Favorite LifePo4 for 12v 800-1000AH BANK - Full Electrical Refit - 48' HC Sailboat

[HansChristian48]

I'm sure I'm replicating previous post. Apologies.

We're doing a full electrical overhaul on our Hans Christian 48 for her second around the world cruise. I'm basically gutting everything and replacing: Banks, solar, wind, chargers, genset, engine, controllers and all the fun stuff in between.

It appears instead of making my own bank, the packaged 100-200AH batteries like "SOK Batteries" and "LiTime" 12V 230Ah are rather affordable. Does anyone have a favorite? Battle-born still seems pricey. Since starting new and building a system to be completely off grid for 10+ days at a time. I'm curious what long cruisers like in this forum for their bank?

Any other long cruising factors and considerations are always welcome. As we will start packaging this system in the next couple weeks. We're young and former military, but this is a whole new world and we're aiming to move aboard as soon as the electrical refit is near complete in order to start sailing this summer. (I know it's optimistic) Other fun feedback appreciated. New to this forum as usual.

 

[wholybee]

You should look at some that have Bluetooth communications so you can monitor cell voltage and balance. That rules out everything you listed, including the Battleborn.
Epoch is currently the preferred battery by many. It has bluetooth, and also is available with CANBUS to communicate with an alternator regulator or Victron gear. Much cheaper than Battleborn, but a bit more than the others you listed.

 

[wholybee]

Kilovault was preferred by many for a long time before Epoch came out and is also a good choice.

 

[HansChristian48]

Epoch is high on my list. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[yabert]

Full electrical refit
Please share details about motor/controller for propulsion.

About battery, I suggested Redodo for the sailboat of a friend and he is happy with those (2x 12V 200Ah). Still he only use them since few months.
Is there chance of freezing temperature in the battery compartment during your trip? Add heating or self heating battery come in mind.

Also, your quest for ''off grid for 10+ days'' can largely depend of the solar power you plan to install (qty of panels).

 

[HansChristian48]

Full electrical refit
Please share details about motor/controller for propulsion.

About battery, I suggested Redodo for the sailboat of a friend and he is happy with those (2x 12V 200Ah). Still he only use them since few months.
Is there chance of freezing temperature in the battery compartment during your trip? Add heating or self heating battery come in mind.

Also, your quest for ''off grid for 10+ days'' can largely depend of the solar power you plan to install (qty of panels).

Sure thing, replacing engine with Beta 90, most likely and TBD on rebuilding vs. replacing current 4.5 Kw Northern Lights generator. Will be installing all new chargers, controllers, inverter and solar, and some other fun stuff. Likely Victron. Aiming to replace and add 1000w solar + wind.

 

[yabert]

Sure thing, replacing engine with Beta 90

Aaaaaaah! I had electric motor/controller in head

I had a discussion with my friend who have sailboat about windturbine.
Those are often rated for peak power and only generate a fraction of their rating except if there is strong wind. Like this ''300W'' graph below.
My conclusion: It's sometime possible to generate more energy in 2-3 hours of sun with a 300W panel than a 300W wind turbine will generate over 24h.
So, to me, those pricey noise generator/not maintenance free wind turbine are questionable on a boat now that solar panel are really cheap.

 

[Alkaline]

Victron is what almost every boat guy is using so the only ones at 12v should be epoch, sunfunkits, renogy, and kilovault (I think) ) as these have victron communication which ABYC is now requiring.

 

[wholybee]

Victron is what almost every boat guy is using so the only ones at 12v should be epoch, sunfunkits, renogy, and kilovault (I think) ) as these have victron communication which ABYC is now requiring.

ABYC is not requiring communication. ABYC doesn't require a whole lot of what many rumors say it does.
Whether or not is is a good idea is a different question and depends on the boat and the rest of the system.

 

[HansChristian48]

ABYC is not requiring communication. ABYC doesn't require a whole lot of what many rumors say it does.
Whether or not is is a good idea is a different question and depends on the boat and the rest of the system.

interesting.

 

[HansChristian48]

Aaaaaaah! I had electric motor/controller in head

I had a discussion with my friend who have sailboat about windturbine.
Those are often rated for peak power and only generate a fraction of their rating except if there is strong wind. Like this ''300W'' graph below.
My conclusion: It's sometime possible to generate more energy in 2-3 hours of sun with a 300W panel than a 300W wind turbine will generate over 24h.
So, to me, those pricey noise generator/not maintenance free wind turbine are questionable on a boat now that solar panel are really cheap.
View attachment 194390

Yeah I've got a lot of the same. I'll most likely get something simple and that lasts. Hear decent things about the colemans. Wind is more for times when we are offshore and solar is absent. Trickle charge and extra redundancy. Won't really be a primary, but nice add on later down the line.

 

[Pyrate JD]

Hans Christian 48! Small world, we probably have talked before, I have a Christina 43.
I installed my solar panels 2 years ago and went with 3 LG 385w panels that will easily put out 410-420w each. It’s a shame LG quit building panels. I was running those into a carbon-foam battery bank until I got smart and bought Lithium. Now I don’t worry about what my batteries are doing. I’ve got two 460ah LiTime batts, a 3000w inverter and 12v fridge and freezer. I’ve got one of those new Doppler radar domes that sips power, but we use an electric coffee maker, electric induction cooktop, microwave, toaster and pressure cooker. We’re going to install an electric convection oven.

If it’s raining for days on end I do have an 8kw generator.

 

[SparkyGage]

If you are gutting an rebuilding everything, I would consider going 24v and a few strategically placed 24v to 12v step downs. To me the pros out weigh the cons, especially if you are starting from scratch.