I recently acquired a 2021 Adventure 208 which is being kept on a mooring. I am curious to know if anyone has experience using a solar panel system to keep their batteries charged. Any guidance will be appreciated, especially with respect to the selection of components.
Use of a Solar Panel to Keep Batteries Charged
- Thread starter Parker
- Start date
Sardinia306Canyon
GreatGrady Captain
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2023
- Messages
- 738
- Reaction score
- 163
- Points
- 43
- Age
- 60
- Location
- Island of Sardinia
- Model
- Canyon 306
I have two 140W solar panels in the basement ex owner gave me as he did not installed them and i consider to install them to charge the telectric motor batteries.
Many use a solar panel to keep batteries topped up, from small panels to 100-200W panels depending on space available.
I guess space is very limited on your Adventure 208 so you need to measure what size of panel will fit on the top.
Buy a small Victron solar battery charger, they are high quality and probably most used on boats and on't use cheap ones.
If you use your boat frequently you don't need to charge your batteries if your electrical system is working correctly and no leak is having bilge pumps working frequently.
In 30 years of boating my boats where always 6-10 months moored or in a slip without shore power and i never had a dead battery if battery switches where off and only bilge pump/s connected directly to battery.
If illumination is the problem, my buddy has a similar to 360° anchor light looking blinking light with integrated solar panel and it blinks all night long.
Chris
Many use a solar panel to keep batteries topped up, from small panels to 100-200W panels depending on space available.
I guess space is very limited on your Adventure 208 so you need to measure what size of panel will fit on the top.
Buy a small Victron solar battery charger, they are high quality and probably most used on boats and on't use cheap ones.
If you use your boat frequently you don't need to charge your batteries if your electrical system is working correctly and no leak is having bilge pumps working frequently.
In 30 years of boating my boats where always 6-10 months moored or in a slip without shore power and i never had a dead battery if battery switches where off and only bilge pump/s connected directly to battery.
If illumination is the problem, my buddy has a similar to 360° anchor light looking blinking light with integrated solar panel and it blinks all night long.
Chris
dogdoc
GreatGrady Captain
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2019
- Messages
- 406
- Reaction score
- 79
- Points
- 28
- Age
- 70
- Model
- Marlin
You should easily be able to construct a solar battery maintainer. A charging system is a horse of another color and requires considerable amount of panels. The main problem with maintaining boat batteries is that we have multiple banks of batteries. You can get solar charge controllers that will do multiple banks but they are usually the exception and good ones are expensive.
Sardinia306Canyon
GreatGrady Captain
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2023
- Messages
- 738
- Reaction score
- 163
- Points
- 43
- Age
- 60
- Location
- Island of Sardinia
- Model
- Canyon 306
Yes,
but OP has probably not more than 2 batteries so he can connect a small panel using the smallest Victron BlueSolar charger to the engine battery to keep her topped up.
There are also cheapo solar panels with no charger as they produce so low amount they don't need one (they say) to put on the car's dash board but honestly i don't want such thing on my boat.
But again, if the boat is used frequently and electrical system is done correctly there is no need for any kind a solar charger to maintain batteries, without current draw even wet cells will keep their charge for 2 months even in very hot climates they self-discharge about 10-15% per month, in moderate 5-6% per month.
Chris
but OP has probably not more than 2 batteries so he can connect a small panel using the smallest Victron BlueSolar charger to the engine battery to keep her topped up.
There are also cheapo solar panels with no charger as they produce so low amount they don't need one (they say) to put on the car's dash board but honestly i don't want such thing on my boat.
But again, if the boat is used frequently and electrical system is done correctly there is no need for any kind a solar charger to maintain batteries, without current draw even wet cells will keep their charge for 2 months even in very hot climates they self-discharge about 10-15% per month, in moderate 5-6% per month.
Chris
The OP didn't state how long the boat site in between uses but my experience is that in general, the batteries on that model boat will maintain a decent charge for weeks if not months. Of course that depends on whether there is and current draw for directly connected loads like electronic bilge pumps, stereo memory feeds etc. In addition it the bilge gets water from whatever, eventually the battery will run down. If the bilge pump does cycle, the solar maintainer won't make much difference.
Make sure that directly connected loads are connected to only one battery and that the battery switch is set to off when moored. Should the direct connected battery run down, the second batter when selected will be able to start the motor. If really paranoid, carrying a boost charge pack can help start the motor if needed.
Make sure that directly connected loads are connected to only one battery and that the battery switch is set to off when moored. Should the direct connected battery run down, the second batter when selected will be able to start the motor. If really paranoid, carrying a boost charge pack can help start the motor if needed.
Sardinia306Canyon
GreatGrady Captain
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2023
- Messages
- 738
- Reaction score
- 163
- Points
- 43
- Age
- 60
- Location
- Island of Sardinia
- Model
- Canyon 306
Then i am really paranoid as i carry always a boost charge pack, in my car and in my boat even if i never had to use it on any on my boats.
No, honestly i had to use it once in Costa RIca when my dumb captain left the battery switch on.
But when i was working in the shipyard i have seen boats with dead batteries or sunk because bilge pump drained the battery and owner was not checking his boat after hard rain.
Chris
Sardinia306Canyon
GreatGrady Captain
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2023
- Messages
- 738
- Reaction score
- 163
- Points
- 43
- Age
- 60
- Location
- Island of Sardinia
- Model
- Canyon 306
For what jumper cables?
You need another boat to come alongside while a jump start booster has the battery included.
Chris
You need another boat to come alongside while a jump start booster has the battery included.
Chris
dogdoc
GreatGrady Captain
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2019
- Messages
- 406
- Reaction score
- 79
- Points
- 28
- Age
- 70
- Model
- Marlin
i set up my batteries with the house bank and starting isolated from each other. house has simple on/off. starting have 1-2-both. the cables are to feed the house if needed. which i actually did once when my old ox66 engines aux cables did not function and were not charging the house bank. worked ok with charge from the dock power and limited draw while fishing, did not drain the house bank. until i put on an autopilot and first day out after about 5 hours wife said i hear something beeping and the console went dark. autopilot pump drained the house bank. cables turned the lights back on. as for jumping boat to boat i almost did that once as well. 2 guys in a center console dead in the water offshore. one of the guys on my boat said do not tie up to them you don't know who they are, call seatow and give them their position. which we did.