Sanyo HIP-210 watt solar panels and Outback Power Systems FLEXmax 60 Amp MPPT regulator:

Well it’s been a long time coming, but we have finally installed the 420 watt solar system on Lucey Blue. Nick decided to use Sanyo HIP-210 Watt solar panels as they are hybrid solar cells created by combining amorphous silicon and crystalline silicon, which means they are highly efficient and work better in dappled shade and at higher temperatures than ordinary mono-crystalline panels. We also noted the success Linocat had with large “connect to grid” type solar panels.

The first step was to find a suitable location on Lucey Blue. We searched high and low, but ended up settling on the top of the dinghy davits. Nick started the job of modifying the davits on the boat, but it soon became apparent he would have to finish the design stage at home.

After a bit of playing around on the front deck he finally had the design sorted out and templates ready for the stainless steel fabricator.

Canberra tradesmen are really good and after a few days Nick headed back up to Sydney with the stainless steel extension rails to install the new improved dinghy davits with help from his father. The job went incredibly smoothly and before long they had the external half of the solar system in place – no drill bits were broken drilling through the stainless, no parts were dropped overboard and no one went for a swim!!!

The next step was to run the wiring and install the Outback Power Systems FLEXmax MMPT regulator. The solar panels remained covered during this stage of the installation process to ensure they were not producing any electricity. Nick and his father spent a bit of time modifying the electrical locker to maximise space and improve the natural ventilation. Again everything went smoothly and they soon had the whole solar system up and running. On the first day – light rain and overcast – the system pumped out about 13-17 Amps at around 13 volts. On a typical sunny day we have seen up to 30 Amps, but it all depends on the day, state of the battery banks and charging phase.

We are extremely happy with the solar setup and now only have to run the engines if we want to make hot water for our showers. We have also replaced the Trojan T105 675 Amp hour house battery bank. The new electrical system – solar, battery bank and alternator smart regulators - is so much better that we might start selling power to neighbouring boats ;-)...

Mastervolt Alpha Pro smart regulator

A while back we upgraded our 12 volt electrical charging system on board Lucey Blue by installing a Mastervolt Alpha Pro smart regulator and replacing the diode block used to isolate the house battery bank and starter batteries with a voltage sensitive relay.

The Mastervolt Alpha Pro smart regulator automatically adjusts the alternator voltage to maximise the current during the three phase charging cycle, thus reducing the recharge time significantly.

With the new smart regulator electrical setup our 115 amp alternator on the starboard Volvo Penta D2-55 diesel engine pumps out between 90-70 amps during the bulk recharge stage - the old system with blocking diode and normal regular used to average about 20-30 amps.


Until we get the solar panels installed we will still be careful with our power usage. But the Trojan T105 house batteries are “much happier” now and with a bit of luck the next set should last a lot longer.......

Volvo Penta: 12 volt charging system overhaul

Lucey Blue’s two D2-55 Volvo Penta engines are factory fitted with 115 amp alternators, but we can never generate enough power. We are not really power hungry and have a large house battery setup comprised of eight Trojan T105. However, our 12 volt fridges do chew a bit of power and on average we burn through about 100-150 amp hours per day.

The boat has sailed many thousands of sea miles from the US to the Caribbean and then Europe to Australia with the current electrical setup. But it must have been a chore running the engines each day to generate sufficient electrical power.

Part of the problem is the diode block used to isolate the house battery bank and starter batteries. The diode block does its job well, but there is a voltage drop across the input and output terminals of approximately 0.6 volts. This means that the alternators only ever deliver a maximum of 30 amps (total) even when the batteries are nearly flat.

As a short-term fix I have been using a jumper cable to bypass the diode block and feed the alternator power direct to the house battery and one of the starter batteries. This technique has ensured we get approximately 60 amps to the batteries, but the alternator’s internal regulator soon drops the current back to 20 to 30 amps and it still takes an age to fully charge the batteries.

Our ultimate solution is simple - replace the diode block with a voltage sensitive relay and install an external smart regulator on one of the alternators.

The voltage sensitive relay will link the batteries during the charge cycle without a significant voltage drop and break the link when the engines are off. The external smart regulator will ensure the alternator supplies maximum current until the battery voltage reaches its required value rather than trickle current into the system like standard automotive regulators. I will let you know what kind of improvement we see once the system is installed, but the difference should be like night and day based on past experience.

We are also going to invest in some relative large solar panels to ensure we have another source of power. But more on that later………