BoatHowToReviews of boathowto.com

I think this course is a must for boat owners. We have owned a sailboat for 5 years and already learned a lot in just a couple sections. Lots of "Hmm, I didn't know that!" by both my husband and me. Videos are augmented with extra course notes and quizzes.

Informative

It's easy to understand, short modules that don't intimidate if you're inexperienced, but explains enough that I'd recommend for people with more experience as well

I'm midway through my second BoatHowTo course, the basic marine electronics course, and I'm really glad I signed up for it. As with the marine diesel engine course, it's very thorough and very clear, covering a lot of material in depth. I absolutely recommend it.

If you're serious about understanding how your boats electrical system works, how it should be designed, and how to maintain it, then this is an excellent course for you! I really appreciated how engaging Jan is as an instructor and how well presented the materials are.

Most of what you have covered so far, I already knew. The few things I did not know however have made the course worthwhile. a) I didn't fully appreciate the details in the ABYC/ISO wire size tables. b) I didn't realize that "doubling" a cable run was acceptable so long as either cable can carry the load (this may not have come from the course) c) I've been an Extra Class ham for ~40years and I've only worried about Ampacity and never paid much attention to voltage drop (though, as a shade-tree auto mechanic, voltage drop is something I often "check" though I never design for). I'm currently re-wiring (installing solar) in my 18yo 34ft RV.. which lead me to watch your videos and subsequently take this course. d) I never much though about the stainless-steel resistance issue. I'm quite confident I'm guilty of this error too. Thanks e) I wish the United States would adopt the ISO rules (and wire sizes) but at 70yo myself, I won't hold my breath. I remember when we "tried" this for weights&measures back in the 80s or when ever. f) I did enjoy learning why the US uses "gauge size" and higher numbers == smaller wires. Not unlike shotgun gauges. g) Jan is enjoyable. (Same for Nigel)

The course is very informative. I am learning lot. My boat is a 1989 Gozzard. I knew that it needed some upgrades to the electrical system. I now have greater clarity on how to improve it.

The content is very well structured. I admit I watch the videos at 1.25x most of the time, but then I've also gone back and re-watched (and re-read) one of the deeper sections, and I sort of think I might end up doing another pass through the whole thing again. I've always known that DC power on a boat is not difficult, per se, and this course is proving it (not that there are any shortcuts to doing things right, but if you want to do things right this course demonstrates how anybody with a bit of dedication and patience can do so.)