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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Subscribe for more Tiwal sailing videos : https://www.youtube.com/c/tiwal?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about Tiwal and check out our Best Videos : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp7rkGxzrxNpemhhNJ0kB8mHF9q0IZWBA -------------------------- ** The Tiwal 3 Sailboat ** The Tiwal 3 inflatable sailing dinghy comes in two bags that are easily transportable by car, boat and even by plane. This small inflatable sailboat is easily assembled in 20 minutes without any tools. Easy to handle, its sailing qualities will give you a thrilling experience. Very responsive, stable, and comfortable in light winds, the Tiwal 3 is dynamic in more challenging conditions. Whether you’re sailing solo or double-handed, it is perfect for your adventures at sea or on a lake! Boat of the Year Award | Best Innovation | by Sailing World U.S.A. "The thing was a blast. I couldn't believe how well it sailed. You could have some serious fun with this, especially in big breeze." -------------------------- ** The Tiwal story ** * The Birth of Tiwal * As a girl, the first time our founder Marion Excoffon was told, “No!” by her father when she asked to use the family boat, her life as an inventor began. It was then she started dreaming of building her own craft, an ambitious feat that would come true years later. On the road to creating an innovative high-speed vessel for everyone from kids and first timers to expert sailors who want to test limits, there were a number of prototypes, failures, challenges and headaches. But, if there’s one thing Marion’s known for, it’s her sailor’s grit! * Combining Fun & Technology * The award winning Tiwal concept is easy assembly and storage - maximum fun and performance for watersports and activities. A Tiwal isn’t your average dinghy! Our design is the result of tons of coordination, talent, and technological savvy. * A Growing Global Community * For our community of Tiwal skippers (more than 2,500 worldwide!) all this innovative design means their focus is fixed on the pleasures of watersports and having tons of fun on a responsive sailing craft. With excellent upwind and downwind abilities combined with high-speeds, Tiwals are a part of both fun and professional performance. The Tiwal 3 received the Boat of the Year (Best innovation) Award 2014 from Sailing World in the USA and the Red Dot Award, with recognitions, accolades, and smiling faces continuing to join together on the waves worldwide. Join us!

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Kids are always welcome in Freedom Boats Mallorca

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