There are few things from a system standpoint in a distance solo race than being unable to re-charge batteries - almost causes the heart to stop as the engine gives one last shot at starting! Over the next couple of Rode Shows, I'll throw out a few electrical system concepts that may give you something to chew on before you get to that point during the race. As always, if there's something you want to see in print that may help someone else along, send it to me, and I'll get it in.

Temperatures falling for the weekend, but have a great one anyway!

Cheers......Tony

FROM THE NAV STATION
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By now most of us have had a chance to make it out to the boatyard and get a feel for what kind of work is in store for us later this month. Maybe you were really bold and even removed the shrink wrap or that semi-custom blue poly tarp that is mostly in tatters anyway after the rigors of a snowier than normal winter. Thoughts abound about the projects that need to be finished before the splash date - how's the VC17 bottom looking, should I slap on one or two coats of wax this year. Maybe this is the spring the cutlass bearing gets replaced, and all I can say about that is I'm glad that's your project - not mine! How's the halyards looking - any chafe? The point being, this is a great time to go over the boat with a jaundiced eye; it's certainly easier to fix the multitude of nit-noid items on the hard, than when you're hard on it, middle of the night, middle of the lake, solo!

You go down below, maybe a little dark there especially if you didn't get the tarp off, fire up the DC panel and flip the cabin lights switch, expecting to be bathed in the warm glow of a 1-watt bulb. Nothing...you did bring the batteries back to the boat, right? Or if you left them on board, they were charged before you packed up shop for the season last fall, and maybe you've had a chance to keep them charged in the yard over the winter? No? Uh oh, and now an examination of the case shows it split open like a melon dropped from the fruit truck on the way to market. Well, you've always wanted to change the electrical system anyway to manage the new goodies that you've been lusting for, so here's the chance to start from scratch. Before you can scratch though, you need to figure out where the itch is, so to speak - here's a few thoughts, and believe me, this is a subject that can almost transcend science into a Zen-like state of being.

It's important to tailor the size of the battery bank(s) to your current (slight pun intended) electrical needs, and an eye to the future as well. Making a chart with your electronic gear and the amp hours you need to run it is where to start. Most boats have two banks, with one "bank" typically a separate starting battery. The size of the "house bank" is really only limited by the space you have to install it into, and what you're going to use to charge it. For the house bank end of the equation, batteries are typically rated in amp hours, which reflect the total amount of energy that a battery can deliver at a constant rate of discharge for 20 hours before the internal voltage reads 10.5 - a dead battery. Thus a 100 ah battery can handle a 5-amp load for 20 hours before it's toast. Problem is that we seldom run a constant amp load - lot of spikes, so how long will the battery last, and how long will it take before it's back up? Thank god for amp hour meters which show total capacity in the bank, the amp draw, and what is going back into them when you take time to charge. Something like a Link 10 for one bank, or a Link 20 for two banks "should" keep you from the dreaded complete electrical failure. Remember the Zen-like state of being earlier...If you still have an OFF-1-BOTH-2 switch, and let's say a Link 10 wired into bank 1 (your house bank), it's possible to be staring at what appears to be a safe load, lots of amp hours remaining, but if the switch is in BOTH, you're setting yourself up for that bane of all sailors: "I-can't charge-the-batteries-so-my-check-ins-will-be-all-that-you-hear-from-me" scenario.

This is just the surface, yet to go is:

• What type of battery do I want to buy, flooded, gel or AGM?
  

• Do I want 12 volt, or 6-volt golf cart batteries connected in series to form a 12-volt bank?
  
• Is it more effective to buy a cheaper battery that has to be replaced more often, or shell out the big bucks for one that will give more discharge cycles?
  
• Will I be using an inverter to make AC power from the bank so the hair dryer (or microwave) will work in the middle of the Manitou Passage?
  
• How in the heck am I going to recharge these, both underway, and at the dock?

Stay tuned; we'll talk batteries next week!

Cheers
Tony Driza

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