Sailboat Solar Upgrade: This Solar Upgrade is a Game Changer For Our Liveaboard Sailboat Episode 102

Living aboard a sailboat means every upgrade turns into a full-on boat project — and in this episode of our liveaboard sailing journey, we’re taking on a major solar and battery upgrade while docked in the marina. As we prepare our sailboat for long-term cruising and sailing around the world, reliable power on board is essential, and that means tearing into the boat and dealing with the chaos that comes with it. To install our new solar power system and battery bank, we had to completely clear out the cabin, turning our floating home into a construction zone. This is real boat life — messy, challenging, and incredibly rewarding. If you’re a sailboat owner, beginner sailor, or dreaming of travelling the world by sailboat, this episode gives an honest look at what it takes to upgrade and maintain a cruising sailboat while living aboard full-time. While we’re stuck in the marina, we make the most of it by knocking over a long list of liveaboard boat jobs. From maintenance tasks to small repairs, these marina days are all about preparing our sailboat for future offshore sailing and extended cruising. This is the behind-the-scenes side of liveaboard sailing around the world that doesn’t always make it into the highlight reels. Of course, life aboard isn’t all work. When the tools get packed away, we escape the marina and head to the beach for a refreshing swim — a reminder of why we chose this lifestyle in the first place. It’s all about balance: hard work on the boat, freedom on the water, and enjoying the simple moments in between. If you’re interested in sailing, boats, off-grid solar systems, sailboat upgrades, or the realities of living on a sailboat, this episode is for you. Follow along as we share the highs, the mess, and the lessons learned while preparing our home to sail further, stay longer, and live more independently at sea. It's been two years since our first sail in @SailingAstridTheWombat actually that means it's been two years since our first sail ever. That's right two years ago we bought this Beneteau Oceanis 430 and pulled the sails up for the first time ever when we brought her home. A sail that stretched 700 nautical miles from Townsville in Far North Queensland Australia to Moreton Bay in Brisbane Queensland. Each experience we have and each new sailing skill learnt just keeps bringing us closer to taking off to sail around the world in our Beneteau Oceanis 430 @SailingAstridTheWombat living our boat life dream. We hope you enjoy our content. Please hit subscribe and follow our journey to full time sailing around the world. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:50 Solar Plan 04:12 Cockpit Lights 06:12 Sailboat Airconditioning 07:20 The Ecoflow 2 10:17 Solar Blanket 11:12 Sailboat Stern In 12:05 Update on the Solar 15:30 Beach Day 17:20 Solar Upgrade 18:16 Boat Back Together 19:00 Boat Mattress Please leave a comment, like and subscribe to follow our journey. We are Gav and Shezz an Aussie couple with a dream to sail and scuba dive around the world. We bought our Beneteau Oceanis 430 in October 2023 with zero sailing experience but the belief that we can do this. We have filmed our journey from looking for boats, buying the boat and downsizing our house so we can liveaboard and all the messy wonderful life stuff in between. Join us now as we settle into liveaboard life and get our boat ready to take off and sail around the world. As new sailors we want to share all of our learnings and keep it real in our videos. We want to show step by step what it takes to choose a boat, buy the boat and learn how to sail. Our sailing learning curve is steep so come along with us as we learn and grow as liveaboard sailors. We promise you will have a laugh! Welcome aboard Astrid The Wombat Gav and Shezz You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook: Sailing Astrid the Wombat #sailing #liveaboard #sailingaustralia #sailingadventures #sailboat