| |
S/V Sapien's Power Systems
The electrical system on S/V Sapien is simple and completely
functional. Four deep-cycle gell cel group 24-12 volt batteries
form two banks and run everything. We use bank one (three of
the four batteries) for all our house needs, and we use bank
two (just one battery) as an engine starter also, we have a
spare battery that is kept on a full charge out side of the
Battery box in an isolated box of its own to be used as a spare
or as the battery for the electric motor on our Zodiac. We have
a surprising amount of room in the engine compartment and we're
thinking about putting a starter battery down there so we can
have two banks of house batteries. Ideas?
The batteries charge from the engine or our small, 20 watt
Siemans monocrystalline solar panel. It extends our battery
time seriously, but doesn't do it all. Especially in winter
or long piriods of cruising. Our big plan was to add a couple
of larger solar panels to charge the batteries and to run as
little power-draining stuff as possible. On the trip to Hawaii
from the San Fransisco bay that we did in 2006 We did the entire
trip in 20 days and ran the engine for only 20 hours the entire
trip. Having an icebox rather than a refrigerator lowers the
power needs compared to many boats, but we still have lights,
computer, all the navigations stuff, etc. We have a foot pedal
for water in the head and kitchen sinks, so we can chose not
to use the water pump - a simple and a simply fabulous thing.
Relying on battery power to access your water seems like such
a bad, bad idea..., and we have a regular 110 volt battery charger
that we hook up when we haven't run the engine in a while. We
try to run the boat every week for the health of the engine
as well as for the boost, but we much prefer doing that underway.
Running at the dock is, well, embarrassing.
There is 110 volt shore-power in the boat with a fifty foot
cable. There are outlets throughout and the water heater works
off either 110 or the engine. It's cold waterso if you're sailing
and not using the engine and really, the boat is in Paradise
and cold showers are ok by me!
(Behind Panel)
|
