Cruising Plans NOW Boat Selection

[Cuttyhunk]

Charlie Wing's "How Boat Things Work" is one I recommend.

[Time2Go]

The reason I put engine at #2 is that the cost and hassle of replacement
Is just something I would like to avoid and from what I have learned so far
Rigging and sails would be less expensive to refit on the size boat I'm
Looking for. Head plumbing hadn't crossed my radar yet but is now duly noted.
I have a background in TV studio wiring so am not intimidated by electrical
System wiring and is perhaps the only thing I feel I can do myself and then have
It looked at by a pro. I plan on having as few electronic gizmos as possible
The only three I consider absolutely necessary are Auto pilot and Gps and of course VHF. A chart plotter would be nice but I never leave without a complete
Set of paper charts a spare handheld gps and parallel rulers and dividers.
The spare gps/VHF stays in the ditch bag unless needed because of some other failure. I have a good working knowledge of SeaClear on my PC but most likely
Will configure my iPad with a Bluetooth GPS puck for use at the helm.
I found that I prefer the paper charts for planning the big picture and the chartplotter the last few miles getting into port. Another reason I put a high priority on the engine is to use it to top off the batteries
I know there is solar and wind but I think that I want to keep this
My second boat (70's Ericsson 27 was first) as simple as possible with regards
To battery banks, solar and wind chargers and there associated gear.
This is a topic I'm educating myself about now. Is it a reasonable plan to just rely on a solid engine for battery charge? Just read Surveying 101
Which was great. Seeing how this is only my 2nd boat purchase and my first plan on an extended cruise (Bahamas, DR and maybe the BVI) I'm really trying to "KISS" it.

[Kevin84]

Reasonable to charge your batteries solely using your engine? Yes and no. Will it do the job? Of course it will. Will it be cost effective? Probably not. Diesel ain't cheap. And constantly running your engine to charge your batteries (which you'll probably do daily using an autopilot) will put a lot of wear and tear on it. Not to mention the racket it'll cause down below.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Time2Go]

Understood, about running the engine for charging,
If you had to add only one additional way to charge
What would you choose?

[robert sailor]

Solar panel

[boatman61]

A 'QUIET' Wind Generator...
And charging by engines no big deal.. just motorsail an hour or 2 a day.. your a small boat and if KISS your draws not gonna be mega..
1, 1/2-2 litres a day.. max

[Horror Hotel]

Don't underestimate how much you'll motor because of a schedule or no wind. 4 months isn't really that long, if you stretched to 6 you might see way more and not be in such a rush. In my opinion the engine is the most important item. If you only get to Bimini and it burns up good your trip is done. Crossing large body's of water without power is easy, but island hopping to 50 different islands is gonna be a pain with no power. Buy the boat with the newest engine you can.

[Kevin84]

I'd go with solar. Initial cost may be a bit higher, but it'll pay you back in fuel savings and repairs to your engine fairly quickly. If you restrict your use of electrical devices, you can probably get by with a fairly small panel.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[chuckr]

as for power generation -- we would recommend solar -- we looked at the cost of solar vs wind and the amount generated by each and the cost effectiveness of each and decided on solar -
we have a starter battery and 6 6volt batteries and started with 2 130 watt panels and added a third and will add a fourth - we are mounting them above our bimini - there is a pic in our personal stuff on this forum of 2 of the panels
one of the issues of wind is sometimes you just want to hide from the wind when at anchorage and you do need a bit of wind to make it work
on the same hand you need sun for the solar - in the san blas a couple of years ago we had 23 days of no sun - all clouds -- but a lot of wind but we tried to hide from it -- ended up running the engine to charge the batteries

oh if you get solar you will need a small controller

[Stu Jackson]

Here's some true life experience from a friend of mine, in addition to the great advice already given.

1500 Mile Interim Refit Report & 3596 Update