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Guide library

Top 10 sailor problem guides, structured for search and built to expand.

This page gives the public-facing overview. Each section is already set up with anchor links, indexable headings, and room for a deeper member version later.

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Five full public guides are now in place

These pages give the site real depth while the rest of the guide library continues to expand.

01Battery banks sag after two cloudy days02Alternator looks healthy at idle, then falls apart underway03Breakers trip for no obvious reason04You keep finding corrosion in the same lockers05Plotter, radar, or autopilot drop offline together06Anchor alarm and overnight loads are crushing the house bank07Shore power inlet or cord feels hot08Inverter works on some loads and hates others09Electronics act haunted after heavy weather10Your communications stack has no backup plan
01

Guide 1

Battery banks sag after two cloudy days

Read the full guide

Build a repeatable check for state of charge, voltage drop, and charger contribution before the fridge starts dictating crew morale.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.
02

Guide 2

Alternator looks healthy at idle, then falls apart underway

Read the full guide

Separate regulation errors, belt slip, cable loss, and temperature derating so you stop buying the wrong replacement parts.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.
03

Guide 3

Breakers trip for no obvious reason

Read the full guide

Track down heat, loose lugs, moisture, and hidden simultaneous loads with a sequence you can run without panic.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.
04

Guide 4

You keep finding corrosion in the same lockers

Read the full guide

Map bonding gaps, moisture paths, and stray current suspects before they eat another connector or sensor.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.
05

Guide 5

Plotter, radar, or autopilot drop offline together

Read the full guide

Work from the backbone outward to identify power injection problems, connector fatigue, or network termination faults.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.
06

Guide 6

Anchor alarm and overnight loads are crushing the house bank

Read the full guide

Set up the right overnight watch profile so safety gear stays alive without waking the boat every two hours.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.
07

Guide 7

Shore power inlet or cord feels hot

Read the full guide

Know when to stop, how to inspect for arcing, and what to replace before a warm fitting becomes a fire report.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.
08

Guide 8

Inverter works on some loads and hates others

Read the full guide

Sort startup surge, waveform sensitivity, grounding conflicts, and transfer-switch confusion with a field checklist.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.
09

Guide 9

Electronics act haunted after heavy weather

Read the full guide

Dryout, inspect, and stage recovery logically instead of powering up salt-contaminated gear and making it worse.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.
10

Guide 10

Your communications stack has no backup plan

Read the full guide

Design a layered Starlink, Iridium, VHF, and power strategy so losing one system does not leave you blind.

Symptoms

  • Erratic behavior that looks random at first.
  • Conflicting clues from displays, breakers, or alarms.
  • A high chance of replacing the wrong part if you guess.

First checks

  • Confirm the power path before chasing signal issues.
  • Inspect connection heat, vibration, and moisture exposure.
  • Log the exact condition that reproduces the fault.

Member upgrade

  • Annotated troubleshooting sequence.
  • Tools and meter settings to use.
  • Decision point for when the issue becomes urgent.