| Our Steel Boat Editor, Chris Price, was kind
enough to help us out with this page, in the rush to have MarineZine ready
for publication before the end of the 21st century was upon us...
"You see them everywhere, once you get a little bit away from
civilization. The further you go, the more you see. Wind generators, solar panels, and even water turbine generators, that is.
Now that most people load their boats up with more and more electrical goodies to replicate their home lives, they need more
power and running engines all the time costs diesel, or annoys the crew, on a sailboat.
What a marvelous feeling of getting something for nothing when the wind or sun is filling your batteries - although of course you've had to stump up a fair few
fun coupons ($, that is) to pay for the gear.
Apart from anything else, using supplementary charging is one of the best possible things you can do for your battery.
It is widely said that you just can't get a high enough voltage into a battery with the standard alternator arrangements that most of us use, but wind or solar charging methods can often give that little bit extra when trickle charging at anchor or on a mooring. And for the last stage of battery charging, the fourth and final stage called
equalization, there's probably no better tool than these
self-sufficient or supplementary chargers.
It must be said that many people use solar and wind
charging equipment exclusively, having no generator or engine charging
facilities whatsoever and seeing no need for any.
With nothing more than two solar panels, supplying a single standard car
battery, Frank 'The Plank', owner of a 36' yacht with which we are acquainted has a steady
supply of ice-cubes and cold beers for sundowners, an elderly depth
sounder, an auto-pilot, lighting throughout and a VHF radio, plus a
short-wave radio and the live-aboard owner says he has never wanted for
power.
His argument in favour of using a single car battery is that he had
tried two in parallel but found that he got through several pairs in rapid
succession. Using a singleton his battery has been going for three years
without problems!
His argument in favour of a car battery as opposed to a leisure battery is
that the replacement of either is always going to be inevitable in time
but a car battery is a lot cheaper and easier to acquire.
In windy northern Europe, the wind 'genny' rules. In the sunny
Mediterranean, the solar panel is king. For sailing boats on the move, turbines are getting more and more
votes, although it is said that sharks have a tendency to try and make off
with the trailing end of the equipment which sounds expensive!
In South Africa, where they have hot and windy weather, and marinas often have no electricity supply, it seems as if every cruising boat has a stern platform with enough power generating gear to run the National Grid of a small
island.
If you're a dedicated user of self-sufficient charging devices, we'd like to hear
of your experiences and views. If you are involved professionally, we'd
love some tips and advice! Maybe you can tell us where and how these
chargers are best fitted.
Circuit diagrams of combinations of devices, together with their associated regulators would be fascinating to the
'techies' and serious 'anoraks' amongst us (sad, isn't it?) and any
information of any kind will be gratefully received."
Thanks again to Chris Price - one good turn deserves
another -you may like to visit the Steel
Boat page and get a look at our benefactor...
|
