Course catalogue

Sometimes it might be an advantage to install one or more ground planes on board. Especially if you experience noise on, for instance, the VHF radio or if some equipment is not fully functional. In some cases, there is a need for a number of separate ground planes, especially if you have multiple pieces of equipment on board that need to be grounded. In this course, you will learn what type of equipment benefits from grounding. You will learn the correct way of grounding with modern solutions suited for leisure boats. This includes modern ground plates, how to connect and install them, and which sizes to look for. After this course, you will know if grounding will be necessary for you and you will be able to safely install and connect them to your devices.

One of the most critical units in the electric supply system for the boat is the switch panel or switchboard. The switch panel is where most electric and electronic units are switched on or off, most fuses are found, and most cables are connected. The safest place to connect new electronic equipment is either directly in the switch panel or to one of the existing cables from the panel. In many relatively new boats, wires and cables have been installed by the manufacturer or yard. However, even if the installation is brand new, there are still many wires and cables behind the front panel, and often you will find a PC board where the wires are connected. After the course, you can safely connect plotters, radar, and instruments. You will also learn about relay control and how you can control more powerful equipment like autopilots. You will learn to select a suitable cable for that specific piece of equipment and know which factors you need to consider before choosing the correct wire.

Batteries: The batteries must solve many different tasks, for example, thruster, engine start, supply power for navigation equipment, lights and radio for an entire trip. Not all battery types are equally suitable for all tasks. In this course, you will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the different battery types and where the individual types can be used with an advantage. You will also learn good practice about charging, resting voltage and how to prolong battery life. Chargers: The charger must fit the size of the battery bank. In this course, you will learn how to calculate power consumption and how to choose the right charger. One is to use the power optimally, but something else is to get recharged as quickly and efficiently as possible. Also, you will learn why it pays to invest in a charger with bulk, absorption and float modes. Anchor windlass and bow thruster: Batteries are closely connected to anchor winches and bow thrusters. These are two of the largest electricity consumers on board. In this course, you will get an overview of a typical electrical setup of a windlass and a bow thruster. Also, you will learn why the batteries should be placed close to the bow thruster.

A radar is quite common on many boats. However, not many know how to use it. It is recommended to start in good weather and learn how to use it and understand its features. Getting familiar with the radar before exploiting its full potential is essential. This course covers two types of radar; pulse radar and newer broadband radar. You learn to understand the difference and the usage of the two types. You will also learn about the MARPA (Mini Automatic Radar Plotting Aid), and Lars will present a demonstration of the pulse radar.

In this course, you will learn what to be particularly aware of with a 12V system and how you can (quite simply) optimise electrical safety onboard your boat. You will learn how to maintain the batteries to make them last for several years and what to be particularly aware of when you are installing new electrical equipment. After the course you will; have a basic understanding of the boat’s primary electrical system. Know what to be aware of to limit fire hazards. Be able to do a basic troubleshooting if something is not working. Be able to avoid some of the simplest (and often fatal) mistakes concerning the electrical system.

Satellite communication: Today, there is a lot of communication via satellite. In this course, you learn about the satellite systems used at sea. One of these systems includes Iridium, which offers telephony and data communication. The Iridium system has been approved as an emergency system for commercial transport. But it is also interesting for sailors who travel beyond local waters. Another option is the SAT-Phone which, unlike Iridium, gets coverage from geostationary satellites. In this course, we present different phone options for the two systems.

Most boat owners in Denmark buy systems from Garmin, Raymarine, Simrad, B&G, Furuno, or Lowrance. But there is an alternative: to have a PC-based system on board. In the course, you will learn about the possibilities of purchasing a charting program, an interface to NMEA2000 from the PC, and various sensors such as GPS, LOG, LOD, AIS, and Radar. Choosing a PC system allows you to customise your system to suit your needs perfectly. You also learn about the requirements for a PC, including which power source to connect.

In this course, you will learn how current is created between different metals in accordance with the electrochemical voltage range. Using that as background you will get an understanding of why some metals corrode and disappear while others aren’t affected. High-quality zink anodes are of great importance and they must be positioned in the right places. You will learn about anodes and why it is called a sacrificial anode or corrosion zinc. Thus, you will learn how to prevent galvanic corrosion and what general preventive actions to take. You will learn why a bad ground connection from the shore can start corrosion and why the neighbouring boat might be the cause of problems on your boat. After this course, you will know what causes corrosion, where it is most likely to occur and how to prevent it.