July 20, 2016
A ridiculous amount of time has been spent studying the electrical system on my boat. The lithium batteries brought a whole other level of research to ensure I didn’t create a safety hazard. I make no promises to the accuracy of this information but I am reasonable certain it is accurate. Seven days in, I typically don’t see the voltage…
July 18, 2016
In a cloudless day, with the sun directly overhead, my calculations (based on the “typical” stated outputs numbers and not the “ideal” laboratory numbers) show I have the potential to bring in around 60 amps (at 12V). It is hard to know the loss from the solar controller or the wire runs so I was excited to see what would…
July 17, 2016
UPDATE August 1, 2016!!! – I removed the InterVolt Programmable Voltage Relay, see the new post for more information: Update With the boat wiring mapped out I felt comfortable stripping out the old batteries and wires. Figuring out where to mount all of the new equipment was a game of Tetris. Ultimately I had to adjust the position of the…
July 17, 2016
Boat in San Diego, new stainless hardware acquired from Marine Exchange, MC4 crimp tool (and connectors) means I’m ready to go! Lug the panels to the top of the solar arch and slide them into position. Jump down to start threading the bolts, using the dingy as a ladder, and find that we have a problem…the outside holes don’t line…
July 14, 2016
Wow, this drawing turned into an epic project. I started with the current Seawind 1160 electrical schematic (thank you Seawind for providing the DC drawing!). My boat had a second inverter installed plus my solar upgrades and lithium batteries. Spent a good deal of time tracing wires to confirm the accuracy of my schematic drawing and even fixed a couple…
July 12, 2016
The plan had been to cruise down to Ensenada and jump right into installing the solar arch. A long lunch and a few cocktails with friends put an end to those ideas. But Alejandro was flexible and agreed to come the next morning. Which was a good thing, since it took a lot of effort to scrub the original 3M…
June 7, 2016
Let the fun times begin! Destruction must come before there will be progress. The first step in my power upgrade would be to increase the size of the solar arch. The arch was a good starting point, but sized to fit small 125W BP panels it just wasn’t going to cut it as is. Arch with BP panels The first…
May 28, 2016
It has been a chaotic process to purchase the lithium batteries from Thunder Sky (Winston). I decided to go with the Winston batteries based on the great success other cruisers have had with their (Winston) batteries and the high charge/discharge cycle life. Until a few years ago this was a simple process of placing an order with Balqon (out of…
May 24, 2016
Another chance to sample many wines from Valle de Guadalupe and to help out a local children’s hospital? Sounds like a smart way to spend a Saturday. Throw in a couple celebrity chefs and it is a slam dunk. Winery Vinicola Bibayoff hosted the event with around 50 wineries and a number of food vendors. Low clouds and light rain…
May 9, 2016
I have been planning for awhile to make some significant upgrades to the power systems onboard. The batteries are original, after 8 years they are tired and past their expiration. Fellow Seawind 1160 owner Dave Straton (SV Nimrod) did an upgrade to Lithium batteries about four years ago and wrote a great write up on the conversion process. After exchanging…
April 28, 2016
With only getting time aboard about once per month, upon arrival there is a routine I have to “exerciser” the systems. The pumps (fresh water and HVAC), the thru-hulls, the engine fluids, and the critical head test and purge. Guess what failed… The starboard head bowl filled nicely with seawater. The evacuation, not so much. Great, one more project to…
April 16, 2016
Ensenada is a working port, and as such it is dusty and dirty. While boat washing is less critical, here it is a requirement. As is cleaning dock lines, sail stack, blocks, anything that moves. When I moved Strikhedonia down to CruisePort in Ensenada July of 2014 I got lined up a guy to wash her every two weeks. His…