Single Handed Live Aboard

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by jcapo

Three bucks.

https://shoponline.melitta.com/produ...R#.UEaEMKM1NL8

Cheap, simple, works. Use paper towels if you run out of filters.

John

We use a stainless steel French press. No filters or throw away parts and some of the best tasting coffee you will drink. We heat up the water in a tea kettle on the propane stove or on the magna propane kettle grill if too hot below.

Still looking for a good 12v grinder but French presses use course ground coffee, so worst case is the cutting board and a sharp knife.

Jesse
S/V Smitty

[dandrews]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

I do have a small generator. Though since I've added the second panel, I've not had to run it. Solar does work on cloudy days too, but with a reduced output.

SC... Would you mind sharing what size (running watts not startup) you have as you backup genet?

Don

[Jaxxiam]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

there's a place where you can get enough dry ice to make your own ice blocks out of bags of ice.

This may have already been mentioned but Dry Ice in a boat is not a good good thing. You could go to bad and not wake up. CO2 can kill you!

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by dandrews

SC... Would you mind sharing what size (running watts not startup) you have as you backup genet?

Don

Its the ubiquitous Honda 2000. I got the 2000 mainly so I could run the hair dryer, ok or a sander. Quiet and sips the fuel. Of course I barely use it nowadays.

[Mouse]

As far as space for additional water, thanks to the genius mind of Carl Alberg, there is ample room mid ship in the bilge area for (I'm approximating here) possibly a 45 gallon tank while still leaving room below it for water flow from forward to aft to the bilge pump area.
I have a italian stove top espresso maker for, well, espresso. Of coarse when I want coffee I just add hot water to the espresso.
Currently I just remorse my whole electrical panel to allow for future accessories upgrade such as solar, a third battery bank as well as correcting some issues remaining from a prior owners....interesting attempts at wiring. I now have 2 battery banks. First is 2 AGM batteries giving me 100AH@20A and the second is 2 flooded batteries giving me what looks like it says 300min at 20A.
Hmmm. I didn't realize flooded and AGM batteries were rated differently. Am I reading these wrong?
Anyway, I intend to add another bank as I do have space.
My thought was to add 4-6v batteries wired parallel to give me 2-12v units. Am I correct in understanding that using 6v batteries wired in parallel increase the reserve capacity? If not please correct me, I don't want to purchase the wrong size.

[sailorchic34]

Oddly enough the AGM and wet cells give exactly the same power output. 100AH is 20amps for 5 hours and 300 minutes is 5 hours. Just different units for the same measurement

Not really increasing the reserve capacity. you'll have two sets of 6V, each set in series and the two sets paralleled. The main advantage of 6V, is the plates tend to be thicker, so the batteries last longer. Output for two standard T105 6V batterys is about the same as two G27. But the 6V batteries will last lots longer then the group 27's.. Of course they cost more too.

Me I use Group 27 as that's the most I can lift, on a good day with a tail wind..

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by Mouse

My thought was to add 4-6v batteries wired parallel to give me 2-12v units. Am I correct in understanding that using 6v batteries wired in parallel increase the reserve capacity? If not please correct me, I don't want to purchase the wrong size.

If I'm understanding correctly... You want two separate 12v banks out of the 4-6v batteries, then you would need to wire each pair in series.

What most people do is then wire the two pairs together in parallel to create a larger capacity, single 12v bank.

[Mouse]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

If I'm understanding correctly... You want two separate 12v banks out of the 4-6v batteries, then you would need to wire each pair in series.

What most people do is then wire the two pairs together in parallel to create a larger capacity, single 12v bank.

Yes that's what I was thinking. 4 - 6v batteries. 6+6 for one 12v and another set next to that of 6+6 for the second 12v.
I am under the impression doing it this way increases the reserve capacity. But if it is just trading apples for oranges (meaning same either way) than I'll just go as cheap as I can.

[Mouse]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Oddly enough the AGM and wet cells give exactly the same power output. 100AH is 20amps for 5 hours and 300 minutes is 5 hours. Just different units for the same measurement

Not really increasing the reserve capacity. you'll have two sets of 6V, each set in series and the two sets paralleled. The main advantage of 6V, is the plates tend to be thicker, so the batteries last longer. Output for two standard T105 6V batterys is about the same as two G27. But the 6V batteries will last lots longer then the group 27's.. Of course they cost more too.

Me I use Group 27 as that's the most I can lift, on a good day with a tail wind..

Thank you for explaining this to me. I need to be sure to jot that down some where as I'm sure come tomorrow I'll forget again

[jgbrown]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Actually my 120V fridge uses about 2.5 amps per hour. Sure it uses 14 amps (at 12V DC) when its running, but it only runs 2-2.5 minutes per 12 minutes. That's in the hot delta by the way. While everyone said it would not work, the blonde engineering chic, though otherwise.

Duty cycle is the key. A 12V fridge runs quite a bit, 20 to 40 minutes per hour. A 120V runs only a few minutes at a time and about 10 minutes per hour.

For a given size box the amount of BTU's extracted would be the same. So energy use in watts per hour would be about the same for the standard compressor design.

It works just fine, thank you very much, on the hook. I carry all my electrical loads with two solar panels (130 and 100 watts).

I'll be running a small cooler style nova kool, while I agree that power use isn't that different, the tests by off-road guys indicate about 2.5 amps for it as well, but that way I don't need an inverter. Prices vary widely, I'll be paying 589$, New with warranty, same compressor as the built in. I prefer the simplicity without inverter. I'll likely have a small generator(Honda 1000 or 2000w) for any ac needs. As I'm on an alberg 30 so space is an issue, the 2000 should run my battery charger if needed but I doubt the 1000w can.
my cordless tools charge on dc directly(dewalt) so does my laptop(iGo charger for an Asus laptop, handles ac and dc, charged that way for 9 months of hard use on a motorbike so it's reliable.
I have a dc 18650 lithium battery charger, for my electronic cigarette, flashlight etc. The flashlight also had the ability to charge from dc directly as well.

With the ease of dc charging these days I have no need for inverter.
One thing I am adding is a Usb hub with 5v higher power charging, my AA battery charger, phone, and more can all charge on that, the iGo has a single Usb out right on the charger but with two aboard I want more ports.

Standardizing(Usb, AA and 18650 only) and one brand of cordless tools with a full lineup of tools both 12v and 20v on a single charger lets me cut way back on the usual rats nest of ac chargers and wires.
With that in mind the dc fridge makes most sense to me.

Different approaches are everywhere, downside to my approach is can't replace fridge at Wal-Mart etc if needed.

[Rakuflames]

C02 is heavier than air and sinks. I have modified my ice box, which is in a far corner, so that there's a grid halfway down (there's no way anyone but an orangutan could reach to the bottom!) and only use the top half. I don't use a lot of CO2 when I have it, and it would sink in that box first. In addition, there's lots of ice on top of it, so it will disperse slowly. I also have really good ventilation through my cabin. I'm lucky that way. I live on my boat here in Florida and rarely turn the AC on.

But where I DO see a problem is bringing the dry ice home in the car. I'm going to open the windows from now on.

The dry ice was recommended to me by a marine architect, so now I have a pro and a con view of that. I'm going to ask him about this risk and see what he says. I don't think *anyone* should discount what you have said because I think it may be safe in my particular circumstances. I will never again encourage someone else to use it, and I thank you for bringing it up.

[Jaxxiam]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

C02 is heavier than air and sinks.
I don't think *anyone* should discount what you have said because I think it may be safe in my particular circumstances. I will never again encourage someone else to use it, and I thank you for bringing it up.

No worries and glad to help bring it to light. I have met a lot people that don't think about those things. Air exchange is a "good thing".

What part of FL are you in?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Jaxxiam

No worries and glad to help bring it to light. I have met a lot people that don't think about those things. Air exchange is a "good thing".

What part of FL are you in?

I'm in the Tampa Bay area, Gulf side. Once you said that about the CO2 I remembered what a crisis it was for Apollo 13.

[Jaxxiam]

Awww, Tampa Bay. I raced many year in BOTY on a J-29. Fun stuff!
After Tampa Bay, the lakes around Knoxville are depressing. When I fininsh my boat (which I don't have yet) I'm going to make my way back down there and keep going south.

[Ballenxj]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

We use a stainless steel French press. No filters or throw away parts and some of the best tasting coffee you will drink. We heat up the water in a tea kettle on the propane stove or on the magna propane kettle grill if too hot below.

Still looking for a good 12v grinder but French presses use course ground coffee, so worst case is the cutting board and a sharp knife.

Jesse
S/V Smitty

The French Press seems to be a popular choice here, I may have to look into one.
-Bruce