Aladino and Maya, your ability to comprehend the complex systems, the pros and cons of each system and battery profiles, and the ability to ask intelligent questions is admirable. I'm thoroughly impressed.

Jeff Cote and the entire staff at Pacific Yacht Systems are astounding. Professional, friendly and astonishingly skilled. I'm a bit biased, as I've already spoken with the company, regarding designing the entire electrical system of a cruising trimaran which is in the initial stages of design. A 24 volt, outside BMS, lithium battery system, with an induction two-burner cooktop, will probably be the best for you. The solar panels currently on the market will easily keep the batteries charged, with an inverter to supply your 120v AC needs. I know that a lot of people prefer propane for cooking, and that's fine, if you're not leaving US/Canadian waters; when you're cruising the world, you'll end up having to drag along at least eight different propane bottles, due to the outrageous number of link/hookup systems which are "standard" for the different countries. In all things, and Jeff has said this to me, during our first talk on the telephone, the most important things is SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY. For me, as I'm older, I want to be as careful as possible, in case something goes wrong, and I've noticed that something ALWAYS goes wrong. Great good luck with Magic Carpet 2 an enjoy the world which is in your future!

Wow! That was heavystuff.But absolutely fascinating. Have you touched base w Dan and Kika of Sailing Uma? They took a boat on its way to the scrap yard, replaced the nonworking diesel w electric and are truly blue water sailors. They've encountered european sockets many times. The 4 of you have a lot in common: each couple works hand-in~glove efficiency. What they don't have, they fabricate. And the shared love sometimes brings tears to my eyes. They crossed the Atlantic and spent a long time exploring Norway's fjords and awesome beauty. Plus, check out Kika's performances with silks!

Hiring Jeff Cote just sent this project and channel to an 11. Great choice. Have watched all of his videos and downloaded all his free systems PDFs. Huge fan. Love this project!

The first thing you have got to do is to determine your power consumption. The biggest consumer of battery power is the refrigerator. You have the opportunity to rework your frig and I recommend you isolate it with at least 6" (15CM) of high density foam plus an aluminum infrared heat barrier sheet. I just upgraded my system and I use a lead acid battery to start the engine, a DC to DC converter draws power from that battery to charge two Lithium 100AH batteries. I chose Renogy equipment and batteries, they may not be listed for marine use but I feel they will fo the job. The DC to DC converter is limited at 40Amps so my conventional 75 Amp alternator will take it easily. The alternator needs to be cooled by the air that circulate into it so the engine must run quite fast, that is not a scenario for charging batteries at anchor. I have three 100W solar panels where two will be mounted on the side of the cockpit and shall be adjustable to be set a 90 degrees with the sun for maximum efficiency. You may have a larger panel fixed horizontally that will produce the same power as an angled smaller panel just because of the poor angle with the sun. In order words, there is more than "Bigger is better", there is also "Smarter" ways to deal with battery power, I like your channel a lot. Cheers, Richard

You both talking with Jeff who I consider as the best marine electrician I have discovered on YT is awesome. You came up with a lot of thoughts I have already installed on our boat - AGM and Lithium battery banks, two independent charger/ inverters, one hooked up ac to starboard and one to port, dc can be run on agm or lithium selected by a hardware switch, 2x 400 watt solar hooked on two mppt´s - one charging agm, one solar. The lithium battery bank can be disconnected totally (hot and ground) from everything …. And so on. So far it works out great, actually in Portugal on our way to the med. Btw. we are cooking fully on induction (also through inverter) and use propane as a backup. Less heat, less humidity, less dangerous than gas. Keep up your excellent work. 🙏⛵️🤙👏

Solar panels: expect 50%-ish on a boat where they tend to be horizontal. I think the maximum I have ever gotten from my 400watts of panels is just under 300watts in full sunlight. Induction: they are great (I use them ashore), microwave is even better in terms of amount of food heated per watt input. Induction requires special pots, a magnet must stick to the pot or it won't work. Li vs. Pb: Watch all the Emily & Clark's Adventure videos on batteries (they suggest both... ). 12V: Yes, 12v bits are available everywhere. There are 10 stores with 12v bits for every one that has 24v stuff. LED lights: Mix in some yellow and red with the white (most white LED have too much blue in them) both for easier on the eyes as well as making colour (yes I am a Canadian) maps easier to read. I have found (from years ago building LED flashlights) a mix of red and green or even yellow and green gives not only better colour definition but also seems to give better 3d sight as well (being able to see lumps on the ground). Laptop chargers do not have to be 120v ac. Most of them output 16ish Vdc and will run on 12v battery voltages (14v or so). Running an inverter just for laptop and phones seems ... wasteful ;) In the end, it is not so complex as it seems. I am sure whatever you end up doing will work just fine. I am sure that no matter how much you over think this, you will make changes down the road so make it accessible. In the end there are four things that matter... red, green, white and anchor, anything else is comfort.

Well done, Jeff Cotes is definitely worth listening too, he is a boater with all the same issues and solutions.

For what it is worth. The gentleman on "Sail Life" just re-did a 36 ft. boat for around the world cruising. I would really watch his electric system videos. He does a great job explaining the what and how of his electric system and great explanations regarding the the why of his choices. The couple of things I have taken away from his and other project videos is that having a washer/dryer makes life much easier and that propane is a real pain. Propane is common around the world but there are as many different filler connections as there are countries.

Excellent presentation. I liked the way Jeff structured the consultation, the discussion was well focused and productive. I look forward to part 2. Big thanks to everyone! well laid out. Big thanks to everybody!

Critical loads from two battery banks. Setup separate DC load "centers" for each battery bank. Give each critical load a breaker on both load centers. Then use an on-on DPDT switch to select which load center is powering the load. I use DPDT so with clever wiring indicator lights can show which side is powering the load. Also if the contacts on the load half of that switch fail, the wires can be moved to the other side. For crimped on contacts, buy proper ratcheting crimpers for the types of terminals used. You want the crimped terminal connection to last decades, not years. For ends like quick connects and ring terminals, I use bare ones, then cover with heat shrink tubing. The heat shrink tubing provides the strain relief for vibration. Use the right size terminal for the wire size. For heat shrink tubing: I used to use many colors, now I just use clear. That way I can see in to see any corrosion, etc. Yes, use heat shrink tubing with glue for sealing the joint. Buy it in bulk from an electronics supplier like DigiKey or Mouser. Use a heat gun on the lowest setting that will shrink the tubing and activate the glue. Wire color: Except for power(red) and ground(black), and chassis ground(green), I now just use white and label it at both ends, and if possible at each junction box it goes through. What was that blue wire for? Label it! With marine wiring, the multi conductor bundles will be colored in the outer jacket. Label the jacket. Bundle wires to stop chafing from vibration. BTW: it gets costly to have a bunch of different wire colors. For labeling I use a Brother P-Touch labeler. I make labels with [NAME |||| NAME] that is then folded over the wire like a flag. The other way I label is to spiral the label around the wire, but then I shrink clear heat shrink tubing over it to protect it. The label spiraled around the wire will eventually fall off if not protected.

Great. I deal with consultants at work (biomedical engineering) and a guy like that guy is my absolutely favorite. Not pushy, considerate, soft spoken, and most importantly, done it before and knows all the pitfalls. Consultants with an agenda are just unbearable. Great guy.

Well... that was awesome. Outstanding job in sorting through all this complexity. And thank you for sharing!! You guys are the best.

I have been a silent subscriber for a while and both my wife and I enjoy all the experiences you have shared. I have spent a fair amount of time on the water and worked on boats both commercial and pleasure over the past 50 years. That sounds like a lot, but I still have so much to learn. Towards that end, I have found a blog called Attainable Adventure Cruising published by Phyllis Nickel and John Harries that I'm quite sure both of you would find fascinating and useful. Not only has it been around long enough to have accumulated information on almost every aspect of cruising around the world, it's organized in an encyclopedic fashion that invites you to interrogate a specific area, and they have possibly the best comments left after each article by persons that truly understand the topics. It's informative and entertaining. I start with a cup of coffee and AAC in the morning and finish the day with a glass of wine and Sailing Magic Carpet. In-between, I work on refitting an old Tartan 30 for some long overdue cruising on the coast of Maine. Thank you for the inspiration you give. Cheers

I'm very happy that you are consulting Jeff. He is my reference as well. I'm pretty sure you can get a sponsorship for batteries and other electrical equipment. Espacially when using a professional to install them the proper way. Can wait for part two

I’m sure others have mentioned it but there are 12v power supplies for most modern laptops. I have one for my older HP Chromebook and my wife’s Dell E6525 laptop as well. Most WIFI routers also run off 12v at about 1A draw. External drives with AC power bricks also tend to be DC powered as well - all mine are 12v or 5V. So you really don’t need AC for a lot of portable computer equipment.

Besides "Sail Life" KZfaqr, look at "S/V Delos", they went all Lithium Batteries for their boats, and that is all they used. "S/V RAN" is another KZfaqr, they also lately changed all their power to Lithium, eliminating completely the use of propane, because is hard to get refills in certain parts of the world. Lithium is certainly more money up front, but the advantages are greater than the cost up front, if you can afford it is the way to go. 😎👍 🇨🇦

Hi guys, I run an induction cook top as a back up when on the hook and on shore power I use it all the time. Its rated max power is 2400w, and wow that makes for boiling water in 30 seconds, but it's not a good boil for water for coffee or tea. So I set the induction power to 800w and then down to 400 or 600w, but water is boiled in 2 to 3 minutes and its hot. Noodles or pasta 400w. Simple examples. So you have a very adjustable heat, that is when learnt. Very controllable !!!! So simply I sit my induction cook top literally on top of my gimballed stove-top/oven.

I would recommend looking at induction cooking as your primary source. It is very quick, nearly as controllable as gas and easy to clean up.

Thanks for the violin showcase. It is giving me more appreciation of the instrument.

Have watched a couple times now and would like to make a couple points. Size an inverter to whatever you might want in the future with special thoughts to tools for Alidino, and for Galley appliances. (suitcase welder, saws, microwave, toaster oven ???) Another thing to consider is the difficultys of getting Propane around the world. Makes the 50/60 cycle electrical issue look like a piece of cake

Awesome. Thank you so much for sharing. Absolutely love Jeff I’ve been following him for years and all his amazing videos. Cannot wait for part two

You're so lucky starting from a blank sheet. Jeff is a star giving pros and cons of each choice and making the complex understandable. I'm soaking up the discussion and really looking forward to the next parts.

i am so glad you found jeff, i have watched alot of his web seminars out off engineering curiosity, and was very impressed. When i hear him say AGM can only be used down to 50% as they age are only usable from 80 to 85% and lithium lasts 6 to 10 times longer lithium becomes the only choice, also any engine is supplied with an alternator to supply its electrical needs , most dump this and put in its place a high output one , why not keep the already paid for starting system and add the high output alternator separately its only brackets and belts and this will give a full backup system Excellent episode

This was a very interesting experience. Last winter I learned so much from Jeffs videos as well as your technical videos. Now you teamed up with him! Great to see you working together. Wish you all the best in figuring out your setup!

I love it. I’ve watched Jeff Cotes many times, he’s my go to guy. And to see you both plugged into each other really lights this all up. Talk about energy, this juices me up. 5 stars no doubt for both, can’t wait for part two. Maybe you can tell I’ve not been plugged in 100%. Love all you. Lord bless you all.

So much good information!! Thank you for sharing this part of the journey!

This is so helpful as I am starting a complete rewire . I'll be looking forward to the next episode. Angus

I love the idea of having a large output alternator, charging an AGM bank and using a DC-DC charger to feed a lithium bank. Redundancy is also my mindset. I currently have a 60' monohull with a large hardtop with 1585 watts of solar and getting ready to add 300 watts of solar panels. Along with that, I will also add the lithium bank and components to complete my system. Great video with lots of info! Thanks to you both and to Jeff.

Thank you for this video. I appreciate being able to watch the thought process unfold, over just hearing a quick explanation at the end as to what you installed. Very helpful.

Check in to a Planar forced air diesel heater out of Vancouver BC. It runs off my batteries and burns diesel and I'm a livaboard and it works just like a house heater.... set the temp and it's 23C or what ever temp you want and it keeps the boat that temp. It draws very little and burns 3/4 of a gal of fuel every 24hrs in the coldest months. I live in Vancouver WA and I can tell you it was the best investment I made. I've had mine for 6 years now with no problems and I installed it myself. Good luck and I really enjoy watching you guys and will continue. Have a great day.

Super interesting, thanks for sharing with us the design considerations & conversation with Jeff.

This is the first time I actually found a discussion about electric systems interesting. It always surprises me when BC shuts down for snow. I live in Calgary and i have lived in Nova Scotia as well so I am used to much more snow than the coastal lower mainland.

At the end of the day I love that Dad is involved. I guarantee he wants the best for his daughter just as Aladino does for his wife. Once again , more input . In my opinion you guys are gonna end up with the best electrical system that anyone would feel safe and comfortable with.

Thanks for your time, and expertise, Jeff.

Clarke from Emily and Clarke's Adventure has designed a BMS for Lithium/Acid combination.

The look on Maya's face when Aladino said they didn't need a washing machine said it all about having AC power included. Better rethink that.

A potentially dry subject brought to life by the wisdom and enthusiasm of you all. I’m really looking forward to the next episode on this subject! Many thanks for this as with all your fab output.

Excellent talk. Enjoying the channel. Tks for sharing.

I enjoyed the "master's level" tutorial, and have re-watched this twice. Everyone has their different requirements based on personnel choice, need, etc. I have also been impressed by the journey the couple from sailing UMA has gone through to go totally electric (mostly). They do have a small honda generator they dubbed their mini marina. Their system took them North through Norway, Sval Bard and as far North as they felt comfortable going and in their last videos they are in Ice Land. The couple over at SV Project Atticus, took a different approach and did a re-wiring re-fit, solar, wind power ad alternator updgrade that was also interesting to watch. Both these couples like you two, are looking to cruise world-wide. Thank you for your high quality and informative videos.

Excellent conversation, really good ac/dc power issues. Thanks for posting this!

In regards to induction cooking. I really would suggest getting yourself a induction hot plate and try it out as your cooking surface. I renovated my house and went with an induction stove due to some bad experiences with a ceramic cook top. It's amazing for controlling heat (almost as good as gas), boils water near instantly and is so much safer too as the pot gets hot, not the cook top and mine will turn off if the pot is not on the element for a period of time. My in-laws are now considering it for their autistic daughter and aging caretaker purely on the safety factor alone (too many times the element has been left on).

Yeow! What a valuable conversation! Thanks so much for sharing this.

Do try induction cooking, perhaps at an Airbnb. A diesel generator & electric propulsion engine is worth considering. Delos, Uma, and others cook with induction. Lots of the design & safety challenges come from the engine alternator & propane. If your boat sails well and you avoid schedules, skipping a Diesel engine can work well

You can't go wrong with Jeff. He's an EXPERT!

Hi there i am glad that you got to Rapallo. Keep in touch. Be care fore with those Sparks!!!

wow, that was one of the most instructive video's I have ever seen on this topic. Great introduction into this topic. I Have just completed the restoration of the hull of my 36ft Sigma and I am currently re-installing all the deck hardware. In meanwhile I started to learn about the electric's as I have to start building the electric system from scratch myself too. I definitely hope you are going to broadcast the next steps as well. All the best from Jan & La dolce vita in Belgium !

Great info! I’m in the middle of rewiring my 26 ft sailboat and this posting I found to be beneficial. 👍⛵️

So much to think about! One really good thing is you are basically startimg from scratch so you can build for your needs. Remember, keep it simple enough so you can repair or fix it yourself. There still is a whole lot of the world where your it. No help. Know what you have.

My electrical design guidelines for cruising in many countries are as follows, seeking the most reliable & avoiding excessive complexity. Fixing complex systems away from Europe/North America will be a nightmare! - Alternator de-rated with Wakespeed regulator; - Alternator charging Firefly AGM House Bank (450 AHr); - Northstar AGM Start/Windlass bank (150 AHr); - Engine always running during Windlass operation; - S/W bank large enough to raise anchor even if engine will not start; - Victron 30Amp DC-DC charger transferring charge from House to Start/Windlass bank to ensure 100% SOC; - All solar charging the Firefly AGM house Bank to achieve 100% SOC; - Shore power (any Voltage) to Charger and Water Heater; - Universal voltage 30Amp shore power charger to 12v; - 220 V water heater (charges slower on 110V); - 12v to 110V 60 Hz 2000W Inverter (all appliances 110v) I have decide that Lithium presents more disadvantages than advantages compared to the above design, especially in the case of a moderately sized engine and a large House bank. The question of 12v vs 24v is not either/or. If you adopt 24v you will still have to support 12v in some areas (eg NMEA2000). Also sourcing replacement 24V components in remote places may be difficult.

Superb! I’m really looking forward to the distillation of all this and the decisions resulting. Thank you!

One of the best videos you have done yet. I love the analysis content and this video is like having a free consultation with the expert. Well done.

I set PVC conduits into corner covings, and re-openable PVC conduits everywhere else I could, and I bought aircraft wiring cables of all sizes cheaply from disposals, because it was light in weight colour coded tinned copper and of very high quality and CHEAP. I also used RELAYS wherever I could to keep heavy wiring as short as possible and only switching circuits to operate the relays and lights to tell me the relay had closed, made switch boards simple. I ran heavy DC cables as bus bars full length of the vessels and I had a separate battery for the anchor windlass and forward heads and shower pump. I used a large battery charging system as an isolating transformer, and for the rare occasions I need heavy power, I ran a generator which was a Honda Inverter 2KVA. This was a stop-gap until I could afford a diesel genset of the same quality output. I did have a connection to shore power through a plug and fuse mounts which included overload switches, The bus bars to the front battery charging circuit went through an overload switch and a non-reversing diode set--so that when heavy loads were applied say to the house or starting batteries, there was no power drawn from the windlass battery to burn out any charging wiring,,

From Italy to snow bound Canada…now that is Environmental shock…lol. Always a joy to watch your channel! Use to live in Bella Coola B.C. Oh the memories! I have seen some sailing vessels with a small wind generator and some without. Why would any sailing vessel not have a small wind generator connected to the system? This is excellent information even for home based systems. Induction cooking as a backup has also reduced our fuel consumption which over time has made our induction our primary for all minor cooking.

OMB! Yes! Wonderful insight, knowledge, thought provoking ideas… we appreciate your in depth questions and Jeffs detailed answers! Thank you again ♥️✌🏼⛵️

unraveling the mysteries of power is not a simple task. this conversation was quite helpful. looking forward to part II and III and watching Aladino's handiwork as you two put it all together in future episodes.

That was far more interesting than I expected. Well done!

Keep up the good work ! My electrical plan starts with 3 battery banks .. start , 12 v Firefly house and 24 volt Lithium bank . Adding Balmar XT series alternator for its low RPM high output performance for charging the Lithium . The stock Beta engine alternator for charging Flooded Lead Acid (FLD) start and house battery . DC/DC charger from Lithium to House when engine off and start if needed. 12v house bank for essential 12v equipment . Lithium for invertor , A/C , Ceramic cook top and windlass. Adding solar . Small solar bank will power the CoolBlue refrigerator compressor unit , along with the Lithium bank .

Very good episode. Thanks you!!!!

Great video. Many options to consider. Keep it simple, safe and have redundancy for your critical loads. Best wishes Mike

Really great educational video. Thank you.

Hello folks 🖐 great to see you again. I don't know about everyone else but I really enjoyed this longer video. So much information 🙂. You guys rock 💪. Thanks for sharing, keep the videos coming and safe travels 🙏

Epic Great video excellent information

Fabulous discussion I have been following Jeff for a long time he is fantastic

Great video. From watching other sailors, make sure that if the alternator needs to be placed below a water pump, that there is some type of cover to prevent the alternator shorting out because of a water pump leak (From Sailing Zatara). The second consideration is having a small gasoline powered generator to recharge batteries, especially if you are sailing up north (Norway or Iceland) and do not have access to docks with electric power, and Lithium Batteries no not work well in colder temperatures. (From Sailing Uma)... and yes, the sound of these small generators make is a function of power required.

An amazing episode!!!!! Thank you!!!!

24V DC definitely better than 12V DC as it is more efficient, But 48V DC is the best you can get in DC. especially if you decide going with electrical propulsion. We have designed 5 electrical systems for boats in the past few months and all upgraded to 24V DC but one 48V DC. On the AC I would go 230V/ 50Hz always. That’s what you get in most countries. Let’s say it is always easier to climb down than up. As for batteries we use for “bluewater cruisers” a hybrid battery system where you get Lead Acid and Lithium together (non electrical propulsion system). As Lead Acid batteries are readerly available around the world as opposed to Lithium batteries. Jeff Cote has given you great insights and advices.

Great to see you back in North America. Your conversation with Jeff was incredibly valuable to your KZfaq channel viewers as well as to you. It resonated with me in part because many of the choices and decisions you face are ones I have faced over the years (50) that I have been cruising. Jeff and you validated most if not all of the ones I have made. Thanks. I don't feel as dumb today as I did yesterday (LOL). The only thing I would contribute is that, at the end of the day, the two things that matter most are reliability and (given that the first has limits) redundancy. Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. If it can break it will, and it will do so at the worst possible time (Murphey's Law). FWIW, Murphey was an optimist. I can't wait to see the second episode, and hopefully even a third. Regarding propane and a practical backup - we have a propane stove/oven. We've never had a problem, but we did replace the original when it hit 40 years. Our two tanks last all summer and beyond. Our backup is a very nice Magna BBQ mounted in the cockpit. It offers great reliability and assured redundancy if the propane unit were to take a break. We have actually cooked some wonderful full meals on it, not just steaks, fish, and bangers. Just saying, do you really need an induction unit? A small electric Breville unit that will run off a 2000 or 3000 watt inverter substitutes nicely for the propane stove to make coffee in the morning, and doesn't consume much energy. And it is a LOT cheaper. Fair winds.

That was a good discussion on what choices for power on the boat.

Had to leave a donation for this one. Very informative webinar. Well done.

I'm just watching Gone with the Wynns and they've just upgraded to heavy duty alternators. Might be good viewing for you based on your plans.

Hi Maya and Aladdin’s,I am a retired marine engineer and have on some occasions had to work on ships systems,all be it simple stuff..i found that I had to really focus on what Jeff was saying,and I still lost some of it.having said that I was totally interested in the subject.i am pleased that you were able to find someone to aid you on your way..thank you for the video.cheers Roly 🇬🇧.

Really enjoyed this video!

OMG! I’m nerdy and keen to learn but installing a brand-new boat electrical system should NOT be this complicated. Thanks Magic Carpet for sorting this out. Looking forward to seeing how you go 😊.

Emily and Clark's adventures. Clarke has developed a charge controller that takes advantage of a lead acid and lithium combo setup.

Great video, thanks. I don't have a comment on Lithium vs. AGM, etc., but I would highly recommend considering using flexible conduit and junction boxes for wire distribution. Sailing Atticus had a recent video on using this method, and I think it is a brilliant solution over having a bunch of wires snaking all around the interior of your boat.

Maya: Are you sure you really need AC to charge your computer? When I'm on my boat I charge the computer using the USB-C-port. I have a converter from cigarette lighter socket (12V DC) to USB-C with PD (I think it can output up to like 150 watts), works like a charm for the computer. Assuming the computer supports charging over USB-C.

Excellent thank you

Great video as always

I have a Challenger 36 and the electrics are an issue so I am following this all very carefully and with great interest. Great video. Many thanks. 🐟

Thank you! I'm going to run it through again and possibly again>

In regard to the (red) indicator between Neutral and Ground on your boat which never should light up, I would install a (green) indicator between Line and Ground on your boat which should light up when the shore power polarity is correct. If the red indicator circuit fails, it gives a incorrect "safe" all the time. If the green indicator circuit fails it gives an incorrect "unsafe". I prefer the second.

Jeff is a hero!

Hi ya :) I love your approach where you setup for travel rather than marinas. We recently spent 7 years aboard with a DC system and an inverter (1500watts 240volts) for power tools and computers, etc. Balmer 120 amp alternator with Balmar ext regulator (configurable very handy because you can push the voltage higher with no risk), the regulator can monitor the alternator temp and battery temp and limit the alternator so you can ensuring the highest useful voltage without hurting the alternator. We pulled the alternator back to about 70amps. The only real way into the boats electrical system was via the battery charger. Sometimes when we went in marinas and we would not bother to plug the charger in. We only used AGMs rather than lithium. To be honest, after five years just buy a new set. As much solar as you can fit and your good to go :) Thanks for the excellent videos, very enjoyable!

A great episode on a rather murky, yet vital, topic - thank you for sharing!

Great episode! LFT 2 & 3

Great information.

I have to take issue with Jeff's view on 24V vs 12V. I built out a camper van a while ago with a 200 AH LiPO4 battery bank, 2kW Inverter/Charger, and 200W Solar array. I think the cost savings on the wire size is substantial and should be given serious consideration. When I built my van (max cable runs of

Wow cant wait for the next vidéo with Geff

I loved this discussion!

Nowadays you will find lithium crank batteries or even dual purpose. It isn’t needed to mix two types anymore. Apart from this keep in mind that the world is much more larger than US. So if you intend travel around you must have a system that can handle 60 and 50hz, 220 and 120V.

Interesting Session! I’m not a cruiser…. Power Boater. But my background is HVAC and Electrical… so the intricacies of this portion of your build regardless of the fact that I’m a motor head relying on Dinosaur Juice… and lots of it… CURRENTLY is fascinating! 😎

Thnx guys this explains a lot of decisions to make😀

very informative

Gone with the Wyns just reviewed a new alternator which would solve some BMS issues you were discussing.

Great Video ! I am looking to restore my 1977 Westerly Centaur a much smaller boat and find it difficult not to get caught up in all the tech and focusing on keeping it simple. Jeff mentioned using a DC to DC converter to charge the house bank from the engine alternator. What about using the engine alternator with a smart regulator like the Wakespeed to charge the house bank and a DC to DC converter to charge the engine battery. This would allow you to get the most from your alternator and use a smaller converter. You still need to use some sort of alternator protection if you use lithium but there are options for that out there. Also, a DIY lithium battery bank may be a good option for you as mentioned by one of your other viewers. Good Luck ….

Jeff presented at our sailing club in Vancouver the MacGregor Yacht Club of BC

Hi both, I enjoyed your video. Jeff obviously knows his stuff and as a sailor has a refreshing real world perspective. I completely agree with your philosophy of simplicity and having redundancy in your system. You should listen to Jeff's advice as he is an expert, however I would add in a few points for you to consider. If you are off grid for prolonged periods, the battery capacity and performance is less important than your generating capacity. If your generation and utilisation are not well matched then the battery capacity is not that important. It might take longer but to go flat with a larger capacity but you still need generation and usage in balance. This is not an issue for coastal cruisers like me as we can easily get onto shore power but it is if you are ocean sailing. You seem to be frugal with power so it should not be hard to stay in kilter, and keeping it simple is always good. Whether you go for Lithium, lead/acid or a combination is the issue. Murphy's law applies. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. What you need to look at are the unacceptable risks. The main risks are sudden total failure and fire, both of which are more likely with a lithium system. There are arguments for a system incorporating both lead acid and lithium. It avoids the sudden total failure concern. There is also an argument for a setup where the lithium acts as the main sump and feeds current to the lead/acid. This keeps the lead/acid at its optimum voltage and state of charge extending its life hugely, and the lead acid acts as the direct connection to loads so it can safely deliver high amps. But you still have to worry about the safety issues with lithium. The more I have read about lithium batteries, their complexity, construction and behaviour, the less I like them on a boat. The things that can cause fire are numerous and although there are lots of complex measures taken to reduce the risk to a low level, it still exists. The fires are also very difficult to extinguish. It is not so bad in an EV where you can just get out and walk away but I am not keen to have them on a boat. They represent the antithesis of your prime philosophy of simplicity. Best wishes

This is an excellent episode.👊🤙🤙🤙👍👍👍👌

Amazing amazing amazing. I started this video wanting to comment that everybody knows if you can afford to get lithium if you can afford it get a really good battery charger with a great inverter. Go battleborn internal BSM. Then you started talking about polarity.. Very few people understand this problem. Great explanation, The appliances have power running all the way through them the entire time. Every single time I watch you guys I learn something, or relearning it with a better clarification thank you thank you thank you.