My wife and I
live aboard our
Lipari - which now has over 10,000 nm under her
keel - and offer the following thoughts.
We don't have a
watermaker yet, but saw one on a
Lavezzi that had some interesting install points. The unit was in starboard
engine compartment with high pressure
pump behind the
saildrive - well out of the way. Other
parts mounted to an added board in same
engine compartment on
outboard side - easy access.
Watermaker output spliced into cold
water input for hot
water heater, which is in that engine compartment as well - saved lots of install headaches. Owner pleased with unit's functioning, and install looked straightforward.
We just have the stock fridge, but added a portable Dometic 12v freezer/fridge that stays either in the
cockpit or owner's
cabin under the "desk". Works great and can be used several ways. (Admiral won't let me put
fish in "her" fridge.)
I upgraded stock
batteries to Lifeline
AGM, model GPL-30HT. They fit stock
battery platform perfectly (same foot print as stock bats), and are only a few inches taller. No new
cables were required. They are rated at 150 amps each. That gets you to at 450 amps very easily, a 50% increase over stock house bank.
I don't have a
generator, but did install three 125 watt
solar panels over
dinghy. They provide more
power than we've ever needed, but of course won't run
air conditioning (we don't have that anyway). No
inverter either -
boat is strictly 12v with a portable gas
Honda generator if needed.
Nice to chat with other
Lipari owners!
RW