Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst 1234
Results 31 to 39 of 39

Thread: Power management videos are up

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    Our family's second boat was ALTA, a 22' lapstrake oak motorsailer (finished bright=loads of work). ALTA had a big box in her cockpit with a two cylinder Volvo under it, which could ONLY be started with a crank. RAGS's Yanmar has a lot more compression than that Volvo, even with the compression lever released. Skip had the same engine in WILDFLOWER and neither of us were able to crank start them.

    No, the crank does not have a ratchet but to keep from ripping your arm off, the teeth are cut at an angle so the handle releases easily. I had that end cut off and an additional length of tube welded on so it would clear the bulkhead in front of the engine. The handle was supplied with the boat but was apparently not intended to be used. I need to take the companionway ladder out (it's in the way), have someone nearby to take me to the hospital, and give it a bloody go. I want to crank start it at least once (dammit).

    That story about starting the engine with a gybe was sorted out awhile back over in Skip's thread.

    I'm back to wanting two battery monitors and I've found a place to install them without drilling any new holes. (Cool, another boat project!)

    .
    Last edited by BobJ; 11-04-2013 at 10:55 AM.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Honolulu
    Posts
    228

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by brianb View Post
    Have you ever read the account of the guy in the Whitbread who started his engine with a line to the boom and a big screaming jibe in the Southern Ocean ? It took him two days to figure out the rig to do it but it saved his race.
    that was Michel Desjoyeaux in the 2000-01 Vendée Globe on the first PRB. Vincent Riou was his preperateur and gave him the idea.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Honolulu
    Posts
    228

    Default

    the Victron battery monitor kicks ass. had one on 101 and now have one on my cruising boat. the two-bank model just allows you to monitor 2 banks, ie house and starter or battery 1/ battery 2. someone asked that earlier.

    solar only is great as long as you have enough to get you there. can be cloudy some times. my only problems were underestimating cloud coverage, while overestimating solar efficiency and battery capacity. everything worked great in hindsight, just not enough of it...

    also, hand cranking a one-cylinder diesel works great. i used to hand crank a yanmar ysb 12 all the time. blow torch to heat intake manifold and perhaps some "starter fluid", ie - ether - would help the cause if she's cranky. between those two, the decompression lever depressed and a hearty dose of desperation, any small diesel should be right to fire.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    The Power Management seminar video #1 of 2 is here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A_0n-X_WBs

    The last bit (#2 of 2) is here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMn8xUU2tJg

    and the Powerpoints used by Brian and Max are here:

    http://sfbaysss.net/resource/doc/SSS...ngmnt2013b.pdf

    Dave and I each recorded the seminar. I found that you could see the slides on the screen (on mine) or the speakers (on Dave's) but not both.

    Thanks again to Brian and Max for a great job as our presenters!
    .
    Last edited by BobJ; 11-28-2013 at 01:44 AM.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    119

    Default

    The whole power budget concept makes no sense to me. Just as you can't determine the output from your solar system, neither can you determine the draw from your AP. In fact in my AP owners manual it explicitly states that it is impossible to say how much the unit will draw (WH Autopilots, Bainbridge. Washington) depends on the boat, depends on conditions. I tried to do the 2012 without using my engine, I failed as I had the autopilot incorrectly adjusted for the first day or two. So you can give all this sage advice about cloudy conditions but it is ultimately meaningless. I used a towing generator for the whole 2012 that turns out about 10 amps at 8 knots but that is meaningless if you are going slow. So I have 240 peak watts of solar power, a "smart" controller, panels that wing out from the life lines well above horizontal, a towing generator that needs a dump resistor for when you're really cookin', as well as a 90 amp Balmar, and it all means nothing because it is all dependent on conditions.....but that's sailing. I do agree that the energy budget gives people a bit of a kick in the ass but...it's all smoke and mirrors.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    Hi Peter,

    The value in requiring a budget is to get the skippers to think about it and do some planning. Though second nature/common knowledge to you, most of the issues and devices in your post are new to many of them.

    Power management is historically the biggest problem area of the race for first-timers.
    Last edited by BobJ; 11-29-2013 at 12:35 PM.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    119

    Default

    Loud and Clear

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    199

    Default

    Thanks for your comments, Peter and Bob.

    Last race it was very interesting to me to read over and over lag comments that racers were having difficulty with their electricity needs. It was overcast = not enough charging.

    MIRAGE in our 2004 DH PacCup did fine on a twice daily hour-long jag of our tiny Honda generator. Fumes, noise and all, it was worth it to suffer the weight. We had no electronics to speak of: autopilot, twice daily SSB check-ins, and nav lights.

    The jolt of adding up all the goodies on board is a good exercise.

    Lucie

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    Yep, the stand-alone AIS will be up for grabs cheap, but since Brian freaked me out about the current draw for the new plotter I better install it first.

    It looks like I'll have a leftover Victron battery monitor too, since I'm combining the two big batteries and adding a little starting battery (@ only 21# but it meets the CCA/MCA requirements of the engine!) I don't think it needs its own monitor, especially once the charging relay is installed.
    Last edited by BobJ; 12-05-2013 at 11:15 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •