Electrical System

[Charlie]

Hello All:

I'm trying to decide on how to set up my charging system. I have 4-6 volt golf cart batteries and I'm assuming about 440 ah. I don't know what my consumption is going to be. I have 8 cabin lights, GPS, Windlass, am going to add 4 fans, anchor lights, running lights, VHF, SSB, and a washer/drier and two rambunctious kids. I also have a watermaker that is engine driven but I was thinking of converting it to run off of either 12v or 120v. The previous owner said that the W/D ran off of a 1200 watt inverter. I don't believe him.

Here is my dilema. The boat is 1000 miles away and I don't get to sail her very often - - enough --.

I looked at adding a high output alternator but since my engine is still under warranty am limited to an 85 amp Hitachi. I don't think it will put out near 85 when hotprobably closer to 50. Also the cabling running from the engine room to the batteries would need to be upgraded. When all is said and done I figured that it would be better to add a genset and a 3 phase battery charger.

Here's my reasoning.

1) With an average consumption of 150 amps a day it would take two to three hours to charge the batteries. That is alot of hours to put on an engine just for charging.

2) The genset I'm looking at only consumes 1/5 of a gallon an hour. (don't know if it is truebut that's what they say)

3)The cabling reqd. to run from the engine compartment (where the genset will be kept) to the batteries a distance of about 15' would be #8 or #10 wire for the genset to a smart charger positioned within a few feet of the batteries. The cabling for the alternator would be 2/0.

4) The genset (Next Generation ultra compact 3.5 kv) is capable of running Air Condi 16000 BTU. Don't have Air but may want it some day.

5) It's nice to have 120v to run tools, vaccum, W/D, trash compactor, coffee maker etc.

6) I can use electric heaters on the boat while I keep it in cold climates (It is going to stay in Sidney, BC for at least a year before we go south.


Okay go ahead and poke holes in that reasoning. I can take it.

So assuming my reasoning is sound (and even if it isn't) what kind of smart charger would you install. Ample Power, Xantrex, Iota, or ?