Blog
Yacht electrical, energy and maintenance guides based on the experience we have gained on the water in Turgutreis and Bodrum.
On the Aslan Yacht blog we write up the experience we have gained on the water over the years around Turgutreis and the Bodrum peninsula. From switching to lithium batteries and connecting shore power to setting up NMEA 2000 networks, servicing Seakeeper stabilizers, flushing watermaker membranes and preparing a boat for winter, we cover the topics that motor and sailing yacht owners, captains and yacht managers actually run into.
In every article we put concrete technical information first: correct voltage values, cable sizing, fuse selection, maintenance intervals and fault symptoms. Our aim is to help owners understand their own systems better and ask the right questions when a service need comes up. We publish new articles regularly, under energy systems, electronics/navigation, lighting, stabilizers, hydraulics, watermakers and climate systems.
If you can't find the topic you're looking for, or you have a specific question about your own boat, write to us through our contact page or browse our full range of services.
Hybrid and Electric Boat Propulsion Systems: The Essentials
The electrification wave from the automotive world is now reaching yachts too. We explain how hybrid and electric propulsion systems work and what loads they add to a boat.
Smart Yacht Automation: CZone and Digital Switching Systems
Digital switching systems, where dozens of switches are replaced by a few touchscreens, are transforming the yacht electrical panel. We explain how it works and what to watch for.
Yacht Service in Bodrum and Turgutreis: Marinas and Season Planning
The marina map and season calendar of the Bodrum peninsula shape when and where you should plan yacht electrical maintenance. A practical guide from our field experience.
Used Yacht Electrical Survey: A Pre-Purchase Checklist
As important as the hull and engines, yet often rushed: the electrical system. Here is what to check, step by step, before you buy a used yacht.
How to Calculate Daily Energy Consumption (Ah) on a Boat
Battery bank, solar and inverter decisions all rest on one number: your boat's daily amp-hour consumption. This guide shows you how to work it out realistically.
Motor Yacht vs Sailing Yacht Electrical Needs: A Comparison Guide
A motor yacht draws its energy from generators and large alternators, while a sailing yacht counts every amp-hour. That difference shapes the whole design, from battery bank to cable size.
Remote Boat Monitoring: Sensors, GSM Alarms and Victron VRM
You can see your moored yacht's battery voltage, bilge level and shore power status from your phone, provided you choose the right sensors, gateway and alarm thresholds.
Bow Thruster Electrical System and Battery Selection Guide
A bow thruster draws hundreds of amps within seconds. Get the battery, cable, fuse or contactor wrong and power fades at the most critical moment of a manoeuvre.
Windlass motor and control faults: causes and fixes
The windlass tends to fail exactly when you need it most. We walk through the check order from solenoid to foot switch.
Bilge pump, float switch and alarm systems: a complete guide
The bilge pump is a yacht's last line of defense. Without the right float switch, wiring and alarm setup, that last line is often empty.
Boat air conditioning maintenance: seawater pump, refrigerant and filter
If your split or self-contained marine AC isn't cooling enough, the cause is usually simple: seawater flow, refrigerant level or a dirty filter. Here's the check order we use.
Hydraulic Swim Platform and Tender Crane Faults, Maintenance Tips
Platforms and cranes that launch tenders and water toys carry heavy loads. We cover the common faults, their causes and a safe maintenance routine.
Hydraulic Gangway Maintenance and Common Faults (Besenzoni)
The gangway is the most visible hydraulic system used every day on a yacht. A practical maintenance and fault-finding guide for the power unit, cylinders and electrical control.
Watermaker Membrane Care: Flushing, Chemical Cleaning and Winterizing
The membrane is a watermaker's most expensive and most sensitive part. Here's how correct flushing, timely chemical cleaning and proper winterizing extend its life.
How Does a Watermaker Work? Choosing the Right Capacity
From the basic principle of reverse osmosis to calculating your daily water needs: how to choose the right watermaker capacity and electrical setup for your yacht.
Hydraulic Trim Tabs or Interceptors? Choosing the Right Trim
Hinged plate or vertical blade? We compare the two trim solutions on operating principle, response speed, maintenance and typical faults.
Zipwake Automatic Trim System: Benefits and Installation Steps
Electric interceptors with automatic pitch and roll control: what Zipwake brings to fast boats and motor yachts, and what matters during installation.
Seakeeper Gyro Stabilizer: How It Works and How to Maintain It
A flywheel spinning in a vacuum sphere, a hydraulic brake and a cooling circuit: how Seakeeper works and what to check for a long service life.
Yacht Interior LED and Ambient Lighting: A Practical Design Guide
Choosing LEDs for the saloon, cabins and passageways: colour temperature, dimming, voltage drop and VHF interference explained for owners and captains.
COLREG Navigation Light Rules and LED Conversion Guide
Choosing the right navigation lights under COLREG Annex I by boat length, visibility arcs and ranges, and what to watch for converting halogen fixtures to approved LEDs.
Choosing and Installing Underwater LED Lighting: Full Guide
Practical field guidance on underwater LED lights, from power, colour and housing material to mounting point, wiring and galvanic corrosion prevention.
Internet Onboard: Installing a 4G/5G Router and Starlink
Practical field advice on choosing a 4G/5G router and antenna and installing Starlink for uninterrupted internet at marinas and offshore.
Marine VHF Radio and Antenna Installation: DSC, MMSI and Range
A fixed VHF's real range depends more on the antenna, cable and connectors than on the radio itself. DSC only works with an MMSI and a GPS feed.
AIS Class A vs Class B: Differences and Installation Guide
AIS shows the identity and course of nearby ships during night and fog passages. We explain the difference between Class A and Class B and how to install it correctly.
Autopilot Faults and Calibration: A Guide to Reliable Course-Holding
Holding the helm by hand for hours on a long passage is tiring; the autopilot takes that load off you. A correctly calibrated autopilot is not just more comfortable — it's safer.
Boat Radar Installation and Usage Tips: Choosing and Mounting It Right
In fog, night passages and busy traffic, radar is your most reliable extra eye. We cover choosing the right dome, mounting height and the basic settings that make radar actually useful.
Chartplotter and MFD Buying Guide: Screens, Charts and Networks
Before buying a new chartplotter or MFD, look at the system rather than just the screen. A marine electrician's view on displays, charts, networking and installation.
NMEA 2000 network installation and troubleshooting guide
NMEA 2000 brings chartplotter, autopilot, AIS and engine data together on one cable and is extremely reliable when its rules are followed. Here is how to install it properly and find faults by measurement.
Season commissioning electrical checklist for your yacht
A few measurements before the first engine start after winter prevent most mid-season failures. This is the commissioning electrical checklist we use in the field.
Winterizing a yacht's electrical system: a practical guide
In winter the real enemy of batteries, cables and electronics is not the cold but self-discharge, humidity and small forgotten loads. Here is how to prepare your yacht's electrical system.
Electrical fires on boats: risks, causes and prevention
Many boat fires start at a terminal that has been quietly overheating for months. Here is how to read the risks and which measures actually work.
Refitting the Electrical Panel on an Older Yacht: A Practical Guide
Every device added over the years makes the original panel a little more tangled. Past a certain point, the safest and most economical fix is a planned, full refit rather than another patch.
Fuse and Circuit Breaker Selection: ANL, MRBF, Class T Guide
A fuse protects the cable, not the appliance. The wrong type or rating may not even open during a short circuit; a correct choice depends on interrupt capacity as much as amperage.
Marine Cable Sizing and Voltage Drop Calculation Guide
An undersized cable causes everything from weak equipment performance to a real fire risk. We walk through choosing the right marine cable and calculating voltage drop with practical examples.
Finding Electrical Leakage on a Boat and Grounding It Correctly
A flat battery in the morning, anodes that vanish too fast or an RCD that keeps tripping can all point to the same fault. Here is how to track down AC and DC leakage step by step, and how grounding should be done.
Galvanic Corrosion, Anodes and Isolation Transformers: Protecting the Hull
When an underwater metal part erodes faster than expected, the cause is usually not poor material quality but galvanic corrosion — and the right anodes and isolation control it well.
Connecting to Shore Power at the Marina: Safe 16A/32A/63A Use
Shore power seems to offer near-unlimited electricity to a yacht, but the wrong plug, cable or connection sequence can put the boat and the marina grid at risk.
Yacht Generator Maintenance Checklist for a Trouble-Free Season
The generator is one of the hardest-working machines on a yacht, and without regular maintenance it tends to fail at the worst possible moment. Here is the full checklist.
Fast Battery Charging with Alternator and External Regulator
Is your engine really filling your house batteries? We compare alternators, external regulators and DC-DC chargers for fast, safe charging on board.
Solar Panels and MPPT Installation on Sailboats: A Complete Guide
A correctly sized solar and MPPT system dramatically cuts generator or engine dependence on the days spent at anchor.
Choosing an Inverter/Charger for Your Yacht: MultiPlus and Quattro Guide
An undersized or wrongly specified inverter/charger can turn one of a yacht's most expensive electronics investments into a first-season disappointment.
Boat Battery Maintenance: Extending the Life of AGM, Gel and Flooded Batteries
Most lead-acid batteries die early not from age but from the wrong charge profile and neglected maintenance; a few regular habits can easily double battery life.
Switching to Lithium (LiFePO4) Batteries: A Complete Yacht Guide
A LiFePO4 bank nearly doubles the usable capacity on board, but it only works properly when the whole charging system is rethought, not just the batteries.
Problem on board?
Send us the boat name and marina and we'll get back to you the same day. On-site service in Turgutreis, Yalıkavak, Gümüşlük and the Bodrum marinas.