Sail Life - How much solar is enough?

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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

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We all hit moments where life feels like it's standing still. You may feel stuck, unsure of what to do next, or like you’re just going through the motions. It’s a frustrating place to be, but remember, it’s also a temporary phase. The key is not to stay in that stuck feeling. Start by acknowledging your emotions. It’s okay to feel lost sometimes — it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Once you allow yourself to feel, begin reflecting on what’s truly important to you. Reconnect with your goals, values, and passions. Next, break the situation down. Big changes can feel overwhelming, so focus on small, manageable steps that will lead you toward a clearer path. It’s about progress, not perfection. And finally, remember that you don’t have to do it alone. Seek support from friends, family, or a mentor who can offer perspective and guidance. Change starts within, but sometimes, it helps to talk it through with someone who gets it. Don’t give up. You’ve overcome obstacles before, and you have the strength to keep moving forward, no matter how stuck you feel right now. Take it one step at a time. . . #HealingJourney #GrowthMindset #KeepGoing #YouGotThis #SelfImprovement #MindsetMatters #EmotionalWellness #PersonalGrowth #LifePurpose #SmallStepsBigChanges #BreakThrough #SelfDiscovery #InnerStrength #FindYourWay #OneStepAtATime

"Southern Cross" is a Maxi 88 cutter-rigged yacht, designed by the renowned Sparkman & Stephens - a true transoceanic cruising vessel. Owned and privately used since 2004 with no charter history. She’s in excellent condition, thanks to ongoing, well-documented maintenance and refit work since 2017, with additional older refit records available. One of the best-maintained Maxi 88s in the Mediterranean, she comes with a maintenance plan extending through 2030. Southern Cross comfortably accommodates up to 8 guests in 4 cabins, along with 5 crew members in 4 additional cabins. For more information contact De Valk Amsterdam https://www.devalk.nl/en/yachtbrokerage/501900/MAXI-88.html