Charging batteries

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   I have not yet received my new Hanse 355, but am considering the best way of charging the batteries when sailing.
Solar cells or fuel cell?

Does anyone have any experience of fuel cells?

The area on the boat for solar cells is limited. I suppose 2 x 35 Watt or 3 x 25 Watt is possible. How many panels and where are they mounted normally?

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Procella Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 07 March 2011 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 24	Post Options Post Reply Quote Procella Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Charging batteries Posted: 07 March 2011 at 09:44
	I have not yet received my new Hanse 355, but am considering the best way of charging the batteries when sailing. Solar cells or fuel cell? Does anyone have any experience of fuel cells? The area on the boat for solar cells is limited. I suppose 2 x 35 Watt or 3 x 25 Watt is possible. How many panels and where are they mounted normally?

Johan Hackman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral of the Fleet Joined: 24 August 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 4196	Post Options Post Reply Quote Johan Hackman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 March 2011 at 10:27
	The first thing I would recommend is solar panels AND a battery monitor. That is what I have. Even if solar panels will not cover what you use for the fridge, the autopilot, heater, navigational equipment etc they will make your battery bank seem bigger, i.e. the amount of power you have at your disposal will last longer. If you leave your boat with empty batteries, the next time they will be full so solar panels are really good for charging the batteries when everything is turned off. A fuel cell seems ideal but it is very expensive and as far as I understand the fuel is too, if you consider how many Ah a bottle will give. Just my two Swedish öre to you question. I have 44 + 22 Watt on my boat. Johan Edited by Johan Hackman - 07 March 2011 at 11:40
	http://www.johanhackman.se

Kit 312#322 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Commander Joined: 02 September 2010 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 70	Post Options Post Reply Quote Kit 312#322 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 March 2011 at 22:13
	I put a 70W panel walk-on deckhouse of my 312 with voltage regulator and battery monitoring tool. I did this winter and I do not know how much current it produces, I think between 25-30 amps. I will tell you ...
	Hanse 312#322

H8jer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 14 September 2010 Location: Denmark Status: Offline Points: 1142	Post Options Post Reply Quote H8jer Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 March 2011 at 07:22
	Hi Kit 312#322 What brand and model have you installed? /H8jer
	Hanse 370#487 30HP 3-cabin

Andrew Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 20 October 2007 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 159	Post Options Post Reply Quote Andrew Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 March 2011 at 09:17
	My 50 W panel gives about 4 amps and is not quite enough to power the fridge but allows me to go three day without connecting to shore power instead of two. Andrew

Matros Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 27 July 2009 Status: Offline Points: 331	Post Options Post Reply Quote Matros Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 March 2011 at 16:27
	The best part of having solar cells is knowing that the boat will be fully charged when going out with the boat. I also have a battery monitor and I now know that I have never left the boat in the harbor after days at sea, with a fully charged battery bank. Not even if I have been running the engine for hours, heading for home. The charging from the engine, tends to go down in amps the closer to full, you get. Therefor, never top charges the batteries when running the engine. i.e. if I have taken 50 amps out of the batteries, it can take me one hour the recharge the first 30 amps but more than 5 hours of engine running to charge the last 20 amps. To my knowledge, batteries "live longer" if they get fully charged as soon as possible after being used. My solar cells and battery monitor is the best investment I have done when it comes to extra equipment to the boat. Edited by Matros - 10 March 2011 at 16:29
	S/Y Rosetta, Hanse 342 # 245 Definition: boat, a hole in the surface of water, into which money is thrown.

Interlude Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 25 June 2005 Status: Offline Points: 203	Post Options Post Reply Quote Interlude Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 March 2011 at 05:27
	I have to agree with as much solar as you can manage. I have upgraded the house battery bank to 165 AH (3 x 55 AH flooded) and have two 40W panels (actually 2 amps each in sunshine) on the bimini and one on the deck (port side between grab handle and main hatch). Batteries are always charged, and I am running an ultrasonic antifouling unit which pulls 0.3 amps all the time. There are threads on the fuel cell approach in the YBW forum, but it is early days for them I think.
	Interlude 342#241

Procella Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 07 March 2011 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 24	Post Options Post Reply Quote Procella Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 March 2011 at 06:18
	I agree with Matros that you can never fully charge your batteries with the engine and the standard regulator. Solar cells do that job much better, but it takes quite a long time and the weather will always be a factor (at least here in Scandinavia). So I have decided to get a fuel cell. I will go for EFOY 900 which has a really attractive(?) price right now. That fuel cell will give me 75 Ah per day and can fully charge the battery. When I leave my boat in the harbour for several days I will put up a small portable solar cell.
	/Claes Hanse 355, Procella

CharlesP Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 23 September 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1208	Post Options Post Reply Quote CharlesP Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 March 2011 at 20:43
	I have a battery monitor and two 35 Watt rigid and framed panels. On passage I hang the panels from the appropriate guardrail wires. At anchor I put them on the coach roof. Charles
	'MERIDIAN LADY' 320 Nr 536 2010 Medway

Rubato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 12 July 2006 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1791	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rubato Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 March 2011 at 18:35
	One of my top priorities and suggestions to anyone who gets a boat is to add a smart regulator to the alternator. It is the only way to get a decent charge from the darn thing. This will make a noticable difference to the amount of charge a battery receives when you do run the engine. Steve



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