A/C, Watermaker, Led's, Fridge, Freezer.

[Auzzee]

I understand the trend toward home style appliances on board, but I still believe an engine driven compressor (use 4" to 6" insulation in your boxes), along with heat exchange for hot water makes good economic and environmental sense.

Paired with solar panels, a wind generator, a good battery bank and solid inverter/charger, even a small osmotic water purifier can be added. Buy a small 2kw Honda generator for emergencies, and for running a marine through-the-hatch air conditioning unit.

This all helps to keep the maintenance costs down, and avoids the problem of a generator annoying the crap out of your neighbors in the anchorage.

My concern with all the other bits is that volume is restricted (especially with integrated a/c), weight is added in spade loads, and many aspects of the higher tech solutions mean the universal maintenance and repair of ship-board systems, which is the specialty of self-sufficient sailors, disappears. This means more time in marinas, more expense with tradesmen and less time doing that which we profess to need above all else.

[Cort]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I just install a 4KW unit, it's 198 lbs.

running your 4kw unit. how long does it take to charge your battery bank?

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Cort

running your 4kw unit. how long does it take to charge your battery bank?

Well how could I answer that?

But I don't think I've ever seen the batteries accept more than around 1.2 KW even with shore power.

[Cort]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Well how could I answer that?

But I don't think I've ever seen the batteries accept more than around 1.2 KW even with shore power.

oops got confused for a min there. sorry bout that. just wondering what the run time for a 4 kw gen to charge up a 7 or 8 kw bank.
maybe im a bit confused.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Cort

oops got confused for a min there. sorry bout that. just wondering what the run time for a 4 kw gen to charge up a 7 or 8 kw bank.

maybe im a bit confused.

Well that depends of course, how deep did you discharge it, and what type of batteries, and how big of a charger do you have, and what percent of the generator power can you toss at charging, and how big is the boats electrical system? There are other variables.
Most not big boats electrical system is 30 amps, so even if you had a generator capable of 50 amps, only 30 is useable, without upgrading the boats system.
Some of it comes down to what you can afford, I just added up my Solar system as tax time is here and I plan on asking my CPA if we can deduct any of it, anyway with all of it added in, battery bank, inverter etc., it was more than I thought.

Your saying a 7 kW bank is roughly close to 600 AH?


Sent from my iPad Pro using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Cort]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Well that depends of course, how deep did you discharge it, and what type of batteries, and how big of a charger do you have, and what percent of the generator power can you toss at charging, and how big is the boats electrical system? There are other variables.
Most not big boats electrical system is 30 amps, so even if you had a generator capable of 50 amps, only 30 is useable, without upgrading the boats system.
Some of it comes down to what you can afford, I just added up my Solar system as tax time is here and I plan on asking my CPA if we can deduct any of it, anyway with all of it added in, battery bank, inverter etc., it was more than I thought.

Your saying a 7 kW bank is roughly close to 600 AH?


Sent from my iPad Pro using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Not exactly sure how to calculate the amp hours.
This is the link to wiki page of the power wall, somewhere I saw that the ten kw power wall was 800 something amphours.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Powerwall

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by sailnow2011

You can run a 5000BTU AC on solar. Need about 1200 watts and a sunny day.

Honda EU2000i.
File that away because you will want one if you boat doesn't have a generator.

[Badsanta]

You said you have a couple of years before you buy. So keep reading here, get a few boat electrical books and boat repair. You can't read enough. Good luck and enjoy.

[SV THIRD DAY]

oh and this ain't rocket science....so don't get sucked into the death spiral so many get sucked into of the "perfect boat" or the "ready boat". Most dreams are not ended out on the water...they are ended before they start because they buy into he lie that you have to have this or that to go cruising!

The absolute best way to prepare for a cruiser is...TO GO.
Then figure out what you really need rather than listing to everyone tell you what THEY need. Join the SSCA (Seven Seas Cruising Association) www.ssca.org

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Well that depends of course, how deep did you discharge it, and what type of batteries, and how big of a charger do you have, and what percent of the generator power can you toss at charging, and how big is the boats electrical system? There are other variables.
Most not big boats electrical system is 30 amps, so even if you had a generator capable of 50 amps, only 30 is useable, without upgrading the boats system.
Some of it comes down to what you can afford, I just added up my Solar system as tax time is here and I plan on asking my CPA if we can deduct any of it, anyway with all of it added in, battery bank, inverter etc., it was more than I thought.

Your saying a 7 kW bank is roughly close to 600 AH?


Sent from my iPad Pro using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Yes you can take the solar deduction as long as your vessel meets the requirements of a primary or secondary domicile which means it has a'place'to cook a place to sleep and a working head.