Projects Installing and using a Victron LiFePO4 energy system With my LiFePO4 power design complete, I was excited to install and use the new system for most of this sailing season. The installation took longer than a traditional battery installation, and had more complexity, but turned out to be a fantastic setup for the longer trips I went on this summer.
Projects Correcting the list - LiFePO4 power system design Due to weight and features, I decided to convert my sailboat power system to LiFePO4. This article covers the design which settled on Victron components.
Projects Completed navigation panel I redesigned my nav and electrical panel, and finally got the parts to put it all together. A fun and beautiful project!
Projects Redesigning the nav and electrical panel My navigation and electrical panel has been in need of an update for a while. In addition, I have never liked the electrical circuit layout, and am out of DC circuits. I have a general design of what I would like, but still have not settled on a final solution for the electrical panel.
Projects USB power solutions are simple to add to your boat Crew members on the sailboat expect to use their USB devices no matter where. Adding USB power throughout the boat is easy to do, and useful for the captain too.
Projects Charging away from the dock Charging while away from the dock on the sailboat is a critical piece to enjoying your time on the water. In part 3 of my power upgrade project, I replace the alternator and regulator to ensure my new Firefly batteries are topped up.
Projects The arteries and veins of your electrical system The arteries and veins of your electrical system are the wires, and you need to ensure they are taken care of just as much as the batteries and other parts. In part 2 of my power system upgrade, I replace the majority of my main system wiring to ensure a healthy system.
Projects Power System Design Grace came with a very basic power system which had some major problems. I chose to update it using MasterVolt as the primary charging, distribution and control system, Balmar for engine power management, and Firefly carbon foam batteries as the heart.
Projects Grace's integrated 5 part network Large sailboat network including NMEA 2000, SeaTalk, MasterBus, WiFi and ethernet. I believe in deeply integrated and instrumented systems, and want to know everything about anything, anywhere.
Reviews Save your battery and your beer with the Stainless Lobster Fridge Optimizer The fridge is always one of the most power hungry items on a sailboat. Mine was no exception, and never seemed to get things as cold as I wanted. The Stainless Lobster Fridge Optimizer cut my power usage in half and kept things cooler than ever before.
Projects Solar learning curve A month or so ago we had some brazen trespassers at our family cabin in Eastern Washington. Being the tech in the family, and having already deployed several Dropcams and a SmartThings home
Reviews BlueSea Terminal Fuse Block, a great innovation This weekend I am replacing all three batteries on the boat as a result of damage from a crappy battery charger. I’m taking the opportunity to replace all of the old battery
Projects When power goes wrong Yesterday I made a trip down to the sailboat to do a few things, and when I arrived, I noticed that I didn’t have any shore power. Additionally, the main A/C
