your honesty and respectfull nature in your blogs is refreshing , that goes for the both of you.. Thanks Nick for such an informative blog !! from Australia Melbourne !!
HUGE thanks for this video!!!! We bought a 38 footer this fall. Been scratching my coconut, bought a couple of books, and well, there a lot of what if/when questions. This is EXACTLY what I needed. You've summed it up pretty well and given me a good starting point as we are relatively new to cruising, as opposed to day sailing. Thanks much, and looking forward to spending time watching you next season.
Excellent video and so clearly articulated. You actually have a real gift for just talking to the camera, not as easy as most would think. Really impressed with how you break things down so even the simplest of us can understand. Well done.
Great job Nick. You are correct regarding modern diesel engines and glazing however, In regards to what you said about the pistons glazing on diesel engines, Its not the pistons that would glaze, it would be the cylinder walls that glaze. The pistons themselves do not touch the cylinder walls, the piston rings do. Short run, not up to operating temperature or overheating, excessive engine loads and poor oil and fuel quality are what kills modern day engines. I had a very long conversation with Yanmar specifically regarding this topic not to long ago and your info is spot on. Cheers
Excellent overview of electrical power alternatives on a boat. Just a couple of points to add: 1. Lead-acid batts, while relatively inexpensive, are heavy and bulky and wear out relatively quickly. 2. Lead-acid batts can be discharged deeper than 50 percent when needed, but doing so repeatedly will reduce their life-span. They are slow to charge and need to be kept at full charge when not in use (a small solar panel can suffice for this.) 3. A lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo) battery bank is more expensive, but properly managed should last about 10 years, is much lighter, requires less space, charges more rapidly than other options, and discharges very little when left for months. Contrary to popular belief, they will not burn or explode if mismanaged (lithium Ion batteries have this drawback but not LiFePo). They do however require careful monitoring, management, automatic cut-offs, etc.. They are not an install and ignore item but are rapidly becoming a viable alternative for most cruising boats.
Great discussion and very honest. The debate rages on as to what is the best form of energy generation while cruising and you do a great job of explaining that it will really depend on each persons needs and wants. Well done!
Really helpful and good to have a new video. Ever thus hopeful we will be sailing one day, for a long way! We look forward to further posts. Back on board is better than back and bored. Best x
Just joined you on your travels and once again, a hugely informative video and great thanks for that! As a builder of engines for those involved in motorsport I`m able to pay a little back if I may. On the subject of piston/bore glazing: Assuming that both adequate quantity and quality of the correct oil is present. A thin (microns) film of oil will always be present between both the cylinder walls, pistons AND rings. A sound and reliable relationship between the cylinder wall / piston and rings relies on sufficient loading imposed jointly on those parts. The combustion cycle creates significant levels of Carbon in the form of particulates. These adhere to the sticky lubricated surfaces of the piston-rings and cylinder walls. Without getting too `techy` the affected surfaces rely on a given amount of engine load and speed to generate sufficient `scrub` to effectively wipe the carbon deposits from those surfaces rather than have them build up on them. The build up can create a `skin` of Carbon waste on these which then, at low loads and engine speeds bond to those surfaces and in a short space of time become immovable. This is referred to as `Glazing`, the cylinder walls become polished and extremely smooth. Perfectly smooth surfaces do not retain oil, it`s wiped off by the action of the piston rings which as a result can cause very high wear rates between those components.. Blah blah over!... Apologies but needed an explanation! The solution is very simple! When you`re running the engine to charge the batteries.. Run it in gear, and under load as you would when motoring with sails down. Potential problem solved.
FANTASTIC video. I've found, even from just one battery manufacturer, the same model battery will have almost a pound less lead & acid, depending on what factory it was produced in.
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose Yes; batteries from a Hong Kong factory which lasted 4 years (one customer tended his for 8 years), only lasted 6 months when they started shipping them from Taiwan.
A good overview on the topic. Most people would find this topic frustrating as there are no hard and fast rules. It really does depend on your energy consumption pattern and your location. I spend more time in a marina and hence tend to rely on solar panel and shorepower. Wind generators tend to upset the neighbours quite a bit, due to the noise. About to put in a battery monitor with 3 shunts (2 banks + starter battery). If it's reliable and accurate enough, it will give me some peace of mind. Time will tell!
Cool we made the video!!! We are the cat at your stern in diamond cay, so true about little gens giving more trouble then big ones. We run or gen. 20 hours a day and our bigger 22kw never give problems on our little night time one does the 12kw. Enjoy your hoilday!!
I really enjoyed your videos, you speak with such honesty about everything. I would like you to address to subjects, one is challenging times at sea, when the waters are very rough, and the safety factor when you are sailing through the ocean, as well as at different ports.
Some small corrections for the Units that you use. Your text states that your solar gives you "8 amps per hour (8 ah) x 4 hours = 32 amps. Solar output." Its a VERY common mistake in 'electrical terminology' by many (most) sailing people. What you 'should' say is :- The solar produces "8 amps. For 4 hours a day. = 8 amps x 4 hours = 32 amp.hrs" An 'amp' is a measure of 'current' and NOT energy produced. An Amp.hr is a measure of energy. NOT power. And not current. Power is measured in Watts. Energy is measured in units: - "Joules" or "amp.hrs at an assumed voltage (eg. 12v) " OR "Watt.hours" Example. 5 amp.hrs at 12v is half the energy of 5 amp.hrs at 24volts. Energy = I x t x V For boaters: an amp.hr (Energy) is an amp of current flowing for an hour at a 'known and assumed voltage' (in your case is 12volts.) ..the 12v is implicit. Another example. 1 amp for 4 hours is 1Amp x 4hrs x 12v = 48x60minsx60secs Joules ...or 48 Watt.hrs 1 hour = 60 x 60 secs An Amp is the measure of current. Like water flow. Symbol: I. Unit: Amps. A VOLT is a measure of potential. Like Water Pressure. Symbol : V. Unit: Volts. POWER is the result of BOTH Volts and Current. Symbol: P unit: Watts. Think of a lot of water flowing through a wide pipe (lots of current) and at high pressure(voltage) ==> High Power water jet. Energy is Power x time. Symbol: E. Unit: Joules. Watt.hours. or Amp.hours "assuming" 12v. Equations: Power = IV, Energy = IVt Power = IV Power is the rate of change of energy. Hope it helps...? Please Keep 'em coming!!! We're loving your vids guys!! Cheers P&D
Just a heads up for mine I bought the battery from a wrecked tesla it provides me 60Kwh (5000Ah) for about $10k and I sold most of the parts from the tesla to make it back, seats $2.5k, reasonably okay tyres $1k, trunk lid rear doors, etc etc and got the cost of the actual batteries down to basically $3.5k (plus whatever I used in wiring and the different systems to make it usable) so that's a very cost effective and cheap option if you want to deal with selling used car parts on eBay and find a cheap enough wrecked one with working batteries. But it is absolutely brilliant and with an oceanvolt hydrogenerator, some solar and some wind it does well enough to run everything (including moderate amounts of AC) on a daily basis. You could even take a look at a Tesla's 2nd generation powerwall (13.5kwh, 1,25Ah) its rated for wet environments huge warranty and somewhat cost effective considering it is roughly 5.95 usd per usable Ah and yours are going to need to be replaced more often take more energy in than are able to put out and on top of that they cost 3.55 usd per usable Ah (considering 200 ea and 4 of them that 800/225 for that number) and have a quarter of the lifespan and need maintenance so essentially you're spending 14.2 usd on those lead acid batteries compared to lithium ion. The website for finding wrecked tesla's: erepairables.com/salvage-cars-auction/tesla (Please don't hound me for advice on how to do any of the actual wiring and labour I paid someone with a degree in electrical engineering to get the whole thing done properly for me)
Love your vids, one of my top three to sub & watch regularly. I know I;m late to this party, but still catching up on previous episodes. You may have thought about this already but, the newer "suitcase gens are equipped to run on CNG (propane), same fuel as your gimbal stove. No need for additional storage of petrol. These gennys run much cleaner than gas, start straight away, and provide ALOT of wattage at a moments notice should the need arise. Your philosophy concerning redundancy is similar to mine " two is one, and one is none". I'm no sailor, but live off the grid as much as possible, and CNG is safe, providing me much peace of mind when solar or wind power output is marginal. Just a thought! Cheers. FW & FS.
Very nice video. Don't forget to wash your batteries and check water level every month or so. We talked to Trogen's engineer as to how high recharge and he gave us the important info on washing. Use 1 cup baking soda in now gallon of water and literally wash your batteries all over polls and all. If you hear a sizzelling sound you were in need of washing as when recharging them they give off small gasses that fall down on the batteries and this causes current to be drawn between the poles. Have had 16 yes 16, 6 volt Trogens for the past 5 years and they are still in excellent condition. Cafe maker, toaster you name it loll
I thought that was probably one of the most technically correct explanations of boat power needs from a youtube channel. As for engines, I believe regular running and getting the engine up to operating temperature is most important. Engines generally get run every time you leave the anchorage, generators get run even less, hence prone to more problems. The best place for solar panels is over the dinghy davits. I'd never heard of a hydro-generator until I started watching this channel. Lithium batteries are much lighter, 10x more expensive, can handle a greater depth of discharge but are way less tolerant of overcharging and need a much more sophisticated battery management as a result, adding to the expense.
I've only owned one car that had glazed cylinder bores and I would fill up the petrol tank and the oil and drive it around. The oil warning light would be on before the tank got down to 1/4 full. Basically 1 litre of oil per 100 kms. It didn't havea lot of kms on the clock ( 140,000kms from memory) I changed the thermostat and drove the car to Darwin and back. the further I drove, the less oil was used. By the time I got back to Melbounre I could drive the car 10,000 kms and and the oil would have just reached the bottom of the dipstick. I am not sure what the previous owner did but I suspect it was a lot of short trips.
A big thank you Nick, a really informative, well researched and thorough video. Really helpfully and interesting. Thank you for making this and sharing it with us.
Great, great info Nick, thanks. This really cleared up some important things for me regarding renewable power generation options. Hope all is well......peace & fair winds
Lifeline AGM's use 103 % of the power to charge them 100%. Wet cell Golf Cart take 135 % of your power to charge them 100% waisting 30% or so or your valuable off line amps..overcoming internal resistance in those wet cells. Lifeline good for 15 years or more....still I love all your videos . My single 150 watt panel puts out 9.1 amps mid day. Mppt controller, #8 or #10 wire. Shadows Your ABSOLUTELY right!!
Very well done Mr Bond informative and straight forward I learned a lot from this and will watch it again as needed. Please let miss Moneypenny know we think she's fabulous.
Agree with most of what you said. In the u.s. most genset problems are caused by ethanol in regular gas leaving residue in carbs and making hard to start. That can be solved with a propane/lp conversion kit..makes mine easy to start every time..you can use 1 liter Coleman camping bottles for fuel if you don't want 20# tank.
Great video Nick, edited by your own fair hand I see, good job me old sock. Priceless 1st paragraph on the description. Thank you as always for the clear and down to earth explanations. Having said all that, good call showing up at the end Terysa or you'd have a riot on your hands LOL.
Another great video, thanks. With consideration of your current knowledge and experience, would you have installed the solar panels on the Bimini, side rails, or created an elevated stern platform? What are others uses, advantages, and/or disadvantages of an elevated stern solar panel platform?
It's not often I read the information but I think living in a horse box in Kent would be ace tho I do think I'll sail. Better & better every time. Grate bit of information thanks
Very relevant indeed and I think most like to hear from someone who is not a salesman. Honesty and straight forward speech seems to be a bit lacking these days as they all want to sell you their product but who would you turn to if you had a question about solar? A Solar Expert, and where will you find that person? Selling solar haha. Thanks for the straight talk. ^_^
I would double down on solar. I have solar on my camper and house. The current camper is on V2 of my DIY solar, Spring of 2014. V1 was in 2007. It has two 140 watt panels (280 watts) with an 150 amp 12V AGM battery. I highly recommend MPPT(Multi Power Point Tracking) charge controller. I bought a Blue Sky Solar Boost 3000i MPPT in 2007 and it still works great. At the time I only remember two companies with MPPT, Blue Sky and outback. I don't remember seeing Victron. I'm beginning to think about V3. So far I have several ideas/ requirements: 1) Four ~300 watt house solar panels. These are the cheapest and most plentiful panels out there. They are actually built to decent building standard. For example properly mounted, they can handle 140 MPH wind storm. They should ride through a level 3 hurricane as long as they don't take a direct hit. in I doubt the solar panels I see on boats are any better. Total of 1200-1400 watts. 2) Dump excess power to the house. I'm tired seeing my camper 3) Probably Lithium Ion Batteries. 4) Either a MPPT charge controller or Micro inverter for each solar panel. The rest is up in the air. V1 and V2 are a basic 12V DC systems. Do I stick with 12V or go to 24V or 48V? Or do I make the leap to 240V AC. There are now 240V AC Batteries. The most famous being the Tesla Powerwall. Another company famous for their micro inverters Enphase Energy has the everything you need for either a grid connected or battery run 240V AC system It is not cheap. It runs $7600 for a ($4000 battery, $650 inverters, $600Combiner, $2300 Switch). The real cost headache is the Switch, it is designed transfer the loads of a 200 amps 240V house. Where a boat or caper can get away with 50 amps.
I feel like I know my batts, that 80% lipo / 50% Pb is true and rarely mentioned, great point! That skews the pound for pound, not always an important factor compared to say fire, insurance, or cost.... but for performance lipo kicks pb's ass lol
Hi - Very good video - informative and interesting :-) One question I have regarding your Lead Acid batteries is how do manage them whilst the boat is on hard standing? Lead Acid batteries can be killed by being fully discharged, is the solar etc connected whilst the boat is laid up to keep the batteries in condition?
Another great vid. I have not done the other side of the Atlantic. In the Med solar power rules and the wind turbine is a poor second... I can see that it is very different where you are. Very interesting. Thanks
Great tips for the newbie crowd! Now a few years later would you still be satisfied with 450amp/hrs of Lead-Acid? Crossing the Pacific, are you going to miss the Watt&Sea? Planning on upgrading to more solar?
great video. thanks for the info...we will be so ready to go when we get our boat we should be able to sail and relax without all the research you guys have done !
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose a generator alone would cost close to $8k. So we didn't get the gen set and put the money into lithium. We have davits that we mounted 3-250w of solar on as well. You could build a mount on your stern to place 2-250w panels. We are getting full output out of our glass panels, here in the Caribbean. Enjoy ur time away from Ruby Rose
Thanks for the video, I've only recently started to think about sailing and these videos are inspirational and so informative. A chilled, relaxed and swearing drive to succeed. My question is, what made you take that final step into moving and packing up your life in London, or do you still have a life in London and this is how you finance the sailing.
Great information Nick!! Any bites on selling Ruby Rose. Interested in understanding why you want to go from mono hull? I assume it's got to do with livability?
What great start up info for the off grid power Needs. Thanks, Bottom line I hear is start with a good wind generator , ( and easiest probably to install), see how you make out , then consider adding solar as required. Any maintenance or install issues to consider? ( excluding a diesel generator). Cheers Warren. Ps loved that you shaved for the techie video!!!
Peter here - No reason why the diesel generator isn't as reliable as the main engine depends on what you buy? Northern Lights are very good, three cylinder 6.5 Kw but important to load up a generator as they like to work hard. D400 wind generator is great. Hopefully Nick it doesn't go all Pete Tong not "It's gone all Pete" LOL Happy days from Sint Maarten to you both.
Nick. Nice Vid. We are in the middle of buying new GC2 batteries and adding solar so it's good to hear what others do. Do you know how many AH a day you typically go through when sailing/at anchor? By the way. You should have sailed New England this summer. Would have loved to have bought you two dinner. I mean why bother going home and seeing family when you can hang with fans? Cheers.
Peter here - A wind generator whose tail is facing downwards is always noisy and a wind generator i.e. the Eclectic Energy D400 is upward facing and very quiet
This was a good video, Nick! Do you happen to know what the usual problems are with gensets? Is it a diode bank going bad, or perhaps a regulator? Other than the engine, the rotor, and the stator, there's nothing left to go bad, is there? I hope to be able to buy a boat in a couple months, and before this video, a genset was an absolute requirement for me. Now I'm rethinking that.
The best bit of kit for cruising around Uk and France I have is the Watt and Sea hydro by far anD of course wind. Wind because if i have enough then i sail fast enough to gen more power than i can use at 5-6 knots and if mot then the wind gen doesn't work either so its engine on. The solar is questionable over here as you know. good vid but more sailing please 😆
6v go kart is the way to go if you have space for them. For sure. But one thing that keeps me away from the idea of buying wind turbine, that's the sound. What kind of brand did you buy. And how is it to sit outside beneath it? Or in the neighboring boat. Also, I have a question about autopilot. And I KNOW there are big variations about how sailing, sea / flow ex is. But when I go from a motorboat to cat, electricity is important on long stretches. How many amp / h use the autopilot. Across the Atlantic, for example. The catamaran uses a little less as well. That's fine ;-) Did you have a Windvane that worked on the Catamaran?? Greeatings from Norway
Hi, thanks for the video, it's useful to hear your experiences of batteries and charging as I am doing up an old boat for live aboard cruising. Can I ask what make of wind generator do you have and is it noisy?
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose Thanks, that's a great tip! One more question, is your engine start battery the same type as your domestic bank? (We have 345Ah domestic, but the engine start battery is the same type, so I am wondering about getting a smaller starter battery and moving the existing starter battery to the domestic bank to give us 460Ah.)
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose ok interesting thanks, I had been looking at the Optima blue top 34M which is a specialised starter battery, supposedly low internal resistance, but it is 800 cold cranking amps vs 910 in our existing battery. I am also tempted by Lithium for the domestic batteries, but terrified of the price!
Lead Acid batteries (which need to have their electrolyte level monitored on a monthly basis and vent corrosive gasses) are 50 year old tech and have no place on a modern cruising yacht. Even AGM batteries are getting old. Lithium Ion is the only way to go. Power capture and storage is what we all need. Yes it costs more but over the long run they are actually the cheapest option! So much information on line.
On a boat it pays to be cautious. Using established technologies that have proved to be reliable and safe (providing they are correctly installed) is the cautious approach. Lithium batteries are relatively new and still occasionally catch fire. That is the last thing one wants on a boat. Yes, there are other things that can create a fire, but lithium batteries can catch fire some time after installation due to a manufacturing fault. They can also get very hot if heavily loaded and the heat can distort them which can lead to a fault and possibly fire. Everyone to there own, but I would rather be conservative about my technology if I am going to 1,000 miles from land.
Lithium's advantages don't counter the 10x higher cost for most people. The batteries don't last 10 times as long. And they have some other pretty serious disadvantages besides the cost, such as safety.
Very interesting about the engine. I have a Yanmar 3HM35F (1989). I do have solar and wind as well to assist charging at anchor. The engine has a Balmar 80 Amp rated alternator. My question is at what RPM should the engine run for best results and is it recommended to be be in gear (reverse) if at anchor or neutral. Also my boat came with a wind generator, but I noticed there is no charge controller for it. Is that essential and if yes, would a Victron Solar controller work or does it need a 'special controller' for wind generator? Thanks for a good video.
I see that electric motors are becoming viable on sailboats and catamarans. Can these motors reverse generate power while under sail with the prop spinning and the armature turning?
Piston glazing is supposed to comes from long running at low power and low engine temp so be sure to do some regular 10-15 min running at WOT ( it hurts but it's good for the Diesel engine). Yanmar & westerbeke both say this too. The best one page on cylinder glazing I have read is here from cox engineering. coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Boreglazing.aspx It confirmed what you say, a properly 'run in' engine from new can be used for battery charging as long as engine is up to temp (engaging prop will keep temp up during charging but may not be practical all the time). Cheers Warren
Yeah your research is correct. Glazing only really is an issue with impropper break-in. And most new engines come machined so well that break in is not really even required. And the load on engine from running even 5 altenators is nothing compared to turning a screw and pushing 40ft of boat around.
I can't tell you how much I enjoy your channel. A wonderful mix of entertainment, education and inspiration. Thank you.
your honesty and respectfull nature in your blogs is refreshing , that goes for the both of you.. Thanks Nick for such an informative blog !! from Australia Melbourne !!
HUGE thanks for this video!!!! We bought a 38 footer this fall. Been scratching my coconut, bought a couple of books, and well, there a lot of what if/when questions.
This is EXACTLY what I needed. You've summed it up pretty well and given me a good starting point as we are relatively new to cruising, as opposed to day sailing.
Thanks much, and looking forward to spending time watching you next season.
Excellent video and so clearly articulated. You actually have a real gift for just talking to the camera, not as easy as most would think. Really impressed with how you break things down so even the simplest of us can understand. Well done.
Excellent technical discussion. Living aboard --best way to learn what works and doesn't work.
As someone who getting ready to buy his first boat, I find video like the extremely useful. Thanks for sharing.
Great job Nick. You are correct regarding modern diesel engines and glazing however, In regards to what you said about the pistons glazing on diesel engines, Its not the pistons that would glaze, it would be the cylinder walls that glaze. The pistons themselves do not touch the cylinder walls, the piston rings do. Short run, not up to operating temperature or overheating, excessive engine loads and poor oil and fuel quality are what kills modern day engines. I had a very long conversation with Yanmar specifically regarding this topic not to long ago and your info is spot on. Cheers
Excellent overview of electrical power alternatives on a boat. Just a couple of points to add:
1. Lead-acid batts, while relatively inexpensive, are heavy and bulky and wear out relatively quickly.
2. Lead-acid batts can be discharged deeper than 50 percent when needed, but doing so repeatedly will reduce their life-span. They are slow to charge and need to be kept at full charge when not in use (a small solar panel can suffice for this.)
3. A lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo) battery bank is more expensive, but properly managed should last about 10 years, is much lighter, requires less space, charges more rapidly than other options, and discharges very little when left for months. Contrary to popular belief, they will not burn or explode if mismanaged (lithium Ion batteries have this drawback but not LiFePo). They do however require careful monitoring, management, automatic cut-offs, etc.. They are not an install and ignore item but are rapidly becoming a viable alternative for most cruising boats.
Great discussion and very honest. The debate rages on as to what is the best form of energy generation while cruising and you do a great job of explaining that it will really depend on each persons needs and wants. Well done!
Outstanding video!!!! Great practical information about the real sailing life! Thank you again.
Really helpful and good to have a new video. Ever thus hopeful we will be sailing one day, for a long way! We look forward to further posts. Back on board is better than back and bored. Best x
Excellent videos on the how to, makes for a complete curriculum of sailing! Thanks and cheers! Well done!
Just joined you on your travels and once again, a hugely informative video and great thanks for that! As a builder of engines for those involved in motorsport I`m able to pay a little back if I may.
On the subject of piston/bore glazing: Assuming that both adequate quantity and quality of the correct oil is present.
A thin (microns) film of oil will always be present between both the cylinder walls, pistons AND rings.
A sound and reliable relationship between the cylinder wall / piston and rings relies on sufficient loading imposed jointly on those parts. The combustion cycle creates significant levels of Carbon in the form of particulates. These adhere to the sticky lubricated surfaces of the piston-rings and cylinder walls.
Without getting too `techy` the affected surfaces rely on a given amount of engine load and speed to generate sufficient `scrub` to effectively wipe the carbon deposits from those surfaces rather than have them build up on them. The build up can create a `skin` of Carbon waste on these which then, at low loads and engine speeds bond to those surfaces and in a short space of time become immovable. This is referred to as `Glazing`, the cylinder walls become polished and extremely smooth. Perfectly smooth surfaces do not retain oil, it`s wiped off by the action of the piston rings which as a result can cause very high wear rates between those components.. Blah blah over!... Apologies but needed an explanation!
The solution is very simple! When you`re running the engine to charge the batteries.. Run it in gear, and under load as you would when motoring with sails down. Potential problem solved.
Was just going to ask where was Theresa, sure glad she showed up at the end. Made my day.
FANTASTIC video.
I've found, even from just one battery manufacturer, the same model battery will have almost a pound less lead & acid, depending on what factory it was produced in.
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose Yes; batteries from a Hong Kong factory which lasted 4 years (one customer tended his for 8 years), only lasted 6 months when they started shipping them from Taiwan.
A good overview on the topic. Most people would find this topic frustrating as there are no hard and fast rules. It really does depend on your energy consumption pattern and your location. I spend more time in a marina and hence tend to rely on solar panel and shorepower. Wind generators tend to upset the neighbours quite a bit, due to the noise. About to put in a battery monitor with 3 shunts (2 banks + starter battery). If it's reliable and accurate enough, it will give me some peace of mind. Time will tell!
Cool we made the video!!! We are the cat at your stern in diamond cay, so true about little gens giving more trouble then big ones. We run or gen. 20 hours a day and our bigger 22kw never give problems on our little night time one does the 12kw. Enjoy your hoilday!!
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose next time always on charter aahh
Good one Nick, I appreciate your easy to understand explanations, all well thought out and logical. Thank you.
Brilliant information. I really haven't found a better video on this topic. Thank you!
Another great lesson Nick well spoken and very informative, thanks Captain.
I really enjoyed your videos, you speak with such honesty about everything. I would like you to address to subjects, one is challenging times at sea, when the waters are very rough, and the safety factor when you are sailing through the ocean, as well as at different ports.
Good job of communicating the information! Thumbs up!!
Agreed it was top notch!
Some small corrections for the Units that you use. Your text states that your solar gives you "8 amps per hour (8 ah) x 4 hours = 32 amps. Solar output."
Its a VERY common mistake in 'electrical terminology' by many (most) sailing people.
What you 'should' say is :-
The solar produces "8 amps. For 4 hours a day. = 8 amps x 4 hours = 32 amp.hrs"
An 'amp' is a measure of 'current' and NOT energy produced.
An Amp.hr is a measure of energy. NOT power. And not current.
Power is measured in Watts.
Energy is measured in units: - "Joules" or "amp.hrs at an assumed voltage (eg. 12v) " OR "Watt.hours"
Example. 5 amp.hrs at 12v is half the energy of 5 amp.hrs at 24volts.
Energy = I x t x V
For boaters: an amp.hr (Energy) is an amp of current flowing for an hour at a 'known and assumed voltage' (in your case is 12volts.)
..the 12v is implicit.
Another example. 1 amp for 4 hours is 1Amp x 4hrs x 12v = 48x60minsx60secs Joules
...or 48 Watt.hrs
1 hour = 60 x 60 secs
An Amp is the measure of current. Like water flow. Symbol: I. Unit: Amps.
A VOLT is a measure of potential. Like Water Pressure. Symbol : V. Unit: Volts.
POWER is the result of BOTH Volts and Current. Symbol: P unit: Watts.
Think of a lot of water flowing through a wide pipe (lots of current) and at high pressure(voltage) ==> High Power water jet.
Energy is Power x time. Symbol: E. Unit: Joules. Watt.hours. or Amp.hours "assuming" 12v.
Equations: Power = IV,
Energy = IVt
Power = IV
Power is the rate of change of energy.
Hope it helps...?
Please Keep 'em coming!!! We're loving your vids guys!!
Cheers P&D
Just a heads up for mine I bought the battery from a wrecked tesla it provides me 60Kwh (5000Ah) for about $10k and I sold most of the parts from the tesla to make it back, seats $2.5k, reasonably okay tyres $1k, trunk lid rear doors, etc etc and got the cost of the actual batteries down to basically $3.5k (plus whatever I used in wiring and the different systems to make it usable) so that's a very cost effective and cheap option if you want to deal with selling used car parts on eBay and find a cheap enough wrecked one with working batteries. But it is absolutely brilliant and with an oceanvolt hydrogenerator, some solar and some wind it does well enough to run everything (including moderate amounts of AC) on a daily basis. You could even take a look at a Tesla's 2nd generation powerwall (13.5kwh, 1,25Ah) its rated for wet environments huge warranty and somewhat cost effective considering it is roughly 5.95 usd per usable Ah and yours are going to need to be replaced more often take more energy in than are able to put out and on top of that they cost 3.55 usd per usable Ah (considering 200 ea and 4 of them that 800/225 for that number) and have a quarter of the lifespan and need maintenance so essentially you're spending 14.2 usd on those lead acid batteries compared to lithium ion. The website for finding wrecked tesla's: erepairables.com/salvage-cars-auction/tesla (Please don't hound me for advice on how to do any of the actual wiring and labour I paid someone with a degree in electrical engineering to get the whole thing done properly for me)
Well done overview. Very straightforward. Nick, your part was good too.
Thanks for this! Very helpful. We're just getting started and you answered a ton of our questions. Fair winds.
Love your vids, one of my top three to sub & watch regularly. I know I;m late to this party, but still catching up on previous episodes. You may have thought about this already but, the newer "suitcase gens are equipped to run on CNG (propane), same fuel as your gimbal stove. No need for additional storage of petrol. These gennys run much cleaner than gas, start straight away, and provide ALOT of wattage at a moments notice should the need arise. Your philosophy concerning redundancy is similar to mine " two is one, and one is none". I'm no sailor, but live off the grid as much as possible, and CNG is safe, providing me much peace of mind when solar or wind power output is marginal. Just a thought! Cheers. FW & FS.
Very nice video. Don't forget to wash your batteries and check water level every month or so. We talked to Trogen's engineer as to how high recharge and he gave us the important info on washing. Use 1 cup baking soda in now gallon of water and literally wash your batteries all over polls and all. If you hear a sizzelling sound you were in need of washing as when recharging them they give off small gasses that fall down on the batteries and this causes current to be drawn between the poles. Have had 16 yes 16, 6 volt Trogens for the past 5 years and they are still in excellent condition. Cafe maker, toaster you name it loll
I thought that was probably one of the most technically correct explanations of boat power needs from a youtube channel. As for engines, I believe regular running and getting the engine up to operating temperature is most important. Engines generally get run every time you leave the anchorage, generators get run even less, hence prone to more problems. The best place for solar panels is over the dinghy davits. I'd never heard of a hydro-generator until I started watching this channel. Lithium batteries are much lighter, 10x more expensive, can handle a greater depth of discharge but are way less tolerant of overcharging and need a much more sophisticated battery management as a result, adding to the expense.
I've only owned one car that had glazed cylinder bores and I would fill up the petrol tank and the oil and drive it around. The oil warning light would be on before the tank got down to 1/4 full. Basically 1 litre of oil per 100 kms. It didn't havea lot of kms on the clock ( 140,000kms from memory) I changed the thermostat and drove the car to Darwin and back. the further I drove, the less oil was used. By the time I got back to Melbounre I could drive the car 10,000 kms and and the oil would have just reached the bottom of the dipstick. I am not sure what the previous owner did but I suspect it was a lot of short trips.
A big thank you Nick, a really informative, well researched and thorough video. Really helpfully and interesting. Thank you for making this and sharing it with us.
Great, great info Nick, thanks. This really cleared up some important things for me regarding renewable power generation options. Hope all is well......peace & fair winds
Terysa, your man was amazing and very very informative. Many thanks for sharing guys and best from cool HKG 🇭🇰
Lifeline AGM's use 103 % of the power to charge them 100%. Wet cell Golf Cart take 135 % of your power to charge them 100% waisting 30% or so or your valuable off line amps..overcoming internal resistance in those wet cells. Lifeline good for 15 years or more....still I love all your videos . My single 150 watt panel puts out 9.1 amps mid day. Mppt controller, #8 or #10 wire. Shadows Your ABSOLUTELY right!!
Well done Nick, once again very useful info, appreciated & thank you!
Very well done Mr Bond informative and straight forward I learned a lot from this and will watch it again as needed. Please let miss Moneypenny know we think she's fabulous.
Just watched and did find useful. Trying to catch up on your vids as I just found you guys while watching the Wynns videos.
Once again...GREAT video and love when your beautiful wife jumped back in the frame to make it complete. PEACE OUT! Ü
Really enjoy your videos! Great job. Always looking forward to the next episode.
Agree with most of what you said. In the
u.s. most genset problems are caused by ethanol in regular gas leaving residue in carbs and making hard to start. That can be solved with a propane/lp conversion kit..makes mine easy to start every time..you can use 1 liter Coleman camping bottles for fuel if you don't want 20# tank.
well explained Nick. answered loads of questions for me. thanks and fair winds.
An excellent, and MOST informative presentation. Thank you!
the Old Coastie.
Great video Nick, edited by your own fair hand I see, good job me old sock. Priceless 1st paragraph on the description. Thank you as always for the clear and down to earth explanations. Having said all that, good call showing up at the end Terysa or you'd have a riot on your hands LOL.
I'm amazed you didn't make a euphemism out of 'glazing the piston.' Such restraint!
the best info i have seen ever ,it will help me with my boat build, thanks for the good info.
Great video; really interesting and informative. Good stuff!
Brilliant video, very informative. Thanks Nick.
Another great video, thanks. With consideration of your current knowledge and experience, would you have installed the solar panels on the Bimini, side rails, or created an elevated stern platform? What are others uses, advantages, and/or disadvantages of an elevated stern solar panel platform?
It's not often I read the information but I think living in a horse box in Kent would be ace tho I do think I'll sail. Better & better every time. Grate bit of information thanks
"Who needs bikini clad strumpets when a middle aged Londoner is about eh???" Indeed!
there's a secret order of ppl who read the description blerbs.
god forbid you guys end up in a horse box in kent.
I do...... 😁
*Cough* Sailing Doodles *Cough*
Very relevant indeed and I think most like to hear from someone who is not a salesman. Honesty and straight forward speech seems to be a bit lacking these days as they all want to sell you their product but who would you turn to if you had a question about solar? A Solar Expert, and where will you find that person? Selling solar haha. Thanks for the straight talk. ^_^
Nicely done Nick. See you in Annapolis!
Very informative. One of the best videos ever.
Thanks for this educational video you guys rock always learning something from your videos
Another super informative and helpful video. Thanks!
Another great video Nick and Terysa, even without the colorful language!
"colorful language" is the "essence" of nick....safe sailing
I would double down on solar. I have solar on my camper and house. The current camper is on V2 of my DIY solar, Spring of 2014. V1 was in 2007. It has two 140 watt panels (280 watts) with an 150 amp 12V AGM battery. I highly recommend MPPT(Multi Power Point Tracking) charge controller. I bought a Blue Sky Solar Boost 3000i MPPT in 2007 and it still works great. At the time I only remember two companies with MPPT, Blue Sky and outback. I don't remember seeing Victron.
I'm beginning to think about V3. So far I have several ideas/ requirements:
1) Four ~300 watt house solar panels. These are the cheapest and most plentiful panels out there. They are actually built to decent building standard. For example properly mounted, they can handle 140 MPH wind storm. They should ride through a level 3 hurricane as long as they don't take a direct hit. in I doubt the solar panels I see on boats are any better. Total of 1200-1400 watts.
2) Dump excess power to the house. I'm tired seeing my camper
3) Probably Lithium Ion Batteries.
4) Either a MPPT charge controller or Micro inverter for each solar panel.
The rest is up in the air.
V1 and V2 are a basic 12V DC systems. Do I stick with 12V or go to 24V or 48V? Or do I make the leap to 240V AC.
There are now 240V AC Batteries. The most famous being the Tesla Powerwall. Another company famous for their micro inverters Enphase Energy has the everything you need for either a grid connected or battery run 240V AC system It is not cheap. It runs $7600 for a ($4000 battery, $650 inverters, $600Combiner, $2300 Switch). The real cost headache is the Switch, it is designed transfer the loads of a 200 amps 240V house. Where a boat or caper can get away with 50 amps.
I feel like I know my batts, that 80% lipo / 50% Pb is true and rarely mentioned, great point! That skews the pound for pound, not always an important factor compared to say fire, insurance, or cost.... but for performance lipo kicks pb's ass lol
Very informative and that kiss on the cheek at the end, Nick you little romantic you. LOL.
Hi - Very good video - informative and interesting :-) One question I have regarding your Lead Acid batteries is how do manage them whilst the boat is on hard standing? Lead Acid batteries can be killed by being fully discharged, is the solar etc connected whilst the boat is laid up to keep the batteries in condition?
Another great vid. I have not done the other side of the Atlantic. In the Med solar power rules and the wind turbine is a poor second... I can see that it is very different where you are. Very interesting. Thanks
I am so jealous. I am in Cornwall and have almost forgotten what the sun looks like :-) Never swallow the anchor!
Good job Nick. You got my thumbs up click.
Another great video Ruby Rose! I would guess that between the Hydro, Solar, and Wind that you have all the power you would need. Tnx again.
Great tips for the newbie crowd!
Now a few years later would you still be satisfied with 450amp/hrs of Lead-Acid? Crossing the Pacific, are you going to miss the Watt&Sea? Planning on upgrading to more solar?
Now we would probably look to lithium and more solar.
Nick, nicely done! Thanks. You mentioned gel cell as another type of battery. How do they compare to lead acid and lithium?
great video. thanks for the info...we will be so ready to go when we get our boat we should be able to sail and relax without all the research you guys have done !
Excellent video. Funny ending, amp hours are easy to understand, simply put means no blow dryers or curling irons, lol
Sea Travel I love my blow dryer, toaster, microwave etc but that's lithium batteries for you. 1600Ah
Sea Travel yes we are on a cat. Our whole system cost $10k USD.. Chargers and batteries. 1800w of solar. This is our home. No generator
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose a generator alone would cost close to $8k. So we didn't get the gen set and put the money into lithium. We have davits that we mounted 3-250w of solar on as well. You could build a mount on your stern to place 2-250w panels. We are getting full output out of our glass panels, here in the Caribbean. Enjoy ur time away from Ruby Rose
Hey guys! Great video, thanks! One question? Do you have an inverter? How many watts? How useful has it been?
Very nicely explained. I'm thinking about switching to Trojans as well.
Btw, nice Shirt T! Tiger approves.
Thanks for the video, I've only recently started to think about sailing and these videos are inspirational and so informative. A chilled, relaxed and swearing drive to succeed. My question is, what made you take that final step into moving and packing up your life in London, or do you still have a life in London and this is how you finance the sailing.
Great info - much appreciated; I'm lov'in the vids - entertainment mixed with education, what a great recipe.
Can't take you seriously without a drink in your hand lol, keep up the great work can't wait for next season
Very interesting Nick, and covered my previous episode question 'why don't you use solar ?'
Great information Nick!! Any bites on selling Ruby Rose. Interested in understanding why you want to go from mono hull? I assume it's got to do with livability?
Love the show y'all. Keep it up!
You are both fantastic. Awesome info.
What great start up info for the off grid power Needs. Thanks, Bottom line I hear is start with a good wind generator , ( and easiest probably to install), see how you make out , then consider adding solar as required.
Any maintenance or install issues to consider? ( excluding a diesel generator).
Cheers Warren.
Ps loved that you shaved for the techie video!!!
www.sailboatstuff.com/images/Imtra_Wiring%20Recommendations.pdf
Peter here - No reason why the diesel generator isn't as reliable as the main engine depends on what you buy? Northern Lights are very good, three cylinder 6.5 Kw but important to load up a generator as they like to work hard. D400 wind generator is great. Hopefully Nick it doesn't go all Pete Tong not "It's gone all Pete" LOL Happy days from Sint Maarten to you both.
Nick. Nice Vid. We are in the middle of buying new GC2 batteries and adding solar so it's good to hear what others do. Do you know how many AH a day you typically go through when sailing/at anchor? By the way. You should have sailed New England this summer. Would have loved to have bought you two dinner. I mean why bother going home and seeing family when you can hang with fans? Cheers.
I didn't even know how much I needed this video! Thank you
Thanks! I love your logo. I have a friend working on mine. I think once the name is picked it's just smooth sailing
Love the informative video. Thanks Nick!
Very educational. Another great vid! Cheers!
fantastic info for a new sailor thank you
Very good, down to earth discussion. I have heard it said the wind generators are very noisy. How do you feel about noise especially at anchor?
Peter here - A wind generator whose tail is facing downwards is always noisy and a wind generator i.e. the Eclectic Energy D400 is upward facing and very quiet
This was a good video, Nick! Do you happen to know what the usual problems are with gensets? Is it a diode bank going bad, or perhaps a regulator? Other than the engine, the rotor, and the stator, there's nothing left to go bad, is there?
I hope to be able to buy a boat in a couple months, and before this video, a genset was an absolute requirement for me. Now I'm rethinking that.
What do you use for heating water.
The best bit of kit for cruising around Uk and France I have is the Watt and Sea hydro by far anD of course wind. Wind because if i have enough then i sail fast enough to gen more power than i can use at 5-6 knots and if mot then the wind gen doesn't work either so its engine on. The solar is questionable over here as you know. good vid but more sailing please 😆
6v go kart is the way to go if you have space for them. For sure. But one thing that keeps me away from the idea of buying wind turbine, that's the sound. What kind of brand did you buy. And how is it to sit outside beneath it? Or in the neighboring boat.
Also, I have a question about autopilot. And I KNOW there are big variations about how sailing, sea / flow ex is. But when I go from a motorboat to cat, electricity is important on long stretches. How many amp / h use the autopilot. Across the Atlantic, for example. The catamaran uses a little less as well. That's fine ;-) Did you have a Windvane that worked on the Catamaran??
Greeatings from Norway
Thanks. The Lewmar homepage wase good.(4A Current) Did not find anything on Raymarin. Tried to google it several times ...
Hi, thanks for the video, it's useful to hear your experiences of batteries and charging as I am doing up an old boat for live aboard cruising. Can I ask what make of wind generator do you have and is it noisy?
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose Thanks, that's a great tip! One more question, is your engine start battery the same type as your domestic bank? (We have 345Ah domestic, but the engine start battery is the same type, so I am wondering about getting a smaller starter battery and moving the existing starter battery to the domestic bank to give us 460Ah.)
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose ok interesting thanks, I had been looking at the Optima blue top 34M which is a specialised starter battery, supposedly low internal resistance, but it is 800 cold cranking amps vs 910 in our existing battery. I am also tempted by Lithium for the domestic batteries, but terrified of the price!
Lead Acid batteries (which need to have their electrolyte level monitored on a monthly basis and vent corrosive gasses) are 50 year old tech and have no place on a modern cruising yacht. Even AGM batteries are getting old. Lithium Ion is the only way to go. Power capture and storage is what we all need. Yes it costs more but over the long run they are actually the cheapest option! So much information on line.
On a boat it pays to be cautious. Using established technologies that have proved to be reliable and safe (providing they are correctly installed) is the cautious approach. Lithium batteries are relatively new and still occasionally catch fire. That is the last thing one wants on a boat. Yes, there are other things that can create a fire, but lithium batteries can catch fire some time after installation due to a manufacturing fault. They can also get very hot if heavily loaded and the heat can distort them which can lead to a fault and possibly fire. Everyone to there own, but I would rather be conservative about my technology if I am going to 1,000 miles from land.
Lithium's advantages don't counter the 10x higher cost for most people. The batteries don't last 10 times as long. And they have some other pretty serious disadvantages besides the cost, such as safety.
It was useful info, I learned what a shunt was.
Very interesting about the engine. I have a Yanmar 3HM35F (1989). I do have solar and wind as well to assist charging at anchor. The engine has a Balmar 80 Amp rated alternator. My question is at what RPM should the engine run for best results and is it recommended to be be in gear (reverse) if at anchor or neutral. Also my boat came with a wind generator, but I noticed there is no charge controller for it. Is that essential and if yes, would a Victron Solar controller work or does it need a 'special controller' for wind generator? Thanks for a good video.
Thanks Nick :-)
I see that electric motors are becoming viable on sailboats and catamarans. Can these motors reverse generate power while under sail with the prop spinning and the armature turning?
Another big thumbs up!!
What do you do in the off season?
Also what did you both do for work?
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose I read that in the wrong order and though o no what's happened 😂😂😂
Thanks guy
Piston glazing is supposed to comes from long running at low power and low engine temp so be sure to do some regular 10-15 min running at WOT ( it hurts but it's good for the Diesel engine). Yanmar & westerbeke both say this too.
The best one page on cylinder glazing I have read is here from cox engineering.
coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Boreglazing.aspx
It confirmed what you say, a properly 'run in' engine from new can be used for battery charging as long as engine is up to temp (engaging prop will keep temp up during charging but may not be practical all the time).
Cheers Warren
How are all four of your charging mechanisms wired into the battery bank? Can you generate power from all 4 methods at once? How is the load managed?
Yeah your research is correct. Glazing only really is an issue with impropper break-in. And most new engines come machined so well that break in is not really even required. And the load on engine from running even 5 altenators is nothing compared to turning a screw and pushing 40ft of boat around.
A 50 amp alternator is about a 1-2HP load on the engine when it is outputting 50 amps.
Every helpfull info well done
Do you guys have a portable refrigeration units such as a Elgin small deep-freeze
Fantastic video again love your videos
nice void.... hope you guys have a safe trip home.