Electrical

I've been using Kaos' new Victron LiFePO4 electrical system for 14 months now and have some performance, changes, and updates to share.

Victron provides amazing visibility into your electrical system, but GuiMods takes it to the next level with tons more data and usability.

Victron has had a lot of impressive connectivity products, but one area they have had challenges with is in getting all of that data onto NMEA 2000. In their recent v2.40 release, that has changed for the better.

I upgrade my power system with Battle Born batteries, Balmar alternators, and Wakespeed regulators to give me way more power and longer time at anchor.

With my LiFePO4 power design complete, I was excited to install and use the new system for most of this sailing season. The installation took longer than a traditional battery installation, and had more complexity, but turned out to be a fantastic setup for the longer trips I went on this summer.

Due to weight and features, I decided to convert my sailboat power system to LiFePO4. This article covers the design which settled on Victron components.

I made a decision to have a single battery bank for both my house and starting needs on Grace. I use a NOCO Genius Boost jump starter to ensure I won't end up dead in the water. It gives me around 20 chances to start even if my entire battery bank is dead.

I redesigned my nav and electrical panel, and finally got the parts to put it all together. A fun and beautiful project!

My navigation and electrical panel has been in need of an update for a while. In addition, I have never liked the electrical circuit layout, and am out of DC circuits. I have a general design of what I would like, but still have not settled on a final solution for the electrical panel.

Crew members on the sailboat expect to use their USB devices no matter where. Adding USB power throughout the boat is easy to do, and useful for the captain too.

Using SmartThings to control heaters and monitor temperatures on your boat is a great way to ensure things are safe during the winter.