sessions with Nigel, to problem
Terrie welcomed us aboard and 1 lb ground beef solve the thruster’s powering, and
introduced long time friends; Peter, who 1 large onion - sliced moves to lighten our forward stowage
was in cocktail mode and Jake, who’d just 1 tablespoon vegetable oil locker by passing on gear, including
48° No r t h , Ap r i l 2009 pA g e 32
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