Solid-State Lithium Battery Upgrade – Powering Up ARGO (Ep.56 | Sailing ARGO)

Solid-state lithium batteries have completely changed how we power ARGO. In this episode, we upgrade our sailboat’s battery system to safer, lighter, longer-lasting lithium – and the difference is immediate. You can research sailboat power systems endlessly – but some lessons only land once you’re living with them. From day one on ARGO, we’ve battled battery and power issues. Backwards wiring drained our original setup, replacements didn’t solve the problem, and after a few days of rain we were still watching our power disappear. When it became clear we didn’t have enough capacity to comfortably head off on more remote adventures, something had to change. After plenty of procrastination, spreadsheets, squinting at the bank balance and late-night research, the promise of doubling our usable power finally tipped the scales. In this episode, we take the plunge and upgrade to solid-state Lithium batteries – and the difference is already huge. Why we chose this setup: – Safest lithium batteries available – Around 10,000 cycles (at 80–90% depth of discharge) – Victron Energy compliant – Massive weight saving – 18kg each vs 60kg each for our old AGMs Jason takes ARGO down to the Gold Coast for installation (a 7-hour ordeal), then sneaks home via a cheeky short-cut through Canaipa Passage, threading through for a much deeper water journey. Was it expensive? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Knowing we now have the power to sail further, stay longer, and live aboard without constantly worrying about batteries makes this upgrade one of the biggest confidence boosts we’ve had yet. Thanks for watching.