CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
Well-Known Member
Yes, you are right; I assumed he would be heavy power user; he needs to provide more info.
What you need on a swinging mooring?
- Thread starter richardsnowstar
- Start date
Yes, you are right; I assumed he would be heavy power user; he needs to provide more info.
PetiteFleur
Well-Known Member
And have a hefty chain & padlock and an immoveable object ashore to chain the dinghy to!
KRG
Well-Known Member
Power wise I've survived the last 7 years with a 140 amp Vetus house battery, a Rutland 503 wind generator and a Sterling Power regulator on the standard 50 amp Veleo alternator. I manage to run the lighting, instruments, radio and Eber without too much concern. As already said above, motoring to and from the mooring can put a good bulk charge into the battery leaving the wind/sun to do the rest or all of it over a week. Always make sure the engine start battery is well charged just in case.
ffiill
Well-Known Member
Confused BUT what do you run on your boat thats going to need generators etc.?
On my boat its the lights which in the summer are hardly on and the pressurised water pump.
So two trickle chargers one dedicated to start;the other to aux.-one
starter battery; two aux.
Motor off the mooring and thats the batteries fully topped up.
-and if the aux. batteries go flat I have back up oil lamps and a hand water pump.
On my boat its the lights which in the summer are hardly on and the pressurised water pump.
So two trickle chargers one dedicated to start;the other to aux.-one
starter battery; two aux.
Motor off the mooring and thats the batteries fully topped up.
-and if the aux. batteries go flat I have back up oil lamps and a hand water pump.
prv
Well-Known Member
Fridges are the main culprit.
Lights use a fair bit if they're old-fashioned incandescents, so replacing with LEDs is an easy first fix if you have power shortage problems.
I use a certain amount via the tillerpilot when I sail single-handed.
My plotter would consume a surprising amount if I used it, but I rarely do.
But mostly fridges
Pete
Searush
Well-Known Member
All very interesting but the OP was only trying to drive traffic to his holiday web site & hasn't ever come back since. We've been had, by a P-taker again!
oldbilbo
...
Agreed, Searush. 'All very interesting'. There's nothing lost, and a bit of others' perspectives gained. We've won...
Tintin
Well-Known Member
I did this move last summer.
27 ft boat. 1 x 60 ah house battery.
I thought about wind power, but couldn't justify the cost, was concerned about vibration and noise, and also the fitting seemed a bit of a ball ache. Had I done so I would have got the 914.
I thought about solar and ditched that early on after a friend pointed out that the panels would be in the way all the time on a small boat, I would spend a small fortune, and that the cost of the panels bought lot of diesel.
So I tried just using the engine to charge. I mention at this point that when I have my young kids we use the boat as a floating caravan with TV / DVD player and fridge.
It couldn't keep up.
So I changed all the bulbs to LED's.
I created a new battery bank of 3 x 90ah (bog standard leisure batteries - I reckoned you wouldn't get twice the life for twice the cost, although for a whil I was enamored by the gucci variety). This meant I lost a locker, but it has worked out OK.
I then needed to uprate the alternator and fitted a 90ah Bosch, along with an Adverc on my puny Volvo 7hp MD5B. With a lot of help from Adverc we put in a couple of switches to switch out the alternator when I needed full engine power, as it took about 2/5th of my available engine power when charging, which meant a drop from the heady heights of 4kn to 2kn.
I then bought a cheap solar panel set up from Maplin - the one where you actually get 4 smaller panels. I now use that to top up, and rarely have all four panels in use, so they don't get in the way.
And I got a BM1 monitor from Nasa so I could indulge my new found electricity fixation.
And finally I have enough power.
Or you could go the hair-shirt boater route and live by candle light and cook on a primus, but that is a big change after the luxury of a marina.
27 ft boat. 1 x 60 ah house battery.
I thought about wind power, but couldn't justify the cost, was concerned about vibration and noise, and also the fitting seemed a bit of a ball ache. Had I done so I would have got the 914.
I thought about solar and ditched that early on after a friend pointed out that the panels would be in the way all the time on a small boat, I would spend a small fortune, and that the cost of the panels bought lot of diesel.
So I tried just using the engine to charge. I mention at this point that when I have my young kids we use the boat as a floating caravan with TV / DVD player and fridge.
It couldn't keep up.
So I changed all the bulbs to LED's.
I created a new battery bank of 3 x 90ah (bog standard leisure batteries - I reckoned you wouldn't get twice the life for twice the cost, although for a whil I was enamored by the gucci variety). This meant I lost a locker, but it has worked out OK.
I then needed to uprate the alternator and fitted a 90ah Bosch, along with an Adverc on my puny Volvo 7hp MD5B. With a lot of help from Adverc we put in a couple of switches to switch out the alternator when I needed full engine power, as it took about 2/5th of my available engine power when charging, which meant a drop from the heady heights of 4kn to 2kn.
I then bought a cheap solar panel set up from Maplin - the one where you actually get 4 smaller panels. I now use that to top up, and rarely have all four panels in use, so they don't get in the way.
And I got a BM1 monitor from Nasa so I could indulge my new found electricity fixation.
And finally I have enough power.
Or you could go the hair-shirt boater route and live by candle light and cook on a primus, but that is a big change after the luxury of a marina.
E.T.
Member
Maybe. But this is very relevant to me. So all the chat is not going in vane (pun intended)
joliette
Well-Known Member
Bosun Higgs
N/A
My boat on a swinging mooring or even out of the water will keep its three 100AH batteries fully charged with a 30 watt nominal solar panel. To stay on board and use the fridge etc means running the engine - no likely solar panel or wind generator will keep up with that. If you dont like running the boat engine get a small generator.
E.T.
Member
Hmm...so I;ve been doing a bit of thinking. TBH our power requirements are going to be pretty minimal - mostly the instruments when sailing - and even then the parchment charts don't require much energy (only from my brain cells!)
So I think a solar panel will do...
anyone got any suggestions on brand/type? I suspect you get what you pay for...or is this not the case??
So I think a solar panel will do...
anyone got any suggestions on brand/type? I suspect you get what you pay for...or is this not the case??
Bosun Higgs
N/A
I use an amorphous flexible solar panel made I think by unisolar. the output is less than the same area of crystalline but it isnt affected by shadow in the same way. Mine is not 10 years old and still working well.
Seajet
...
I have learned the following...
fit a sturdy brass bung in the dinghy, and take it home with you. I painted a big arrow in the bilges of the boat pointing to the hole, so maybe even burglar bill & his apprentice can spot they're onto a no-hoper. Might even remind me too !
The red top from a WD40 can, fixed to the car dashboard so one can check 'Have we got it ?!' fits a brass bung a treat.
Since I'd invested in an expensive tender, I bolted on a stainless eye and have a 30' length of flexible stainless wire spliced to it, coiled up; so if I row up for a quick stop ashore, I can lock the boat to eyes on the shore - it won't stop any serious pro' with bolt cutters, but will keep off little yobs out for a lark which are the usual problem - if any.
Have as good a dinghy as you can pull up the slip, but do keep the weight down, this is a serious problem.
HOWEVER, it always amazes me when people with £100,000 yachts take their families to & fro in things smaller than bathtubs, " well it's cheap if it get's pinched " !
Getting one's nearest & dearest drowned for fear of having a proper tender must be the ultimate surrender to low-life.
Lifejackets & buoyancy; I managed to turn my tender over last year in a moment of stupidity, despite the tender being 8'6" and my having been there 40 odd years.
When I posted about this on the club forum as a hopeful lesson to others, it turned out 3 other people I know had done the same, all experienced, alone and one in January in a wide spot of the harbour, he was only saved by a miracle when a passing boat spotted him just as he was giving up and going under.
Like these other survivors I do always wear a lifejacket in the tender, fortunately took up this habit just before my dunking.
fit a sturdy brass bung in the dinghy, and take it home with you. I painted a big arrow in the bilges of the boat pointing to the hole, so maybe even burglar bill & his apprentice can spot they're onto a no-hoper. Might even remind me too !
The red top from a WD40 can, fixed to the car dashboard so one can check 'Have we got it ?!' fits a brass bung a treat.
Since I'd invested in an expensive tender, I bolted on a stainless eye and have a 30' length of flexible stainless wire spliced to it, coiled up; so if I row up for a quick stop ashore, I can lock the boat to eyes on the shore - it won't stop any serious pro' with bolt cutters, but will keep off little yobs out for a lark which are the usual problem - if any.
Have as good a dinghy as you can pull up the slip, but do keep the weight down, this is a serious problem.
HOWEVER, it always amazes me when people with £100,000 yachts take their families to & fro in things smaller than bathtubs, " well it's cheap if it get's pinched " !
Getting one's nearest & dearest drowned for fear of having a proper tender must be the ultimate surrender to low-life.
Lifejackets & buoyancy; I managed to turn my tender over last year in a moment of stupidity, despite the tender being 8'6" and my having been there 40 odd years.
When I posted about this on the club forum as a hopeful lesson to others, it turned out 3 other people I know had done the same, all experienced, alone and one in January in a wide spot of the harbour, he was only saved by a miracle when a passing boat spotted him just as he was giving up and going under.
Like these other survivors I do always wear a lifejacket in the tender, fortunately took up this habit just before my dunking.
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BAtoo
Well-Known Member
I bought one of these :- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140695623...t=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313&_fvi=1&_rdc=1
Seems to work ok - paid more though....
.IIRR the advice I got when asking here was solar & fit the biggest you can fit/afford......
Babylon
Well-Known Member
Three things amaze me about this thread:
1. I'm astonished that the OP (an established if not frequent poster) asks a question on here, then disappears for a whole week! Maybe he is just whoring his business as Searush suggests - in which case maybe he should change his name to Richard Pimpstar.
2. I'm astonished that one person early on thinks the OP is a liveaboard in the absence of any information to this effect, then several other people pick up the baton of this unsubstantiated assumption and run with it! Has anyone actually looked at the OP's three locations (top right hand side of his banner)?
3. My boat lives on a trot-mooring. No wind or solar power, two 110ah domestic batteries, one fridge, one Webasto diesel heater, manual pumps, LED cabin lights, 90amp alternator on a 25HP engine, no smart-charger. 20 minutes motoring out the river puts any trickled away charge straight back in. 20 minutes motoring back into the river puts any used amps back in. Occasional overnight stays at marinas, but won't necessarily plug in if we've had to motor some of the way. I plan to fit a wind-jobbie and/or solars when I've got a little money to spend and the time to go on extended cruises involving lots of anchoring.
1. I'm astonished that the OP (an established if not frequent poster) asks a question on here, then disappears for a whole week! Maybe he is just whoring his business as Searush suggests - in which case maybe he should change his name to Richard Pimpstar.
2. I'm astonished that one person early on thinks the OP is a liveaboard in the absence of any information to this effect, then several other people pick up the baton of this unsubstantiated assumption and run with it! Has anyone actually looked at the OP's three locations (top right hand side of his banner)?
3. My boat lives on a trot-mooring. No wind or solar power, two 110ah domestic batteries, one fridge, one Webasto diesel heater, manual pumps, LED cabin lights, 90amp alternator on a 25HP engine, no smart-charger. 20 minutes motoring out the river puts any trickled away charge straight back in. 20 minutes motoring back into the river puts any used amps back in. Occasional overnight stays at marinas, but won't necessarily plug in if we've had to motor some of the way. I plan to fit a wind-jobbie and/or solars when I've got a little money to spend and the time to go on extended cruises involving lots of anchoring.
mcframe
Well-Known Member
But also remember to lube the (bicycle) lock used to secure the dinghy.
Top-tip: If the 3-in-one, WD40, etc, are on the mothership, then dripping some diesel (from the jerrycan of white) into the lock can help.... BTDTGTTS
Seajet
...
Power wise, I have a 30 watt solar panel & a good modern 100A/H gel battery, that seems to cope with weekend & even weeks use, I only ever planned to use the radar in bursts to get a clue what's around.
The feeble 3Amp charger on my engine only gets plugged in during long calm trips using the autohelm or bad weather.
I did find a marine hi-fi far too much of a drain ( should have looked at the figures more !, ave wind up / solar & battery radios now, the disc / MP3 on rechargeables powered up ashore if not by solar ) - beware some popular boat heating systems too, they not only chew through boat batteries but the fan motor keeps one awake all night; if your boat suits, there's a lot to be said for the solid fuel / wood stove.
The rest is fine, if one expects to run freezers, microwaves etc all day buy a nuclear reactor, but as long as one has an ammeter - top tip if possible don't buy cheapo's - and has any sense at all you should be fine, have fun.
The feeble 3Amp charger on my engine only gets plugged in during long calm trips using the autohelm or bad weather.
I did find a marine hi-fi far too much of a drain ( should have looked at the figures more !, ave wind up / solar & battery radios now, the disc / MP3 on rechargeables powered up ashore if not by solar ) - beware some popular boat heating systems too, they not only chew through boat batteries but the fan motor keeps one awake all night; if your boat suits, there's a lot to be said for the solid fuel / wood stove.
The rest is fine, if one expects to run freezers, microwaves etc all day buy a nuclear reactor, but as long as one has an ammeter - top tip if possible don't buy cheapo's - and has any sense at all you should be fine, have fun.
Bosun Higgs
N/A
1. I'm astonished that the OP (an established if not frequent poster) asks a question on here, then disappears for a whole week! Maybe he is just whoring his business as Searush suggests - in which case maybe he should change his name to Richard Pimpstar.
2. I'm astonished that one person early on thinks the OP is a liveaboard in the absence of any information to this effect, then several other people pick up the baton of this unsubstantiated assumption and run with it! Has anyone actually looked at the OP's three locations (top right hand side of his banner)?
Bad day? Wife said " no chance"? Just think happy thoughts.
richardsnowstar
Well-Known Member
OP update
Not trying to push skiing holidays....just busy providing them at the moment. As I live in the Alps for the winter season, yachting is a low priority so just haven't checked the forum for a while.
Searush and Babylon - I missed the forum rule that said you had to respond within 72 hours or get abused. I am a genuine forumite and have better things to do than post spurious questions to try and sell ski holidays. This probably has to be the very least effective way of advertising. I include my website along the same lines as the forum admin seeks more information about the member for background info, I notice that many others, including Searush and Babylon, also do this. As others have also suggested that this is an useful topic to them as well as me, perhaps people should only comment if they have something positive to add and remember that this is a great resource even if you can only check it occasionally. I will only actually use this information in April when I return from the Alps and start thinking about my boat so it will still be valid even if I don't look at it for 2 months.
My usage info......
I am not planning to live aboard, just weekend and occasional weekday sailing. I do have a fridge and navigation electronics including a chartplotter and radar. I have replaced some lamps with LEDs and plan to do some more. I do like to run a laptop when aboard. I have an Eberspacher for heating but as I only sail May to November I do not use it a lot.
Dinghy storage is not an issue as the mooring has secure dinghy and outboard storage and as I have an inflatable I was considering fitting davits and carrying the dinghy with me inflated when I go away.
Thanks for all the (constructive) comments so far, I now have a lot to think about.
You mean he is just advertising his ski-ing holidays at the height of the season & didn't want any advice after all? How cycnical of you!
Not trying to push skiing holidays....just busy providing them at the moment. As I live in the Alps for the winter season, yachting is a low priority so just haven't checked the forum for a while.
Searush and Babylon - I missed the forum rule that said you had to respond within 72 hours or get abused. I am a genuine forumite and have better things to do than post spurious questions to try and sell ski holidays. This probably has to be the very least effective way of advertising. I include my website along the same lines as the forum admin seeks more information about the member for background info, I notice that many others, including Searush and Babylon, also do this. As others have also suggested that this is an useful topic to them as well as me, perhaps people should only comment if they have something positive to add and remember that this is a great resource even if you can only check it occasionally. I will only actually use this information in April when I return from the Alps and start thinking about my boat so it will still be valid even if I don't look at it for 2 months.
My usage info......
I am not planning to live aboard, just weekend and occasional weekday sailing. I do have a fridge and navigation electronics including a chartplotter and radar. I have replaced some lamps with LEDs and plan to do some more. I do like to run a laptop when aboard. I have an Eberspacher for heating but as I only sail May to November I do not use it a lot.
Dinghy storage is not an issue as the mooring has secure dinghy and outboard storage and as I have an inflatable I was considering fitting davits and carrying the dinghy with me inflated when I go away.
Thanks for all the (constructive) comments so far, I now have a lot to think about.
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