1) Understanding your energy needs is essential to determine how much solar you need. Start by making an "energy budget". List all your consumers and their daily usage. For example, if your LED lights use 1W per bulb and you have eight bulbs on for 5 hours a day, that would be 8 Watts for 5 hours or (8x5) 40 Wh (Watt hours). I like to use kWh to keep things consistent. 40 Wh = 0.040 kWh. It's a good idea to list what you're using while at anchor and another list of what you're using while underway (for instance, you don't use your autopilot at anchor). Remember to list everything: fridge, freezer, watermaker, autopilot, nav lights, chart plotters, etc. For example, here aboard Athena, with an electric galley, fridge, freezer, watermaker, two computers, etc, we use an average of 5.5 kWh per day. 2) To give you a quick estimate, use https://globalsolaratlas.info/ to find "Global horizontal irradiation" per day for your location. Take your daily energy consumption from step 1 and divide that by the number of solar hours. In the case of Athena, located in the Caribbean, that would be 5.5kWh per day / 5 sun hours = 1.1 kW solar array. Keep in mind that this is a theoretical number that does not take into account the shading or degradation of the panels over time. Let's add 30%. 1.1 x 1.3 = 1.43 kW. You can now divide that number by the panel's Nominal Power output. In the case of Athena, our panels are 400W SunPower panels. 1430W / 400W = 3.6 panels needed to cover our 5.5 kWh per day consumption. 3) Understand that the amount of solar you can install on a small sailboat is limited by the size of the boat and heavily influenced by shading and, of course, the boat's location. The size of the panels might also be defined by the height of your stanchions or the size of an existing solar arch. Figure out where you're able and willing to install panels. That will dictate the size and number of panels. 4) Use Victron Energy's MPPT Calculator to calculate what MPPT is ideally sized for your solar panels and expected output based on location. Based on our experience in the Caribbean, the estimate provided by the guide is reasonable. https://www.victronenergy.com/mppt-calculator. Remember that it's best practice to avoid combining panels with different specs on the same MPPT. #sailboat #sailboatproject #boatwork #saillife #liveaboard #liveaboardlife #saltlife #sailing #sailingadventure #travel ingcouple #livingonaboat #solar #sailboatsolar

0

0

0

18,950

0

0

0

0

7,170

South Georgia feels like stepping inside a wildlife documentary. In the South Atlantic Ocean, it’s free from sea ice and a rich breeding site for millions of penguins, seabirds, and seals. Nowhere else on Earth will you find king penguins, fur seals, or elephant seals in such vast numbers. On HX Expeditions to Antarctica, we often spend a few days in South Georgia before south to the White Continent. Our itinerary, as always, depends on the weather and wildlife, but you may hike to the iconic St Andrews Bay – home to the world’s largest king penguin colony – visit Grytviken’s historic whaling station, or reach the resting place of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who landed on South Georgia during his 1916 rescue mission. Find HX Expeditions to South Georgia here: https://www.travelhx.com/en/campaigns/travel-guide-to-south-georgia/ Since 1896, HX has led mindful expeditions to the world’s most extraordinary places. Today, we continue that legacy, taking curious adventurers to iconic destinations like Antarctica, Galápagos, Greenland and aboard our modern expedition ships. Join us and change the way you see the world. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HXExpeditions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hxexpeditions/ Website: https://www.travelhx.com/en/

0

0

0

12

With new SilentJet technology, the Picnic Boat 40 S is a fresh recipe for the classic Picnic. The Picnic Boat 40 S brings a fresh perspective on the most successful Hinckley series ever built. In nearly 90 years of building the world’s most iconic yachts, Hinckley set a new standard with the Picnic Boat that has captured imaginations everywhere. Beautiful lines, innovative systems, and thoroughbred performance are hallmarks. Learn more: https://www.hinckleyyachts.com/models/picnic-boats/picnic-boat-40/

0

0

0

1,494

Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 Catamaran For Sale By Owner Location: Gibraltar Additional catamaran photos, details, and equipment list as well as owner contact information can be viewed at: https://www.catamaransite.com/catamarans-for-sale/fountaine-pajot-helia-44-15/ S/V Miles Away is a Europe based 2014 Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 catamaran for sale by owner. This Helia 44 has been our cherished home since March 2022, carrying our family of four safely and comfortably on a global cruising program. Meticulously maintained and sailed around the world without issue, she offers the combination of robust offshore capability, practical systems and comfortable liveaboard accommodation that experienced passagemakers and cruising families demand. She is fully equipped for long-distance voyaging and set up to be self-sufficient, with spacious living areas, a well-planned cockpit and abundant exterior lounging space for life at anchor or at sea. Built on the proven Helia 44 platform, this catamaran benefits from the model's blue‑water […] Additional catamaran photos, details, and equipment list as well as owner contact information can be viewed at: https://www.catamaransite.com/catamarans-for-sale/fountaine-pajot-helia-44-15/

0

0

0

34

Just... Just stahp...

0

0

0

1,979