KNOW YOUR SYSTEMS. No one thinks much about their onboard plumbing systems until something goes wrong; maybe the pump is cycling on and off, the water tastes funky, the holding tank overflows, or your bilge fills up with fresh water the day your vacation starts. If you are one of those sailors who has lived in happy ignorance of the intricacies of boat plumbing, you ll certainly get something out of this slim volume. Payne gives us chapter and verse on everything from bilge pumps to holding tanks and watermakers. There s plenty of good advice for the owner who wants a better understanding of these essential but often overlooked systems. * Sail Magazine *
Every owner of a sailing ship or yacht needs to be able to understand the sanitation and water systems that are an integral part of their craft. John C. Payne is an internationally recognized expert in marine electrical systems and electronics who brings to bear his many years of experience and expertise to the technical issues as he addresses the specific issues of marine plumbing systems, watermaker systems, salt water systems, bilge pump systems, shower (gray) water systems, sewage (black) water and MSD systems. The result is the comprehensive and thoroughly user friendly instructional compendium Understanding Boat Plumbing and Water Systems as a concise, compact, and fully illustrated shipboard reference. Also very highly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and library Nautical Reference collections and supplemental reading lists is John C. Payne's Understanding Boat AC Power Systems. * Wisconsin Bookwatch *

John C. Payne is a cruising sailor and professional marine electrical engineer and surveyor with a 28-year career in merchant shipping and the offshore oil industry. His unique combination of technical know-how and practical experience at sea has made him a much sought-after authority.