Batteries / Battery Management / Wind Gen??

[JFowler]

Following a recent 5 week trip, we've realised we're short of power. Since we're heading south (for good) later in the summer i need to make some improvements.
We've a 2006 Bav 39, with 2x140ah HD Bosch (commercial type ) service batteries and 1 x 85ah Bosch engine batt. Charging is via a Mitsubishi 115a Alternator which feeds the batteries via a Surepower Multi Battery Isolator. We also have Shore Power charging, though try to avoid Marina's where possible.
Two possible ways forward:
1. Fit an Adverc / Sterling type battery management system, to increase charge in existing batteries.
2. Add a 3rd Battery to bring capacity up to 420ah. I'll probably do this when the extg batteries need replacing (i suspect next season). At present we have Bosch HD Commercial Batteries. I can replace them with similar sized 140ah Varta Commercial Batt's @ £123 each, or 130ah Varta Leasure Batt's @ £170 each.

Also i'll probably add a wind generator - does anyone have experience of the new Air Breeze (said to be much quieter than the AirX)

Any advice appreciated.

 

[pappaecho1]

I have a similar setup, but a smaller alternator only providing 65 amps at best.
My 913 with an HRDX controller provides all the power we need, keeping the batteries at close to 14 volts, unless the fridge is on 24/7. The Rutland 913 system has an on/off switch so that you can switch off the generator, but we do not have any problems sleeping with it on, the only noise it makes is a slight vibration in strong gusts. If you want to avoid marinas, this is a very good investment.

 

[saxonpirate]

Well, I do have a Sterling management system wired into my alternator which is 90a and that works very well. Also backed up by a 913 wind generator and a Sunware 39 solar panel mounted on the hatch garage. Led bulbs where possible below and at the masthead (the power saving is enormous) I run a compressor type cool-box/cool-plate plus the normal nav stuff and monitor battery state with a Nasa BM1 monitor. My domestic batteries by the way are 2X110amp with 1X110amp starter. Never had a problem with low power yet, so am quite pleased.

By the way if you are going south, if you haven't already got one I'd definitely consider a solar panel.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

We had a similar set-up last year with an 115amp alternator and 1x100amp hr starter and 2x100amp hr service batteries (AGM). We ran out of electrical power after about 36 to 48hrs, just running the engine for a minimum to lay and retrieve the anchor. Over the winter I added a Sterling Alternator to Battery “charger” (really an inverter and rectifier which works like a multi stage charger combined with a split diode) I also added 2x100 amp hr AGM service batteries (so 400amp hr total) and a 68 watt Solara M series panel on the Hatch Garage. I replaced the Port, Starboard, Stern and Anchor lights with LED’s (but not the masthead tricolour) and the most frequently used saloon light with LEDs.
So far this year we haven’t run out of electrical power and we frequently see the alternator putting out 100+amps into the service batteries.
The only problem we’ve had, and it’s more an annoyance than a serious problem, is the Volvo Penta engine management system. The Sterling charger doesn’t charge the starter battery all the time, so it’s sitting at 12.7 to 13.0 volts ‘ish, more or less fully charged, the engine management system is expecting the starter battery voltage to be higher than that, because the alternator is running, so it signals a low starter battery alarm and buzzes away until you cancel the alarm.
We now find we are running out of hot water, because we are running the engine lot less than last year ….. don’t seem to be able to win!
The other electrical energy saving we discovered is turning off the radar scanner/transmitter, the Raymarine E series starts up with the radar transmitter in standby and the scanner turning , you have to turn the scanner and transmitter off, which saves a couple of amps or so. The down side is that the system takes longer to start up when you want to use the radar.

 

[Gezzer]

Air Breeze

Hi,

I have not had any direct experience of the air breeze with the exception that one was fitted to the boat that used to be moored next to me, I have to say that it was a nice piece of kit, I have been sat next to it in a force 5-6 and any noise from it was not really noticeable.

So I would endorse the near silent claims from that perspective.

 

[Robih]

Solar is a must

I've done solar and have been very pleased with the results. 1 x 68W solara and 2 x45W solara panels regulated through an Blue Sky MPPT panel controller and I have regularly seen 9A sometimes 10A going in to our domestic (510AH) battery bank. Silent green energy, fabulous. Highly recommended.

 

[JFowler]

Many thanks for all the advice - have considered solar power, but the space available is only 680x800 on the fordeck and my research suggests we won't get much output from a flexible panel that size. Maybe i need to rethink that.

 

[Anonymous]

Following a recent 5 week trip, we've realised we're short of power. Since we're heading south (for good) later in the summer i need to make some improvements..

South to where?

 

[JFowler]

Mid August we head to France with a view to overwintering in La Rochelle area.
Plan is fairly loose and will inevitably change but in 2010 we head to Northern Spain and then via Atlantic Portugal and Spain to the Med. We'd like to explore N Africa and eventually end up in Turkey, but that's several years off.
We don't particularly want to do long passages but do want to visit as many places as possible.

 

[Anonymous]

Mid August we head to France with a view to overwintering in La Rochelle area.
Plan is fairly loose and will inevitably change but in 2010 we head to Northern Spain and then via Atlantic Portugal and Spain to the Med. We'd like to explore N Africa and eventually end up in Turkey, but that's several years off.
We don't particularly want to do long passages but do want to visit as many places as possible.

For the Med solar is best. For the Caribbean, wind. For the Atlantic, an hotel.

 

[multihullsailor6]

Many thanks for all the advice - have considered solar power, but the space available is only 680x800 on the fordeck and my research suggests we won't get much output from a flexible panel that size. Maybe i need to rethink that.

I came across a monohull last year that had four solar panels mounted on the outside of the guardrails next to and aft of the cockpit. The panels were of the rigid type and could be raised from the vertical (for when not in use) to horizontal for charging. Maybe a solution for you?