Except for the odd mast falling down and going boom, we don't have much of a problem with things breaking on "So It Goes" and it has always been my contention that most breakage on boats is crew induced and we pretty much don't break stuff...
Not having an internal combustion beast driving the boat also goes a long way towards keeping the repair list and expenses down as
electric propulsion systems by their very nature are about three steps less than IC engines in hassle and expense factor. Throw in that the cost of components are low enough that when we head off to the boonies we can easily have a spare motor and controller tucked away in a locker for that WTF moment. The fact that a spare electric motor costs less than most basic IC repairs, means that you can color me (Mr Cheapseats) a very happy camper!
That said, other electrical devices on boats are not so user friendly and we face a constant uphill battle to keep all of the various electric and electronic goodies on "So It Goes" working and Radio Shack level tools are simply not up to the task. A really great basic
electrical tool set up is available from
Adafruit (who does one of my favorite
geeky blogs... remember the
Bedazzler?) and is just the thing needful for modern day electrical repairs. They also sell a bunch of neat kits which the building of would give you the skills to deal with what ails your chart plotter or loose connection in a running light. Of course, you will also need what I consider the bibles of marine power knowledge from the Ample Power folks "
Wiring 12 Volts for Ample Power" and "
Living on 12 Volts With Ample Power" as compared to what else is out there, they are simply the best.
