Nerdiness Qoutient: 3/10 Our aim is to use as little fossil fuel as possible. On one hand, there is the environmental impact and pollution caused by fossil fuels, while on the other there is the cost. Diesel has become much more expensive over time. We have had entirely positive experiences with the solar panels installed a couple of years ago. They efficiently charge the batteries, and since we have plenty of space for more panels along the rail, we opted to install two additional 215 W panels, one on each side. This has increased the maximum charging capacity, enabling us to charge the battery by up to 1 kWh on sunny days. This means that we can remain at anchor for several days without worrying about our onboard power consumption, and when we’re in port, we don’t need to connect to shore power. The Victron 40V 215W solar panels are effective and robust. They can very easily be placed on the railing using the Noa panel stays. Each panel on the railing got its own 75/10 MPPT charger w

Nerdiness Qoutient: IMPORTANT TO ALL OF YOU ALL..! I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realised that the onboard shore power connection had become hot, in fact very hot. I came across the problem by chance when the shore power was disconnected for the summer. I consulted an electrician, who could see that the cable at the back had not been fitted properly. Over time, this had resulted in a poor connection, which had subsequently caused an electric arc to develop in one part of the socket, causing it to overheat. A new cable and sockets were required at both ends. Such work must be carried out by a professional to ensure it is done correctly. In addition, the clamping screws in the socket had to be tightened to a specific torque of 22 Nm, for which special tools were needed. The local electrician was therefore called in to complete the job. The new system has a current rating of 38 amps from the outside connection via the cable to the ground fault circuit interrupter, meaning it has

Nerdiness Quotient: 7/10 Thanks to Victron Remote Management (VRM), it's easy to keep an eye on the onboard climate and the status of the Lithium batteries. The 24/7 online monitoring system provides continuous updates, offering reassurance that even when it is below freezing outside, the temperature inside remains well above zero degrees Celsius. Any DC or AC load can be easily monitored. The battery status of 68% is held more or less constant due to the charger settings of the Multi Pluss-II. (Described in the Oct. 25 blog) According to the Victron Smart LiFePO4 battery manual, the recommended State of Charge for long-term storage is between 60% and 80%. Since the boat is abandoned, the 'fridge' is not operational, so the temperature sensor has been placed directly on an un-insulatet part of the hull in a storage compartment without heating. The absolute coldest place on board..! When the YOYO Power 220V system thermostat (see picture below) kicks in, approximately 1600 W is drained

Electric winches can be of great help on a sailboat. This is especially true if the boat is over 40 feet (12 metres) long, as some issues can become quite heavy. However, this convenience comes at a price. Read more about that here

Nerdiness Quotient: 7/10 During winter, Moon goes into hibernation in its bed on the water. Shore power maintains the necessary power for heating to prevent frost on board. Normally the batteries are charged to 100% by the MultiPlus-II when shore power is connected, but as a strategy to preserve the batteries in the best possible way, they will be kept at a SoC (State of Charge) between 60% and 80%. To maintain this, Victron VRM (Victron Remote Monitoring) is used. With this asset I can control and adjust the SoC and any necessary charging via the network and the wifi router on board. Via the VRM I´m able to set the Maximum charge current as low as 0A. In this way any adjustment of the Smart Plus-II charging settings are at my finger tips, eighter via my phone or computer. Very practical.

Nerdiness Quotient: 7/10 The troubleshooting of the wind instrument provided a initiative for obtaining a full overview of the NMEA2000 network on board. Read about it here...