Leaving the Boat - Shore Power on or off

[mark1882]

Hi
We are over wintering in Lagos in the Algarve and currently preparing the boat so we can leave her for 2/3 months whilst we head back to the UK for Christmas and New Year etc.

One issue I have not decided on yet is to whether or not I should leave the boat connected to shore power or not.

In terms of batteries we 4 x 115amph in the domestic bank 1 x 100amph engine start and all sealed wet cell plus 1 x 90amph for the bow thruster. The charger/inverter is a Victron 12v/1600w/70a.

We have a Ampair 100 wind generator and 2 x 80w solar panels controlled by an MPPT controller

Any advice as to what we should do would be appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

 

[GrahamM376]

I would disconnect the shore power, tie the Amapair up in case of high winds and leave the solar to keep the batteries topped up. Our batteries survive fine on the mooring when left just on solar for 2 - 3 months.

 

[pvb]

Shore power off and physically disconnected.

 

[Bobc]

I would disconnect the shore power, tie the Amapair up in case of high winds and leave the solar to keep the batteries topped up. Our batteries survive fine on the mooring when left just on solar for 2 - 3 months.

Yup. That's what I would do too.

 

[duncan99210]

Yup. That's what I would do too.

+1 And make sure the solar charges all the battery banks.

 

[Dockhead]

If you had no solar, this would be a hardish question. But since you have solar, a no-brainer. What the others said.

Shore power creates risk of stray current corrosion, and it can be accidentally unplugged, killing your batts if you leave any load on.

 

[RichardS]

+1 And make sure the solar charges all the battery banks.

+2 That's what I do as even a small panel - 40W+ - will keep all the batteries charged even if there is no direct sunlight.

Richard

 

[pcatterall]

+2 That's what I do as even a small panel - 40W+ - will keep all the batteries charged even if there is no direct sunlight.

Richard

+3 we seem united for a change!!

 

[affinite]

Oh bu**er
Guess who left his on in Turkey 2 weeks ago.
Prob have no prop when I return in Spring.

 

[reeac]

I always just give my batteries a 24 hour charge in December and another in April. Present batteries lasted 10 seasons with no problems until a month ago but need replacing next Spring.

 

[johnalison]

My 36W panel will keep my 200+ hrs of batteries fully charged in an English winter.

 

[VicS]

Oh bu**er
Guess who left his on in Turkey 2 weeks ago.
Prob have no prop when I return in Spring.

Hopefully your boat is fitted with a galvanic isolator. ......... If not I would get someone to to unplug the shorepower sooner rather than later

 

[2nd_apprentice]

Due to the uselessness of my Rutland 503 I had to think about this too. Chandler suggested leaving it plugged in - and indeed that's what most boats do around here it seems - but I'm not comfortable with that at all. Now fitting a 50W solar panel instead, should arrive tomorrow.

 

[colind3782]

Disconnect. We leave ours off for two months at a time with no appreciable discharge on the batteries.

 

[[2574]]

I agree with the disconnect strategy in this thread but would add, for interest, that my Victron "Easyplus" (which I believe is what the OP's charger is) has been on for the past ten years (excepting when we are away from the berth cruising). No apparent detrimental effect in that time. We have to leave the Easyplus on to provide 240v to the ring main for the dehumidifier. I could supply an isolated circuit for this purpose but haven't troubled to do so. We do have a galvanic isolator.

 

[RupertW]

We have a galvanic isolator, but not solar yet, but find that even with shorepower disconnected for 5 months the engine starts and domestic batteries are ok (12.5 volts last April).

However we are now in a much cooler moister environment (Kassandra, Greece) and found even after 6 weeks of Sept/Oct everything was a bit damp and some mould was starting to form on the headlining so are very tempted to go back for a long weekend with a dehumidifier and leave it plugged in all Winter. Done lots of research on them and know what will will get and how we will set it, but am still very put off by the idea of shorepower on for months unattended.