Electrics & Solar

Original Mess

2024-09-19 12.40.412024-09-19 12.41.052024-09-19 12.41.152024-09-19 12.55.012024-09-19 12.55.392024-09-19 12.55.442024-09-19 12.55.522024-09-19 12.55.592024-09-19 12.56.352024-09-21 12.31.142024-09-21 12.31.27-12024-09-21 12.31.272024-09-21 12.31.432024-09-21 12.31.472024-09-21 12.31.552024-09-21 12.31.592024-09-27 18.16.45

Solar Panel Upgrades

2025-01-13 10.14.352025-01-13 13.39.472025-01-17 12.14.502025-01-24 09.47.072025-01-24 09.51.202025-01-24 09.51.272025-02-09 18.24.002025-02-12 16.19.422025-02-26 17.47.482025-03-09 15.15.082026-03-23 07.30.002026-03-23 07.30.062026-03-23 07.30.11

Wiring Upgrades

2025-01-16 21.24.112025-01-16 21.25.112025-03-27 16.26.512026-03-23 07.28.132026-03-23 07.28.212026-03-23 07.28.282026-03-23 07.28.322026-03-23 07.28.472026-03-23 07.29.07

12v Fridge

2026-03-23 07.01.002025-03-03 07.13.552025-03-03 07.14.03

Solar Victron Readouts

2024-11-18 12.08.302024-11-18 12.08.372025-01-18 09.29.422025-01-18 09.30.152025-01-24 11.43.452025-01-24 11.43.572025-03-02 08.30.442025-03-18 16.53.292025-03-18 16.58.36

Overview

From what I read online, boat electrics are always a mess. This looked like at least 4 rounds of “upgrades”, so I spent a lot of time just ripping stuff out. A lot of the core wiring stayed and I’ve tried to identify and label stuff. One secondary advantage of having the larger solar panels on the deck is it gives additional solar protection inside the cabin. Coupled with the new insulation inside the cabin, this helps regulate the temperature a little where the Mediterranean sun can get a bit brutal!

LED upgrades

All lighting has been upgraded to LED. Some new spotligthing, some new overhead lighting, some USB & battery powered motion sensing lighting (the goal is sort of emergency lighting that’s also useful when you need to move around the boat at night - hence why some has red covering).

USB power sockets

Lots of new outlets fitted for various device charging, and some USB powered upgrades (like the USB battery powered lights mentioned above).

Solar

The big upgrade, and I tried to do this properly, although one set of solar still needs to be properly attached.

Solar Panels

  • 2x 295W Perlight panels attached to bimini roof
  • 2x 175W Victrom panels attached to solar arch
  • 2x 435W Canadian Solar panels - placed on the deck, wired in, but not yet properly secured

MPPT Controllers

  • 3x 30A Victron SmartSolar MPPT100-30 (1 for each 435W panel, 1 for both 172W panels)
  • 2x 20A Victron SmartSolar MPPT100-20 (1 for each 295W panel)

Fuses

  • Solar panels go into first breaker box
  • Breaker box into MPPT controllers
  • Second break box before going into house LiFePO4 battery bank

LiFePO4 House Battery Bank

  • 2x Fogstar Drift 12v 280Ah
  • 1x 12V 50A LiFePO4 Charger (used for shore charging the batteries)

240v Inverter

  • 2000W Renogy Inverter
  • Breaker box to isolate shore power, inverter power, and house-sockets

Engine & Windlass battery separation

The LiFePO4 and solars all power the house setup. The older deep-cycle lead-acid batteries were re-purposed, one for the engine starter, the other for the new Windlass. These are linked to the solar, so that charge will get to these, but the engine alternator will not charge the house LiFePO4 batteries. The 2 lead-acid batteries are isolated from each-other, but will share the charge.

The idea was to give isolation that stops house-services from killing the ability to start the engine and windlass. Hopefully that makes sense, but no-doubt there will be opinions!

Windlass Electrics

These are located at the front of the boat. Most of the electrics are accessible from the head, but the windlass and windlass controls are at the front deck and in the chain locker.

Galley

The existing gas and gas oven are still all there, but haven’t been used. The electric upgrades allowed for upgrading to kitchen appliances like an airfryer and rice cooker. Also a properly fitted 12v fridge, which works well.

Not Perfect

It’s not perfect, and not one of those immaculate pictures you see on Instagram, but it’s a big improvement. No doubt stuff you will still identify as needing work, or being a risk. Hopefully a lot of it is clearer and more organised.