What Happens When You Unplug From the Dock?

[cool beans]

Yes, this is a serious question!

Coming from the sailboat world. . .typically I find large battery banks kept full via solar and/or wind vanes with supplemental engine charging. Fridge/Freezers are fed from the battery bank and stoves/ovens are carbon fueled.

In instances like my sailboat that isn't equipped with the above, the fridge is shut down and everything transferred to a cooler for longer trips. This is used as an opportunity to defrost the evaporator Stove is alcohol fueled.

Most of the trawlers/MY I'm looking at online have no solar/wind charging, nor do they have more than 1-2 deep cycle batteries for the house. Hell, I've seen more than a few with electric ranges!

But everyone of them has a generator. . .

Do you guys just run your gennies whenever you shut down the main engines? Or am I mostly looking at boats never setup to leave the dock except every couple years for haulout? If your genny does just run 24/7 at anchor, does it get annoying?

Thanks!

 

[BerettaRacer]

I'm gen 24/7 away from dock. Annoying? Some, but that's why I get paid to do this job, LOL.
Besides, I like the A/C cold and the food hot just as much as my boss does,

 

[Heron]

I have very modest Electrical requirements... Less then 100 amp hours per day with fridge, electronics, lights etc. With a 440 Amp hour battery bank (4 golf cart batteries) I can go for 2 days out, not run the engine and still be within the 50% discharge guidelines. The secret to no generator use is big battery banks, and/or wind or solar.

If, by chance, we chose to use the electric range over the alchohol option, or make some hot water for a shower, I have a 2K watt portable generator that we'll run for a short bit. It will also charge the batteries through the onboard charger so I get a few amp hours back as a bonus..

As boats get bigger from here, their energy requirements increase dramatically...Hence the generator being common on 34'+ boats..

 

[Paul Swanson]

I just came back from 10 days at Catalina Island on a mooring. I have a propane stove, diesel heat (not needed this time of year), no AC and a 12 v freezer/refrig., LED lighting throughout, and a 2.5 kw inverter for occasional AC appliances. The boat does not have a generator but has 240 W of solar panels. By being careful we can just maintain the battery charge this time of year with long days and clear skys. In the winter I run out of battery power after 3-4 days. I could use another 200 W of solar power. This works well if you are willing to forgo 60" color TV, hair dryers, large freezers and heated spas.

Paul

 

[Lutarious]

My 44 foot trawler has a house bank of 5 big AGMs. 12v fridge, LED lights, propane stove and BBQ. Diesel heat and no AC. I can stay out pretty much indefinitely using the motor to top up batteries every day. The only real hog is the water heater, and we can run the genset for that every other day for dishes and showers....

 

[Baker]

IT'S OKAY....DON'T PANIC!!!!!
Now take a deep breath. You are going through the transitional phases of a recovering sailboaters. Unlike alcoholics, you can fully recover...but it will take some effort and some time. The one thing you need to say to yourself over and over and over...."It's ok to be comfortable...it's ok to be comfortable...it's ok to be comfortable"!!!!

And if you are ever just sitting there on your trawler and you find everything is just absolutely perfect and you have absolutely no further need to do anything other than enjoy it.....I would suggest getting a hammer and hitting your thumb with it. That way you can experience the misery you used to experience on your sailboat. I know it is not the same, but it helps!!! It's okay to be comfortable!!! Yes there is a bit of guilt, I know. Especially if you are Catholic like me. But it is okay to be comfortable. It is okay to run the generator. It is likely a LOT cheaper to buy install and maintain a generator than all of the crap related to solar and wind charging systems. And get this....a generator actually WORKS!!! You get stable 120 volt power at 60Hz!!!! It doesn't even need to be sunny outside for it to work!!! I'm serious!!!!...

I think I am going to sell(to recovering sailboaters) a hammer encased in a glass tube..."Break in case of emergency"....so that way if you find yourself just having way too much fun and being way too comfortable, you can break the glass and get the hammer and smash your thumb!!!!

PS....while yours was a serious question....this is not a serious answer!!!..

 

[Baker]

My set up:

5 105ah AGM batteries. 4 for house and start and 1 isolated for generator start battery. I can isolate the house batteries but I don't. I feel that isolating the generator battery is enough backup as well as jumper cables. I rarely hang on anchor for days without using the generator. I live in Texas. It is either hot or cold. If I feel the need for the generator, I run it. If I don't, I don't. Rarely is it perfect like it is every day in SoCal. If I lived in SoCal I cold see how a set up like Mr. Swanson's could be desirable. In the PNW you could probably get by with his setup plus diesel heat. But, I like to be comfortable!!!! And I have the resources to be that way. And I am not afraid to use them nor do I feel guilty using them!!!

 

[hfoster]

IT'S OKAY....DON'T PANIC!!!!!
Now take a deep breath. You are going through the transitional phases of a recovering sailboaters. Unlike alcoholics, you can fully recover...but it will take some effort and some time. The one thing you need to say to yourself over and over and over...."It's ok to be comfortable...it's ok to be comfortable...it's ok to be comfortable"!!!!

And if you are ever just sitting there on your trawler and you find everything is just absolutely perfect and you have absolutely no further need to do anything other than enjoy it.....I would suggest getting a hammer and hitting your thumb with it. That way you can experience the misery you used to experience on your sailboat. I know it is not the same, but it helps!!! It's okay to be comfortable!!! Yes there is a bit of guilt, I know. Especially if you are Catholic like me. But it is okay to be comfortable. It is okay to run the generator. It is likely a LOT cheaper to buy install and maintain a generator than all of the crap related to solar and wind charging systems. And get this....a generator actually WORKS!!! You get stable 120 volt power at 60Hz!!!! It doesn't even need to be sunny outside for it to work!!! I'm serious!!!!...

I think I am going to sell(to recovering sailboaters) a hammer encased in a glass tube..."Break in case of emergency"....so that way if you find yourself just having way too much fun and being way too comfortable, you can break the glass and get the hammer and smash your thumb!!!!

PS....while yours was a serious question....this is not a serious answer!!!..

LOL: This was a hoot!. Thanks for the good laugh Baker

Happy cruising.

H. Foster

 

[Carolena]

Similar set up to Heron. We have 4 golf cart batteries. We also have a diesel generator and two AC units. Generally, with led lighting, we can go a couple days without running the engine or genny. In reality, we run the generator for a couple hours in the evening to cool down the cabin, make hot water, and charge up the batteries (if the genny is on, we use it for as many systems as possible to load it up). We then shut down before bed and run a 12 volt fan. Come morning, we usually run the genny to make coffee, heat water, and top up batteries (and maybe run AC). Most days, we don't run it during daylight hours. Instead we open up the boat. ON the sailboat, we had a single house battery (group 31) and with an icebox that we converted to a very efficient fridge, led lights, and efficient 12 volt fans, we could still go at least two days without running the engine. LED lights have made a huge difference. Oh, and on the current boat if we want to watch TV and the genny isn't running, we have a small 100 watt inverter that plugs into a cig. lighter outlet in the pilot house and has no problem running the TV. In the past three years, we have only run the genny non stop one weekend (temps around 100). On the other hand, we have friends who start the genny the moment they leave the dock and don't shut it down until they return. As I recall, they sold their last boat with around 2000 hours on the mains and around 13,000 hours on the genny.

 

[DavidM]

Cool Beans:


You have received several answers from trawler owners who have different DC needs, DC battery capacities and recharging capabilities. It all depends on how you use your boat. Different usage requires different systems to keep up.


I transitioned from a full time livea board sailing catamaran with lots of solar and 600 amp hours of battery capacity. I was able to stay on the hook for weeks at a time with only occasional engine running (with a high output alternator) after several cloudy days. I did use a solar shower.


My current boat, a downeast style trawler has an electric stove, a genset, no engine heated hot water, only electric, 220 AH of batteries and no solar. But we move every other day on a week long cruise.


So I run the genset for 30 minutes at night to heat water for showers and maybe cook. I run it again for 15 minutes in the morning for coffee. That 45 minutes of genset running probably only adds back 50 amp hours at best. We use about 100 amp hours a day.


But that works fine because our net loss of 50 AH a day for a couple of days is easily made up when we crank up the engine and motor for 4-5 hours to the next anchorage.


If we wanted to hang out on the hook for more days routinely, I would do one or more of the following: run the genset more, add a couple of hundred watts of solar, add more batteries, change the engine alternator to a 100 amp high output one. Since all but the first one cost more money, I would probably just run the genset more.


David

 

[Britannia]

I've just made the shift from sail to power. It was a bit shocking at first - but not too hard to get used to the good life!

My house bank is 5 x 225Ah 8D batteries - these will last me 2-3 days without charging. I'd like to add more so I can run generator free for longer. I have an espar diesel heater for heat on the hook. I also have 4 Cruisair systems (240V) for heat and a/c - but rarely need a/c here in CA. Two generators - 20kW and 8kW both 120/240V. Gens and main engine have their own starting batteries. Charger is 130A.

It seemed like a lot of stuff at first - but now it seems just right - and I have no qualms running my espresso maker. Heck - I even ran the water heater from the inverter by mistake one night. No problem!

My generators are pretty quiet inside the boat and also outside - so I don't feel too bad running them in an anchorage.

Richard
Stillwater
KK54

 

[Art]

LOL: This was a hoot!. Thanks for the good laugh Baker

Happy cruising.

H. Foster

Howdy Henry! LTNotSeen ya posten...

Baker is a hilarious HooT!! Just wish he could begin again including his picts of pretty young gals. In that range he's a hilarious ol' BooT. Similar to you and me - but even funnier!

Cheers to you and yours! - Art

 

[jwnall]

The one thing you need to say to yourself over and over and over...."It's ok to be comfortable...it's ok to be comfortable...it's ok to be comfortable"!!!!

Priceless! And, as a (fully recovered) sailboater I can vouch for that feeling of guilt when comfortable, at first.

 

[MYTraveler]

Genset is on 24/7 if I am not plugged into shore power. But my genset is so quiet, I often worry about forgetting to shut it off.

 

[Art]

My lil ol' Tolly tri cabin is full equipped as a comfortable anchor-out stay aboard. Really fun to play with, inexpensive to maintain.

Easy to keep powered. Twins' stbd engine charges all house batts when running. 7.5 Kw Kohler gen set usually fired-up 45 min to an hour in morn and eve; runs 60/80 amp batt charger as well as heats water, cools AC refrig, charges cell phones & computers, runs lights and AC tools if needed or charges tools portable batts as needed.

We have house bank containing 4 deep cell group 31's (also used as twin engine starters). Gen set has separate group 27 starter batt that charges off gen set when running and from small solar panel trickle charge all day. Also keep a totally isolated group 27 combo batt in it's own black batt box and 100% charged by a 2 amp trickle charger when gen set runs or plugged into dock power upon loading to cruise or returning to off load.

We do keep drink bottles in smaller coolers filled with ice and we have a big super cooler inside added insulation that we reload with ice as required. The AC refrig has a slide in plastic container we also keep filled with ice. Between the AC refrig cooling activated by gen set each morn and eve as well as it's small ice container all food stays well cooled.

Happy Boat-Energy Daze! - Art

 

[Larry M]

We have ~1100 amp hours in 10 Trojan T-105's. We converted the boat to mostly DC (water maker, microwave and water heater are AC). The fridge and freezer are custom DC units. We can leave the boat for 5 days at anchor and only be down 50% when batteries are full when we leave. All our lights are LED. Our generator run time is less than 2 hours per day. When we charge batteries the make water, heat water and any thing else that needs AC loads are on. Till recently we'd anchor our 6 months at a time and as much as 11 months out of 12. No solar and that may change. Insulation on the fridge and freezer and having an efficient higher output AC charger are critical.

 

[N4712]

I start the genny before I'm about leave the dock so I can seamlessly transfer the HVAC's and other 240/120v items. At anchor we run it, once we ran it 5 days in a row while at anchor.

 

[TDunn]

I have five grp 31 deep cycle batteries for 650 amp-hours capacity. I also have 100 watts of solar panels on the cabin top. I do not have a generator or shore power. The solar panels more than keep up with my power usage (refrigeration on all the time, webasto heater for cold nights, 100% LED lighting (except the trawler lantern which burns lamp oil), pressure water). I also have a small inverter to charge my computer battery and my Torqeedo outboard. When I am on the go the combination of solar and the output of my 115 amp alternator more than keeps up with my power usage. I don't have AC, but 9 of the 19 windows in the main cabin can be opened. I have gone for four years without using an AC powered battery charger and my batteries are currently at 100% charge.

 

[O C Diver]

My boat now has 900 +/- amp hours of storage. Finishing the conversion to all LED lights. While I do have an electric stove, the gas grill represents over 90% of my cooking. Should be able to sit for 3 or 4 days on the hook without charging. Expect to run the genset an hour per evening to make hot water and put some amps back in the bank. Maybe once every 5 days run for 3 or 4 hours to completely recharge, do a load of laundry, etc. As I expect to be under way every 2 or 3 days, batteries get charged and water gets heated as a function of motoring. Have a 3, 000 watt inverter than will run anything except washer / dryer, stove, water heater and AC units. Under comfortable conditions, very little generator use. Now if it gets hot, I'll run the generator as needed to stay reasonably comfortable. I'm fine with being efficient and conserving energy, but I'm not going to miserable when I cruise.

Ted

 

[FlyWright]

Before unplugging at the dock, I switch on the inverter and transfer power of the backup 120V fridge to inverter. Underway the alternators individually charge the 660AH house bank (120A alt) and 8d start battery (55A alt) and heat the water. At anchor, no switching required to isolate the banks. No solar or wind power, but the Honda eu2000i generator runs a couple hrs morning and evening to provide power for Keurig coffee and microwave while charging house bank or heating water or running electric heat. We also have propane heat available if needed. No air conditioning needed in Northern CA but we run a couple of 12V DC fans and a 120V AC fan when needed. Shade screens and Breeze Booster help keep the interior from getting too hot.

I typically use about 180AH per day. If I don't reposition the boat, I can generate about 100-150AH with the Honda. If I run the mains a couple of hours to reposition, the house bank can get another 100-150 AH, if needed.

The two requirements that bring me back to a dock are water (75 gallons) and pumpout (40 gallons). Each of those can last a week (and more if I'm solo). I can easily carry and cool 2 weeks supply of food.

Without a doubt, my biggest power consumers are the refrigerators. Using iced coolers for drinks saves lots of electricity.

All lighting is LED including anchor light on/off via photocell. Propane stove/oven and grill for cooking. Microwave and Mr. Coffee can be run via inverter if needed while underway. (Yes, the Mr. Coffee serves as backup to the Keurig.)

 

[kelbylinn]

We use our generator at anchor all the time. I, like others, enjoy the comforts of Air conditioning and heat when needed. Our water heater is usually off since it is fed by main engines running unless we are at dock or at anchor more than a day. I have a 15K westebeke that is really quiet both inside and out. My trawler is my home away from home, not my camp. No guilt here for enjoying the luxuries available.

 

[markpierce]

After unplugging from the shore, we rely on the engine's alternator. House batteries supply sufficient power for remaining continuously at anchor for two nights. (Gas stove, no electric coffee maker, a/c, microwave oven, television, or stereo system.) After two nights, I'm anxious to see new scenery.

 

[Paul Swanson]

In my previous post I neglected to make an important point that is pertinent to the original post. My boat did not come with a genset and I was looking a many thousand dollars to install one. (which I did have on my sailboat). I was advised that with today's low cost and highly efficient solar systems that I may not need a genset. After doing the sums i Installed two 140 watt solar panels and controller for much less than $1000. This compares to about $10,000 for a genset. I can just keep up with normal use (with no AC). One or two more panels and I could waste electricity. And yes I am comfortable. The real advantage is that it is totally passive, silent and requires no operator intervention. Just leave it on and check the battery monitor once in a while.

Paul

 

[motion30]

I have 12 6v golfcart batteries totaling over 1300 amps, I also have over 800 watts of solar power. Most everything including the television and satellite system is 12 volt. I also cook almost exclusively on a gas grill. I do use the microwave and run the generator for that Short time.

 

[Pack Mule]

Baker ,
I loved it and Catholic also . I new there was more about you I liked . Also on a trawler, troller or tug you can have real chairs to sit in outside . The transition is way easier than you think.

 

[cool beans]

This has been a very informative thread! Reading online and thru peoples blogs, nobody ever talks about this. It's like it's taken for granted that anyone doing it already know, lol. Unlike a sailing forum where you could return 1000 threads on this Or I could just be terrible at searching this forum

And Baker, that was hilarious! If I search long and hard enough, my next boat will make your hammer a necessity :lol: That's the plan anyways. . .

Those of you with the larger battery banks, are these custom or did the boat come that way? If custom, did you find it difficult to add the extra batteries?

Also, is there a way to save a thread for future reference? This is a thread I'd like to archive for future reference.

Thanks, and keep it coming!

 

[Art]

Hey - I've an idea!

Why not uae a peddle charger where each person aboard can peddle for exercise and charge the batts at same time. Great to stay in condition while saving money and creating/storing energy. Place an adjustable rate of amp load on the peddle charger and best workout occurs while even more amps get jumped back into boat’s batt bank.

This might suffice!

https://www.k-tor.com/pedal-powered-generator/

 

[ksanders]

OK, Cool Beans that is an interesting prespective

When we unplug from the dock everything on our boat works pretty much like it did at the dock.

On our Bayliner..., yes our Bayliner

We anchor out constantly in some of the remotest areas of North America, Prince William Sound Alaska.

Our boat is 100% self sufficient, except for Diesel Fuel.

We have a 800+ amp hour battery bank, and a 9KW generator with a large charger to recharge our house bank.

There is a 3,000 watt inverter that runs almost everything.

We make our own water
We process our own waste
We have the fuel endurance to go anywhere in North America and stay their relying on nobody or nothing for much longer than our food stash would last.

We also have TV
And internet anywhere in the world
And telephone anywhere in the world
And laundry facilities
And two refrigerators plus a large freezer.

So... When we leave the dock life is pretty much as it is dockside.

 

[Art]

This has been a very informative thread! Reading online and thru peoples blogs, nobody ever talks about this. It's like it's taken for granted that anyone doing it already know, lol. Unlike a sailing forum where you could return 1000 threads on this Or I could just be terrible at searching this forum

And Baker, that was hilarious! If I search long and hard enough, my next boat will make your hammer a necessity :lol: That's the plan anyways. . .

Those of you with the larger battery banks, are these custom or did the boat come that way? If custom, did you find it difficult to add the extra batteries?

Also, is there a way to save a thread for future reference? This is a thread I'd like to archive for future reference.

Thanks, and keep it coming!

TF "Search" feature is your friend! Placing applicable words/short-terms you can locate many threads regarding AC and DC boat power... as well as many other marine related items.

 

[Peter B]

Priceless! And, as a (fully recovered) sailboater I can vouch for that feeling of guilt when comfortable, at first.

As and ex-yachtie, (southern hemi term), I felt no guilt whatsoever, and endorse John Bakers post 100%. However, having come from that scene does not mean one has to go whole-hog bourgeoisie. One can go a bit 'green', by that I mean renewable energy minded, yet still be comfy.

Others have already mentioned solar supplementation of charging, I always found using free wind the one real plus of a yacht, and have adopted a policy of not having anything AC on the boat when away from the dock, so we cope by adding in wind generation. Out there on the pick we are totally 12v, and LED lights, and propane for cooking. Hot water & charge from engine & heat exchanger on the move, and charge supplemented by solar and wind. Works for us, and without huge batt bank. I don't have thrusters, so only have a 150A/H start batt, and 2 100A/H AGM house in parallel. I can tap into the start batt if required.

Sorry, that second pic was supposed to be one showing solar panels - anyway, they are up on the aft area of the flybridge deck. Away from walked on areas, but not on the canvas canopy. Ah, found one which shows them, although it was not specifically of the solar panels. See pic 3.