[thatch]

Recently, while taking a late afternoon harbor cruise, I accidentally performed a "test" which may add a little interesting info to this conversation. My alternator is a 105 amp, single wire Delco which needs to be revved to about 1500 rpm to actually start charging. After this initial "firing" it will charge at any engine speed. On this particular occasion, I started my A4, let it warm up for a few minutes, and then headed out. After a few minutes of 800 rpm cruising, I thought that the engine was running even smoother than usual. A glance at the voltage gauge showed about 12 volts, rather than it's normal 14.5 volts. After shifting to neutral and revving the engine to the required 1500 rpm, the voltmeter went to 14.5 and the boat felt "normal" again. This brief test did show me that the alternator load can indeed be felt.
Tom