Solar Powered!

Well, the DC power is all but done, and today, she became solar powered. 

I installed a Renogy Solar Panel Bundle 200 Watt: Solar Panels UL Listed monocrystalline + MC4 adaptor Cable + PWM 30 Amp Charge Controller. Paired with my Vmaxtanks AGM 125ah 12V VMAX Batteries wired parallel, I should be juiced!

Tomorrow, a friend who is an electrical contractor by trade and thoroughly knows boat AC/DC is going to come over from two boats away, and hook up my AC/Shore Power including my ProNautic 12V 30A 3 bank Charger while I watch and learn. Thanks Kevin!

I still have some reading lights to order and install, but as of tomorrow evening, the AC & DC electrical work will be checked off.

Engine goes back in on Monday...I'M GETTING CLOSE!

Fair seas and God bless!

"Bright Light! Bright Light!"

All systems are now wired into the DC side of the panel. Tonight I fired everything up to verify it worked and to test the system. Everything worked well. (BTW, if you noticed the picture quality is less than before, it's because my Galaxy S3 decided to jump out of my pocket and into the bilge which still has 6 inches of water in it).

The underwater lights worked great!

The Trimast light and Anchor light worked well...

The Spreader lights really lit up the entire deck, (one angles forward, one angles aft),

And, by special request, the house lights work fine.

Fair seas and God bless!

Figuring It Out...

There are many things about refitting a boat that I do not understand and/or know how to do. Actually, most things fall into that category but I am determined to learn as much as I can and to understand how everything on my vessel works.

Electrical has to be one of the hardest things I have come across yet in the refit of my Westsail 32. The professional marine electrician met with me, pointed out everything I needed, and said he would be back when I got all the parts. Well, I got all the parts, but now he is busy all next week! So, I'm doing most everything myself. The parts of hooking up the panel I don't understand, I will have ready for him to connect when he gets free. Actually, this works out well... I am forced to learn the system and it saves me money.

I've run the 1/0 AWG wiring with a 300 Amp ANL. I've mounted the Pro Mariner 63130 Pronautic 1210P 12V30A Battery Charger and will wire it up tomorrow. I've hotwired the panel and hooked up the spreader lights and the underwater lights and tested them... check!

So, I'm figuring it out as I go. Still have a lot to do but we'll get there Lord willing.

A little dusty... but working

Still need shelves in the engine room... another project.

BTW... the rain has stopped! Hooray!

Fair seas and God bless!

Electrical!

No, I haven't quit; I've been doing electrical work, as in, pulling new wire from bow to stern.

As most of you know, this blog is a picture heavy blog and pictures of pulling wires is not very interesting. Of course, I could have taken pictures of the lamp cords that were spliced into the old wire setup but that would have been a little boring also and would have only made me mad again. Bottom line, I am pulling all new, tin plated, marine grade wire throughout the boat.

I have to obtain a number of parts, from a battery charger to a negative ground buss. Once those parts are secured, the boat will be wired by a professional and will almost be ready for splashing.

It was nice to hotwire the VHF radio and do a radio check. It works fine. It was kinda cool listening to the automated weather/marine report.

There's a big surprise coming on splash day... I would love to call it an "October Surprise" but I'm doubting she is going to make it in the water by the end of October. Most likely, it will be a "November Surprise".

Fair seas and God bless!