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I finally got my old diesel running again, steadily. I tested it at the marina in idle. Then, I tested it in the marina under strain. It all worked. I motored around for a bit on the lake, seeing how the engine performed. And then it failed. And I crashed. And I got stranded. Yes, it could have been worse. Because I didn't fully trust the boat I took it out on a very calm day with essentially no traffic and no risk. I'm safe. The boat will be repaired and the engine will be fixed. I consider this part of my learning what it's like to have a boat. We were all new once, whether it was in boating or at anything else. This is me being new at boating. 🌐 https://www.thedutchskipper.com 🌊 More from The Dutch Skipper: - How I made the new dashboard - https://youtu.be/fzFU49EkBoY - First real sail with my boat: https://youtu.be/PXCcKv4AhHQ - Electrical boating - yay or nay? https://youtu.be/oPsRXEU81Vg --- You can get the ORCA Core and/or the Display here: https://thedutchskipper.com/go/orca Product I'm using on my boat: - LiTime Battery Monitor - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimemonitor - LiTime 140Ah Lifepo4 battery - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litime140ah - LiTime 20A battery charger - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimecharger These are affiliate links. You can use code "dutchskipper" to get 5% discount on LiTime products. I will get a small commission from your purchase. For collaborations or contact please reach me at: 📧 michael@thedutchskipper.com 🌐 www.thedutchskipper.com
Stranded & Damaged
Tools used: kWh usage - https://justinwesterveld.com/calculator_tool.htm ePropulsion website - https://www.epropulsion.com/ Drinkwaards adapted hybrid (Craftsman Marine + WaterWorld) - https://www.drinkwaard.com/en/hybrid-drive-for-boats/hybrid-drive-for-boats-4-kw/ Green Boat Solution - handy site to get an overview of what system could work for you - http://greenboatsolutions.com/ After deciding to ditch the diesel, the next question is: what replaces it? I visited Drinkwaard Marine in Sliedrecht, the only ePropulsion importer in the Benelux, to explore my options for converting my Saga 27 to electric propulsion. What I found surprised me — there are more ways to do this than I expected, and not all of them involve removing the diesel. In this video I walk through the options: - Full inboard electric replacement - A single rudder pod motor, while keeping the diesel - Dual pod motors - Going hybrid I explain why some options immediately fall off the list, what the real trade-offs are between the remaining ones, and which direction I'm leaning — and why. This is part of my ongoing series documenting the conversion of my Saga 27 from diesel to electric propulsion. 🌐 https://www.thedutchskipper.com 🌊 More from The Dutch Skipper: - How I made the new dashboard - https://youtu.be/fzFU49EkBoY - First real sail with my boat: https://youtu.be/PXCcKv4AhHQ - Electrical boating - yay or nay? https://youtu.be/oPsRXEU81Vg 0:00 Intro 3:24 Option 1: Inboard 11:50 Option 2: Diesel & Pod motor in rudder 17:01 Option 3: Dual pods 22:58 Option 4: Hybrid --- You can get the ORCA Core and/or the Display here: https://thedutchskipper.com/go/orca Product I'm using on my boat: - LiTime Battery Monitor - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimemonitor - LiTime 140Ah Lifepo4 battery - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litime140ah - LiTime 20A battery charger - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimecharger These are affiliate links. You can use code "dutchskipper" to get 5% discount on LiTime products. I will get a small commission from your purchase. For collaborations or contact please reach me at: 📧 michael@thedutchskipper.com 🌐 www.thedutchskipper.com
4 Ways to Electrify My Boat — Which One Makes Sense?
I’ve had enough of my old diesel engine. In this video I explain why I’m planning to remove the Volvo Penta MD21A from my boat. It’s loud, it vibrates, and over time it has become more of a source of frustration than something I can rely on. At the same time, this isn’t just about getting rid of something — it’s about what comes next. I talk through my thinking on switching to electric propulsion, what I want from this boat, and why electric might actually make more sense for how I use it. In this video: • Why I want to get rid of the diesel engine • The issues I’ve run into with the MD21A • What I actually want from this boat • Why electric propulsion is appealing to me • Initial thoughts on range, cost and practicality This video is part of the ongoing rebuild and modernization of my Saga 27 — from electrical systems to navigation and everything in between. 🌐 https://www.thedutchskipper.com 🌊 More from The Dutch Skipper: - How I made the new dashboard - https://youtu.be/fzFU49EkBoY - First real sail with my boat: https://youtu.be/PXCcKv4AhHQ - Electrical boating - yay or nay? https://youtu.be/oPsRXEU81Vg --- You can get the ORCA Core and/or the Display here: https://thedutchskipper.com/go/orca Product I'm using on my boat: - LiTime Battery Monitor - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimemonitor - LiTime 140Ah Lifepo4 battery - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litime140ah - LiTime 20A battery charger - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimecharger These are affiliate links. You can use code "dutchskipper" to get 5% discount on LiTime products. I will get a small commission from your purchase. For collaborations or contact please reach me at: 📧 michael@thedutchskipper.com 🌐 www.thedutchskipper.com
Ditching The Diesel – Why My 50-Year Old Engine Has To Go
You can get the ORCA Core and/or the Display here: https://thedutchskipper.com/go/orca Product I'm using on my boat: - LiTime Battery Monitor - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimemonitor - LiTime 140Ah Lifepo4 battery - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litime140ah - LiTime 20A battery charger - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimecharger These are affiliate links. You can use code "dutchskipper" to get 5% discount on LiTime products. I will get a small commission from your purchase. ------ In this episode I install a NMEA2000 network, a new depth sensor, and the ORCA navigation system on my boat. This upgrade is part of the larger electrical and dashboard overhaul. By installing a NMEA2000 backbone, the boat’s instruments can now communicate with each other and share data like depth, navigation information and system status. The ORCA system then brings all of that data together into a modern navigation interface. In this video I cover: • Installing the NMEA2000 backbone • Adding a NMEA2000 depth sensor • Connecting everything to the new electrical system • Installing and configuring the ORCA navigation system • First tests of the new setup It’s a big step toward turning this older boat into a modern, reliable cruising platform. 🌐 https://www.thedutchskipper.com 🌊 More from The Dutch Skipper: - How I made the new dashboard - https://youtu.be/fzFU49EkBoY - First real sail with my boat: https://youtu.be/PXCcKv4AhHQ - Electrical boating - yay or nay? https://youtu.be/oPsRXEU81Vg For collaborations or contact please reach me at: 📧 michael@thedutchskipper.com 🌐 www.thedutchskipper.com
Installing a Modern Navigation System on My Boat (NMEA2000 + ORCA)
Products used: - LiTime Battery Monitor - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimemonitor - LiTime 140Ah Lifepo4 battery - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litime140ah - LiTime 20A battery charger - https://thedutchskipper.com/go/litimecharger These are affiliate links. You can use code "dutchskipper" to get 5% discount on LiTime products. I will get a small commission from your purchase. ------ This is the core of the electrical rebuild. In this video, I install the main components of my new electrical system: the house battery and battery box, busbars, ANL fuse holders, and fuse panels. This is the foundation everything else depends on — from the dashboard to navigation and future upgrades. It’s not the most glamorous work, but it’s the kind of upgrade that actually makes a boat more reliable and safer. By the end of the video, the system is powered up with working lights and a functioning battery monitor — a small but very satisfying win. In this episode: • Installing the new house battery and battery box • Mounting positive and negative busbars • Adding ANL fuses and fuse holders • Installing fuse panels • Powering up the system for the first time This is part of the ongoing dashboard and electrical overhaul series on my Saga 27. Next steps include finishing the wiring, integrating navigation, and tying everything together. 🌐 https://www.thedutchskipper.com 🌊 More from The Dutch Skipper: - How I made the new dashboard - https://youtu.be/fzFU49EkBoY - First real sail with my boat: https://youtu.be/PXCcKv4AhHQ - Electrical boating - yay or nay? https://youtu.be/oPsRXEU81Vg For collaborations or contact please reach me at: 📧 michael@thedutchskipper.com 🌐 www.thedutchskipper.com
Rebuilding My Boat’s Electrical Core (Battery, Busbars & Fuses)
The dashboard is finally in. In this video, I install the new dashboard I’ve been building for my Saga 27. After removing the old panel, cutting and sanding the new one, it’s time to mount everything and see how it all comes together. For the first time, the helm actually looks finished. This is another step in the full dashboard and electrical overhaul series. The layout is now clean, modern, and functional — the only thing missing at this point is the navigation system. In this episode: • Installing the finished dashboard panel • Mounting switches and instruments • Seeing the new layout come together • First impressions of the new look • What’s still left to do next 🌐 https://www.thedutchskipper.com 🌊 More from The Dutch Skipper: - How I made the new dashboard - https://youtu.be/fzFU49EkBoY - First real sail with my boat: https://youtu.be/PXCcKv4AhHQ - Electrical boating - yay or nay? https://youtu.be/oPsRXEU81Vg For collaborations or contact please reach me at: 📧 michael@thedutchskipper.com 🌐 www.thedutchskipper.com
Installing My New Boat Dashboard (Finally Taking Shape)
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