Aussie with plan to overhaul/upgrade sailboat electrical system

[SYKaiea]

Hi All,
Really enjoy Will's presentations especially the info and knowledge he is happy to share - excellent.
Have joined the forum to gain knowledge and information on my plan to carry out overhaul and upgrade my sailboat power supplies to live and operate offshore/offgrid on my sailboat.
Can happily swing a spanner and have a good mechanical background with an electrical Achilles heel.
As a result, I hope to find information, answers and any queries I might have building, fitting, setting to work and operating a complete electrical system onboard, being safe and reliable to meet current and any foreseeable power requirements.
Look forward to this new project, and sharing info to any of the interested peeps.

I am considering the following:
- 24V system with 800Ah house batts, BMS management (phone app)
- 24V 400A mono crystalline total solar panels, 2 x MPPT controllers,
- Silentwind 24V wind gen
- 220/110VAC shore power charger/inverter
- 24/12VDC converter for sailing electronics systems, GPS, AIS, Radar, sounder, wind instruments, VHS, Autopilot,
- 240VAC/3000W Inverter for washing machine, microwave, hotwater heater, kitchen appliances, toaster/kettle, wifes hairdryer (yes - I know) etc.
- 240VAC outlets for charging laptops, cameras, cordless power tools, also for charging considering electric outboard, etc.

Boat was built in Aussie, fitted is 240VAC, 4KVA, 240/60Hz Kubota genes for water maker, outlets, lighting, batt charging, all lighting is LED
No shorecharger arrangement plugs/breakers, isolators, etc. onboard

Does anybody know if Battleborn Batteries are available in Australia?
Or similar, I know Mastervolt and Victron LiFePo4 batts are available in Aussie, they are very expensive, does anybody know if any other lithium similar quality reasonably priced batts are available in Aussie?

Any suggestions and or opinions on 24V versus 12V welcomed.

Or if anybody has done this kind of upgrade in Aussie - maybe sailboat or RV, I welcome your comments, hints, suggestions and any pitfalls or things to lookout for.

Look forward to informative replies, thank you in advance.

Anthony
SY Kaiea
Aussie sailor, boat in Aussie whilst I am currently landlocked in Canada, due to current covid travel restrictions.

 

[5teve]

HI Anthony

I have looked pretty extensively and regarding batteries, I have just dropped an order in with a local (Victoria) company for a built Prismatic Cell battery with decent size BMS. I'm running 12v and have gone for a 326AH 2P4S CALB celled unit with a 250amp Daly smart BMS - but they can make any you want. Worth having a chat with them though to see what they can make - they may suggest multiple units in parallel.. The BMS max discharge is always the limit on these things, as i was only going one battery and will be running a 3kw inverter, i went for the 250A so it could run the inverter (unlikely it will ever run at max anyway) Pricing was good.. Solar4Rv was the place..

Steve

 

[SYKaiea]

Hi Steve,
thank you for the message and note for Solar RV, I checked the website, looks ok, have sent them an email to check in with them to find out if they are able and willing to assist me in the planning, purchasing, build and set to work of an entire new elec system onboard my sailboat.
I have also sent pretty much the same email to another company, 'Outback Marine Australia' - Brisbane way, who also do boats - well says so in the name of the company....... , as well as to a Victron distributor Marine Electrical company in Cairns, where my boat is at this time, and have a quote from Battleborn for some items, LiFePO4 batteries, some Victron pieces and shipping.......
I plan on doing most the install myself, then have a qualified marine electrician with off grid LiFePO4 knowledge to check over the completed system, which is why the planning and identifying a simple as possible Muti-voltage system.
Follow up posts will be posted.
Happy Easter.
Anthony in Canada.

 

[Ozschooner]

Hi Anthony,
I am undertaking an almost identical installation project, without the wind gen. Plan to have a marine sparky check my rough drawings and to specify components, I will do the installation in stages and have it checked as I go. I tried Outback marine but they haven’t responded as yet. Heading to the Sanctuary Cove boat show in a few weeks so will hopefully progress discussions then. Will follow your progress. I am based in Darwin, vessel in Sydney at the moment.
Cheers,
Peter

 

[SYKaiea]

Hi Anthony,
I am undertaking an almost identical installation project, without the wind gen. Plan to have a marine sparky check my rough drawings and to specify components, I will do the installation in stages and have it checked as I go. I tried Outback marine but they haven’t responded as yet. Heading to the Sanctuary Cove boat show in a few weeks so will hopefully progress discussions then. Will follow your progress. I am based in Darwin, vessel in Sydney at the moment.
Cheers,
Peter

Hi Peter,

Back in March I emailed Outback in Brisbane on their website contact page, after a week I had no reply.
I then telephoned a couple of different times over the next three weeks, even left a message, third call I think it was after easter and I got to speak to a lovely gent. He found my email and forwarded it onto the owner, with a note to say I called - is what he informed me.
Two weeks later, still not heard jacky jar.
As a result, I am no longer interested in being a customer of Outback for my boat elec upgrade.
Hope you have better luck.

Sanctuary Boat Show - enjoy, stay safe.
Let me know if you see a sail boat suitable small 240AC or 24VDC or 12VDC washing machine/dryer combo, 2 burner induction cooktop, etc. These amongst other items are on my - to buy list.......

After some more research, I have a good company in Ft Lauderdale Florida and a reasonable quote, shipping/import duties etc. to Aus is a whole other story, when I heard good reports of a mob in Melbourne, 'Solar4RV's', so I contacted them, so far, so good, have had a few back and forths, system requirements, some prices etc. I am now happy to say I am moving forward wth these guys.
My boat is in Cairns, and I am in Canada, fingers crossed, covid travel return to Aussie going well, plan to be back in Aus mid July.
I am planning for Solar4RV's, after design is finished and agreed, I will purchase, they, Solar4RV's will carry out partial build and setting up all parameters in Victron favoured gear in their shop before shipping - freight all to Cairns, which is where I am planning to fit and set to work onboard my boat. Am confident with the comms with their techs so far, so good.
Have been working with a friendly, knowledgable chap named 'Harley' - shout out, thumbs up.
Will update here as the job progresses.

If you are happy to share, would like to check out drawings of your proposed system, share me yours, will share mine

Cheerio,
Anthony
SY KaiEa

 

[SYKaiea]

Proposed Elec System for Sailboat

Hi All,
request comments, good bad and or suggestions on attached planned Elec system for my sail boat.
In planning, I am wanting to keep system simple where possible, with that in mind, I plan on purchasing suitably sized AGM batts - one each for the engine and generator, these are to be stand alone 12V for starting only. However I am fitting a 24/12VDC battery charger from house batts to maintain charge in each of these AGM's as required.
Also not shown is charge controller for wind generator - it will be fitted next to solar charge controllers.

Considering I am fitting 24V house batts, when I am purchasing solar panels and wind gen, which would be better for this system, 12 or 24 V wind generator and solar charging panels, comments and advice welcome on this point, pros and cons, i.e.which would best suit this system, 12 or 24 V solar and wind gen.

Look forward to comments and advice on proposed system and which charge, 12 or 24 V systems for charging would be best suited and why.

Cheerio, thank you in advance, kind regards,

Anthony

 

[5teve]

Im by no means an expert so take this with a pinch of salt...

Victron require an ANL fuse or T fuse for the main fuse from the battery.. something to do with a higher interrupt current. The Mega fuses dont cut it as a primary apparently.

You may want to fuse the Batteries with a higher rating fuse and use higher rated cable.. as I assume you have them switched and fused separately because you want to be able to isolate one or the other? If thats the case then one battery will be able to supply everything for the system so you will be under rated.. If not why not just parallel them at the battery, use a single fuse and single switch and save some complexity?

I'd also check your cable sizing for a 5kw.. to confirm 1x 70mm2 is fine.. I think the 24v Multiplus 3000 requires 1x 50mm2? to 5m so your size sounds about right?

Something to compare against... https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/MultiPlus-system-example-3KW-24V-120V-AC.pdf

I'd be more interested in the AC side as i'm struggling to find anyone to help me with that in WA.. !

Steve

 

[5teve]

Another comment would be for your starting batteries.. why not use one DC2DC charger and use a VSR between the 2 batteries.. as I assume they will be fairly well matched type / size wise?

Also what is charging your batteries (house) from the engine? What size alternator etc have you got? I assume you are single engine? I wouldnt be strapping this bank to the alternator otherwise you wont have an alternator left.. I ended up with DC2DC chargers from Enerdrive which have built in 50a MPPT also.. and went with one from each engine to give me 100a total charge.. obviously it doesn slot in with victron gear.. but it was my best cost option of getting large charge current at a not so huge cost.. otherwise it would have been 3 or more Victron units at great cost..

 

[SYKaiea]

Hi All,

update Nov 2021, after numerous flights being cancelled, finally managed to get a seat back to Aussie, jump through some more hoops then 15 months after purchasing "the" boat, got onboard to see her in the flesh. During this time I have had a couple of changes to the earlier posted newly designed e system I am have purchased and am to receive very soon. Then the fun begins, to install the same.
Request others to check the system attached, comments welcomed, good, bad, or otherwise to operate and maintain safely to get the most out of the system. You will note at this stage, I am not having the house bank charged by my single engine alternator, house batt charging will be predominately by the two 310W solar panels, wind gen with top up or charge with gen as required.
Missing in system is wind gen controller, alternate supplier, to be connected to Lynx.
Look forward to any suggestions or changes. Thanks all.

 

[SYKaiea]

Hi Anthony,
I am undertaking an almost identical installation project, without the wind gen. Plan to have a marine sparky check my rough drawings and to specify components, I will do the installation in stages and have it checked as I go. I tried Outback marine but they haven’t responded as yet. Heading to the Sanctuary Cove boat show in a few weeks so will hopefully progress discussions then. Will follow your progress. I am based in Darwin, vessel in Sydney at the moment.
Cheers,
Peter

Hello Peter,

how is your project coming along, am interested to hear.
I am in Port Douglas now, which is where I am planning to have my new é' system shipped to, although not sure how much I will be able to get done onboard before mid Jan when I plan to sail back down to Brissy. If your interested, you can see system I purchased attached.
Look forward to hearing fro you.

Anthony.