First Edition, at least. Assuming you know what the term means that is enough.
If not, ask again.

gould, nobody her but me read the book. several have googled looking for
parts
of it, but none have read it. in fact, most could not if they tried.

I read it, and I'm sure many of the other
NG folks did as well. For most of us, it has been several years now and we
have
all read at least a few things since.

The author may have screwed up. As you have said, the author's misperception
that there could have been sparkplugs or a gas engine on the Andrea Gail
doesn't make it so. If the author, the proofreader, and the editor were all
unaware of the differences between gasoline and diesel engines (and why a
vessel like Andrea Gail would never be powered with a gas engine) such a
misprint could have slipped through.

Still, you are the one insisting this error exists. Do you know where it is?