Stew completed another episode that covers our first live-aboard summer in Erie. This is after we moved aboard during the pandemic and found out we could not leave Lake Erie – both the Erie Canal was closed and Canada was closed! Stew took a job working on Undercover Billionaire season 2 for Discovery channel. Due to the pandemic he had to live in a hotel about 5 miles from where I was living on the boat. He had to quarantine for most of the week…Continue Reading “Episode 3: Covid Summer”
Wow, I honestly cannot believe that it is complete. After all the research and planning and it actually works! Last week I finally decided to take the plunge and rewired and installed everything. After posting my planning diagram on FB a 2010 CS student say it and offered his expertise. Mark Barron was beyond helpful. He stopped by first to take a look at the board I had set up with all the components. We discussed how to proceed and then I got started measuring,…Continue Reading “Lithium Battery Installation”
The physical job of installing the solar panels was not nearly as difficult as the job of deciding what panels and where to put them. I did a ton of research comparing flexible vs ridge panels, mono vs poly, series vs parallel, mounting them on the deck or bimini, building an arch, extending railings etc. I personally did not want to mount them on the bimini as it was so expensive and I worried about putting holes in it etc. I also learned that the…Continue Reading “Solar Panels”
The plan to add solar and replace the current batteries with lithium has been on my mind since last summer. Summer 2019 we sailed lake Ontario and primarily anchored out (30 out of the 35 days!). We installed our cold plate/compressor refrigeration system right before we left. Well, first we connected it to the wrong battery (THE STARTER BATTERY) so in the midst of sailing somewhere between the Welland Canal and Toronto we finally rewired it and connected it to the house battery. Don’t ask…Continue Reading “Solar and Lithium – The Planning”