Blog

Practical explanations for metal-boat electrical systems.

Understand the circuits, chemistry and measurements behind corrosion risk—without reducing every problem to “electrolysis.”

Stray-current corrosion loop from a positive fault through the hull, the water and the propeller.

Field notes

Electrolysis on an Aluminium Sailboat: Lessons from 10 Years Aboard

Galvanic corrosion, stray-current corrosion, anodes, galvanic isolators and isolation transformers: ten years of sneaky leaks and ruined afternoons, condensed into one practical guide for the reader in a hurry.

7 min read

Read the field notes

HullSentry breadboard proof of concept with a Raspberry Pi and an LCD showing a resistance reading.

Origin story

Why I Created HullSentry

Three refit-induced leaks, a cryptic old tester, and the dream of a tester that watches the hull by itself: the story behind HullSentry.

4 min read

Read the story

Annotated KiCad schematic of the VDO-style leak tester: two pushbutton sense chains, an LM3914 LED bar and a green power pilot.

Under the hood

Anatomy of a Hull-Leak Tester

Every part of a VDO-style DC leak tester explained in plain terms: what each component does, why it is there, and why the circuit cannot be simpler than it is.

8 min read

Read the walkthrough