Electrical Power

Because I don't have a working engine with which to charge up my batteries I have been carefully monitoring the voltages in my battery banks.

The engine starting bank of two large "maintenance free" Delkor batteries providing a total of 260 amp hours is isolated and currently at a very satisfactory 12.6 volts. The 55 a/h gel battery for the anchor windlass is at an even better 12.7 volts.

The "house" bank of 4 mat gel batteries providing 920 a/h is the one in use that must be watched.

Not long after the refrigerator was repaired Arnold and I came to the realization that running it 24x7 would pose too big a drain on the bank. The Danfoss unit draws 5.5 amps and seemed to be running most of the time in this hot climate. I'm afraid that the refrigerator will have to be reserved for "special" occasions, such as when we motor out of a port with a load of fresh meat and other perishables. We would run the engine for 2 hours every few days to try to keep the "house" bank at an acceptable voltage (which must be 12.0 V or better).

Here at anchor in La Paz the combination of solar panels and wind charger have pretty well satisfied all of my other electrical needs, principally the running of computers and the VHF radio. Fortunately La Paz is generally very sunny and to give an example at the time of this writing, 11 AM with little wind, there is a net positive charge of 3.4 amps with this computer plugged into the system.

The anchor light and the string of 6 small lights in the head are on continuously. However, they are all LED's and would draw a total of perhaps 300 milli amps. The chart plotter draws 1.1 amps with the radar scanner off, and the gas sniffer draws another 1.1 amps. That does not sound like much but it adds up to over 50 amp hours over a 24-hour period. One morning I noted with some alarm that the "house" bank was down to 12.0 V, so I began the practice of turning the chart plotter on only during periods of high winds in order to get the protection of the anchor alarm. Similarly, I turn on the gas sniffer only when I require to use the gas stove. This is quite safe because as soon as I turn off the gas sniffer the solenoid valve automatically shuts, cutting the gas supply to the cabin. When I turn the sniffer on again it takes a few seconds to monitor the sensors at the base of the galley area and in the lazarette where the gas cylinders are stored, then if it detects no hydrocarbons I will hear the "clack" of the solenoid valve being opened.

This adds up to being able to live indefinitely, electrically speaking, in a remote place that is sunny, as long as I do not run the refrigerator, or run it a couple of hours a day (for a cold afternoon beer) when the solar and wind charging are very good.

The wind charger, incidentally, is a very big help. Even in moderate winds of 10-15 knots it contributes an average of 0.5-1.0 amps. As the wind increases the power delivery improves dramatically. I have seen it deliver 17 amps in a gale, though it would have to regularly shut itself down due to overheating. In 20-25 kt winds I can depend on it to deliver 4 or 5 amps day and night.