You presented that with the clarity and conciseness (not sure if that's even a word?) of someone who has been producing professional award-winning sailing documentaries for years and years....oh wait, never mind.... :):)
Thanks for sharing this information. It might be helpful to get really clear about KW vs. KWH. In many places in this video you refer to KW but really should have been saying KWH. It seems almost everyone gets this confused, but it's really essential at getting the "power stuff" correct. As I'm sure you're aware - KW is effectively a rate of energy generation (or consumption) and KWH is that over time. Hopefully you take this comment in the constructive manner it's intended. I really enjoy your channel, and I respect your professionalism and detail with the information provide on everything about sailing. This is just one tiny item that isn't quite there... PS: You've made me fall in love with Southerly Yachts. What a fantastic boat!!
@@DistantShoresTV Compliments toward you two are well deserved. I'm watching you two sailing on a Catamaran at the moment. I crewed on a 45 foot race boat called 'Ice Fire' for a season in Melbourne Australia. I was invited on the boat because my father was a friend of the owner. I had almost no idea about sailing, except for some time on a 16 foot wooden yacht some 20 years prior, and building some free sailing balsa wood model yachts as a kid. On Ice Fire I quickly learned the sailing community are an excellent bunch of people. From day one, they had me pulling up the main sail and satisfying my enthusiasm in wanting to know every detail about how the boat works. What does this do, how and why. I had so many questions and more than an individual crew member could answer, so the entire crew pulled together taking me under their wing and collectively teaching me everything I wanted to know and more. That experience ended with me breaking my foot, and the boat being sold as my foot had 100% healed. I'm currently looking for an alternate lifestyle away from the big city rat race, and I believe a life crewing on a sail boat could be exactly what I'm looking for. I have a PADI certificate to 40m, good mechanical, electrical and computer knowledge. I had a boat and PWC licence. I'm keen to study marine navigation, how to operate a sail boat and applicable studies to work on a charter boat. If Distant shores could steer me on a path I'd be forever grateful.
Awesome videos, Thank You! I also stumbled upon this Channel via SV Delos. I have been teaching myself to sail slowly over the past few years. My largest boat so far has been a Cape Dory Typhoon Weekender. By the time I reach retirement age (another 20 years) I hope to upgrade to something in the 40' range for cruising. I'm currently looking for some good source material related to low voltage DC powerplants, solar power and how they all tie into sailing vessels.
Excellent series! KISS principle. I am purchasing a 47ft Catalina with an inverter, and stand-alone generator, not sure about the battery capacity yet. We will be moring all summer so power management is at the top of my list so I will definitely do this exercise. Great channel. It has helped inspire us to start our boat adventure.
Nice info. Very good info .. just a tip for the starters. Please take in respect that panels only deliver power if something is absorbing power at the other end. So ..if battery’s are loaded and no other load is taken ...., the panels do not give any thing. It reads almost zero output at a full sunny day (Do not get confused about the controller readings. ) To calculate how much panels you need is related to the total daily power draw. Not the battery capacity.. some boats have big battery’s but in most cases you do not use that massive capacity. Maybe 2 standard panels can deliver all you need on daily basis.
Thank you very much! This information will be very valuable to some and surprisingly hard to find elsewhere. The guys from Triskel Marine should realy improve their internet presence in case they are interested in some serious sales of their apperently ingenious product.
Great information Paul. Just discovered your channel but will look at the other related videos in this series to see if you mention why you are not also trying a wind generator. That high performance on-engine unit was news to me - so thanks very much for that alone!
@@DistantShoresTV Ah - I've sailed with a Rutland 913 and did not find the noise too bad. Up high on an arch across the stern. Some sound to the cockpit may have been blocked by the solar panels beneath it mounted across the arch. It was picked for being a less noisy than others at the time but it has been a few years.
Forgive the rudimentary question, but what's the difference between an on-engine generator and an alternator? Do you have any thoughts on the new high-output alternators? Thanks in advance. Love your videos, as always.
Glad you're enjoying our videos Chris 😊. The Integrel system is like a super high power alternator. It's the combination of very powerful alternator - smart controller and the 48V battery bank capable of absorbing so much power that makes it different. We see the system pumping out over 6kW continuously - which would be equivalent to 500 amps on a 12 volt system. The smart controller carefully manages this large load on the engine. At just 1200 RPM we see over 5kW output, and even at idle it will produce 2-3kW so we hardly find we run the engine for more than 15-20 minutes as a generator. With the load on the engine from this higher power, it is not the same as running an engine in idle with a small alternator (which would not give the engine enough load). You definitely need a battery bank capable of absorbing the power to make the system work. The "Thin Plate Pure Lead" TPPL battery bank we have can absorb huge power up to 90 percent or so before slowing down. That's when we shut down the system and let solar finish up charging. This system would work amazing with a lithium battery bank which would absorb large power right up to 100 percent charge. Hope this helps :-)
The main physical difference between an alternator and generator is that in an alternator a magnetic field spins inside the stator, while in a generator the armature spins inside a fixed magnetic field.
Thanks Tom. We did install a Rutland Wind generator on our first boat "Two-Step" way back when. Its a matter of taste but after a while we found we didn't like the whirring wind noise. We changed it off and added solar instead. Since then we haven't tried wind power again.
Thanks for another great video! The hammock is a great addition to the boat. :-) Did you consider installing higher wattage solar panels? Could you please explain the choice for 100W panels?
😊💕🏝 Thanks Corujariousa yeah the hammock is excellent! We did consider more solar but wanted to keep the weight down so went with 500 watts. It would have been great to have 700 watts or so. Since the battery bank for the Integrel system is 48V we chose to put 5 X 100 watt panels in series to get the higher voltage. However there are more options for than and perhaps we will explore those in the future.
Hi Both. Very insightful and did something similar on my boat. I made the spreadsheet, a little bit more intelligent, which estimates power consumption underway or at anchor either at night or day. Whilst my water maker is DC I like to have as much charge going in to the battery at the same time as I am running it (consumes 30amps) so either while on engine, or around midday (so maximum solar charge) or when the generator is running. I have lead acid domestic (5X105ah), 550watt solar domestic and separate 60watt for engine battery and 4Kw generator. I try and manage powwer needs so to use diesel (ie mechanical charging) as little as possible. I use my deep freeze at a very low setting and for chilling beers (very important), wine, soft drinks, milk etc and turn it off at night. It keeps everything cool and does not take long in the morning (when the sun is up) to get down to the right temperature again. Golden rule is to keep power consumption down to a minimum when the sun goes down. Make sure you run fans in the rooms you are in. Key to it all is having a good battery monitoring system when below 70% I look to start the generator (if at anchor at night). I was told, maybe incorrectly, that it is not good to run your main engine at low RPM with minimum load (could be rubbish not sure) therefore at anchor and need a top up I use the generator. Appreciate your thoughts on this one. This is also a lot quieter (have a below waterline separator) for our neighbours. We, like you spend, a long time at anchor and managing power consumption is very important. Keep up the good work.
Hi Mike and thanks for the well thought out email. Your system sounds quite well designed and I see you appreciate how much work it is to manage power on a cruising boat!! 🏝😀 You are indeed correct that it's bad for any diesel engine to be run at low load. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_engine_problems The system on our boat (Integrel) can generate quite a bit of power at lower speed so it actually takes enough power so that the engine is loaded properly at low speed. Of course this will taper off after a while if our batteries are filling up so thats why we stop it when the kW output falls down below 3-4 kW. With any diesel engine it's a good idea to run it up to high load on a regular basis to "de-carbon" it.
So this is true. Thanks for the link. On the same theme what rpm do you run at when on motor. I have a 75hp Yanmar and tend to run at 2000 rpm which gives me about 6.5 knots but told I should run at least 2500 or higher. Do you agree? Mike
Just started watching your channel, very great information. Wondering how many gallons of fuel you'd be using running for 20 minutes at 1200 rpm? i.e..Cost of running the engine generator..thanks for your educating videos.
They require a battery bank that can be charged very quickly. Initially Integrel approved TPPL but have now added some Lithium batteries as well. It will definitely be a cost issue for purchasers as lithium is still quite a bit more $$$
Thanks Santiago! The bimini is a great place to install panels since it is generally clear of shadows. I do not have personal experience with flexible panels but I see lots of people doing this. Also flexible panels are fairly light which is good!
Thanks for another on-point technical video! Has running the Integral unit affected your engine performance or maintenance schedule (e.g., more frequent oil changes, more attention to cooling system)?
Thanks Doug😅 we have a few more hours on the engine but not a lot. And we don’t have to carry spares for the generator or maintain that at all which is great. Generally it’s lived up to our expectations 👍
I'm on a tight budget and was on a smaller sailboat, so I went with two 100 watt panels wired to their own individual PWM controller. Each controller can accept both panels if for some reason one of them gives up the ghost. We're currently shopping for a new sailboat, and the only change I would make would be to use two MPPT controllers. Does the Victron controller get very hot? I've heard from other's that they get very hot and would appreciate your experience with the unit.
While an alternator and generator look similar there is one important difference. In an alternator a magnetic field spins inside the stator, while in a generator the armature spins inside a fixed magnetic field.
Thanks Mixa. Yes we filmed it over 5 days including the drone flights. The second "evil Paul" is an occasional visitor when I have enough time in the editing bay ;-)
Great video. A couple of questions: is there any particular reason that you didn’t go with lithium batteries? How do you like the Integrel generator and how does it compare to a traditional generator? What is the cost of the Integrel? Thanks! Fair winds
Thanks Kia glad you liked it! 😊💕 Lithium batteries are still quite a bit more costly than our TPPL battery bank. Likely that will come down in the future but right now its a big difference. We have found the Integrel to work exactly as they said it would - and are quite happy not to have a separate generator. For more information and pricing you can contact Integrel here... www.integrelmarine.com
You might want to consider an mppt controller per panel, that way if one is shaded you lose less charging ability than if multiple panels are run through one controller. Victron has you covered. Cheers for now
I am looking at that Carl 👍 the difficulty is that our Integrel battery bank is at 48 volts so the controller must run that. I’ve found an option by Genasun that would boost output from 12-48
These thin plate lead batteries you say you have what make and model type are they and where do you buy them and where to get spec sheets on them ??? I thought all lead types had the bulk charge then the slow charge and then the maintenance charge
Hi DCbourbonireland We are using Odyssey batteries - ours are model PC1800 www.odysseybattery.com/Batteries/ExtremeSeries The battery has been tested by the manufacturers of the Integrel system since the batteries must be compatible with the generator system. As you say - most lead acid batteries have a slower bulk charge and then an even slower absorption charge.
Hi Murray. Our boat has a 48 battery bank so we needed 4or 5 panels in series to get the 48V. Otherwise you’re right we could have gone with 2 larger panels each with their own controller. 😅
If I may ask, what is the difference between your generator and a high output alternator? Other sail vloggers seem to have 160 to 320 amp alternators, while you produce kilowatts. Is it all the same but just different terminology?
I believe it makes sense to speak in kW kilowatts since this is true power. The unit we have can produce 170 amps - but this is at 48 volts. So the power in watts is 170 X 48 = 8160 or 8.1kW. Comparing that to a 160Amp alternator running at 12V = 1920 watts. However if the 160 Amp alternator was running at 24V that would be 160 X 24 = 3840 watts. Hope this helps :-)
It seems like a much simpler solution to have a large alternator on your boats main engine rather than having an additional generator the less internal combustion engines you have the better off you are with one less internal combustion engine to maintain yet you never hear much about it on the sailing channels I wonder if there's any reason why you can't do that to an older boat when you take off the existing alternator and put on a bigger one?
Thanks Lightchaserphoto our system can be retrofit (and likely will be in the future) although it does require a fair bit of work. We were an early adopter of the technology. :-)
There should be a controller on each set of solar panels. On our previous installation (on Distant Shores II) we had 3 panels in parallel (mounted on an arch) and had a single controller managing them and feeding the output into our 12V bank. On this boat (Distant Shores III) I put 5 panels in series to make up the voltage to charge our 48V bank. However wiring solar panels in series is not ideal and a good alternative would be to have one controller per panel in that case.
Thanks Paul! Did you say you don't have lithium batteries? If not, why not please, given their 80%usable capacity rather than 50% for lead acid. With love, Ken
Glad you enjoyed it Ken 😊💕 Aside from the lighter weight Lithium also continue to accept charge right up to the point they are full whereas lead batteries taper off. However - No we don't have Lithium batteries. At the time we were working with Triskel Marine to design Distant Shores III system they had not certified any Lithium batteries to work with their Integrel system. The premium price for Lithium has now come down somewhat (from more than triple $$$) to make them more affordable. So I am sure we will replace these ones we have with Lithium when the time comes. Fair Winds Paul
Thanks Gafrers we did install a wind generator on our first boat. It was a Rutland but didn’t produce much power. We also didn’t like the noise so we switched over to solar and haven’t looked back 😅
@@DistantShoresTV Thank you very much for your answer. It's the same conclusion i arrived to after researching and asking to experienced people. Not as experienced as You two of course.
So, you need to run the motor 20 minutes each day to break even ? That seems like you need ALOT of fuel just to live ?? And most likely your not running a ac? Or being over generous in your life style. ?? After watching this I would say you dont have enough solar panels. Or battery bank , or a secondary generator is needed. .. And would love reply to this, so ? How much fuel is needed to run that motor each 20 minute period? How many gallons. ?
5:00 "that is the generator" - You just showed me an Alternator ... what gives? The Secret Source (yes I spelt it wrong on purpose) - 3:43 ( Ok ) you have 4x Alternators putting out their normal 14v (just like the ones in a car) - (as it says on the second Line your total output is 56 V) Kilowatts is not Voltage so we have here a High Amperage (I've found one for that is rated at 150 Amps - basic google search) - which is 2100 Watts of electrical energy per second x 4 units .. 8400 Watts per second. That's a lot of power for a sail boat. Reverse engineering your situation ... you would have approximately 116 Amps per Alternator.. Fun Fact, Alternators need electricity to work, while Generators have permanent magnets in them. Alternators are lighter, produce more electrical energy and give more Juice at lower RPMS ... but without a battery to power the secondary coils.. it doesn't work. A starter Motor is not an Alternator, they are usually (magnetic type) DC motors Final Edit 4
I just dont get it,If your engine fails.You have no power.Apart from the solar.So much cheaper to carry a portable generator.And use alternator on engine as normal.
@@aerofpv2109 You having a laugh.£2800 .For a back up.For a 300 ah battery inside a case.You still have to charge it.£400 for a portable generator.That can also power batteries up at same time.Yes 5 litres of petrol in about 4 hours use.But its a back up.it will charge everything up and most battery bank in about an hour.
@@t147han Think long term Sir ... 10 years plus. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries with a 3,000 to 5,000+ cycle life on solar will save you plenty money in the long run.
@@t147han I was once a skeptic as well. All I ask is that you take a look into Will Prowse channel here on YT and view several of his episodes. This young man is beyond amazing and is sincerely educating tens of thousands of solar enthusiasts. Cheers mate.
This solar system is disappointing. Since you designed that racking specifically for the solar panels you could have installed 3 x 400W panels that would have produced 6-7 kW a day. Also you do not have lithium batteries ?? I just do not understand why you would sabotage yourself like this. I guess you like to run that generator every day.
You presented that with the clarity and conciseness (not sure if that's even a word?) of someone who has been producing professional award-winning sailing documentaries for years and years....oh wait, never mind.... :):)
Thanks for sharing this information. It might be helpful to get really clear about KW vs. KWH. In many places in this video you refer to KW but really should have been saying KWH. It seems almost everyone gets this confused, but it's really essential at getting the "power stuff" correct. As I'm sure you're aware - KW is effectively a rate of energy generation (or consumption) and KWH is that over time. Hopefully you take this comment in the constructive manner it's intended. I really enjoy your channel, and I respect your professionalism and detail with the information provide on everything about sailing. This is just one tiny item that isn't quite there... PS: You've made me fall in love with Southerly Yachts. What a fantastic boat!!
SV Delos introduced me to Distant Shores. Loving what you do. Decades of knowledge in an easy to understand format. Massive likes from me.
Thanks so much for your kind words Colin ❤️
@@DistantShoresTV Compliments toward you two are well deserved. I'm watching you two sailing on a Catamaran at the moment. I crewed on a 45 foot race boat called 'Ice Fire' for a season in Melbourne Australia. I was invited on the boat because my father was a friend of the owner. I had almost no idea about sailing, except for some time on a 16 foot wooden yacht some 20 years prior, and building some free sailing balsa wood model yachts as a kid. On Ice Fire I quickly learned the sailing community are an excellent bunch of people. From day one, they had me pulling up the main sail and satisfying my enthusiasm in wanting to know every detail about how the boat works. What does this do, how and why. I had so many questions and more than an individual crew member could answer, so the entire crew pulled together taking me under their wing and collectively teaching me everything I wanted to know and more. That experience ended with me breaking my foot, and the boat being sold as my foot had 100% healed. I'm currently looking for an alternate lifestyle away from the big city rat race, and I believe a life crewing on a sail boat could be exactly what I'm looking for. I have a PADI certificate to 40m, good mechanical, electrical and computer knowledge. I had a boat and PWC licence. I'm keen to study marine navigation, how to operate a sail boat and applicable studies to work on a charter boat. If Distant shores could steer me on a path I'd be forever grateful.
Awesome videos, Thank You! I also stumbled upon this Channel via SV Delos. I have been teaching myself to sail slowly over the past few years. My largest boat so far has been a Cape Dory Typhoon Weekender. By the time I reach retirement age (another 20 years) I hope to upgrade to something in the 40' range for cruising. I'm currently looking for some good source material related to low voltage DC powerplants, solar power and how they all tie into sailing vessels.
Great stuff Paul! Really like the video technique with the 2 Pauls🤣
Excellent videos, thank you. Regards from Argentina.
Always learn something from your videos. Thanks.
You're a goof head. But you have a wonderful way of explaining things very simply. Perfect.
Excellent series! KISS principle. I am purchasing a 47ft Catalina with an inverter, and stand-alone generator, not sure about the battery capacity yet. We will be moring all summer so power management is at the top of my list so I will definitely do this exercise. Great channel. It has helped inspire us to start our boat adventure.
Great mini-series. Happy Canadian Boating season :) Cheers from PEI, Bryan.
Thanks Bryan - Glad you enjoyed it!
Please more videos on Ac Dc power , how about shore based connections also changing plugs for different amps. love your videos.
Great suggestion, Michael. Thanks. Glad you find the videos helpful.
Great Video. Thanks for sharing.
You bet
Excellent video!
Nice info. Very good info .. just a tip for the starters.
Please take in respect that panels only deliver power if something is absorbing power at the other end.
So ..if battery’s are loaded and no other load is taken ...., the panels do not give any thing. It reads almost zero output at a full sunny day (Do not get confused about the controller readings. )
To calculate how much panels you need is related to the total daily power draw.
Not the battery capacity.. some boats have big battery’s but in most cases you do not use that massive capacity.
Maybe 2 standard panels can deliver all you need on daily basis.
beautiful scenery.
Absolutely love your setup!
Thank you very much! This information will be very valuable to some and surprisingly hard to find elsewhere. The guys from Triskel Marine should realy improve their internet presence in case they are interested in some serious sales of their apperently ingenious product.
Great information Paul. Just discovered your channel but will look at the other related videos in this series to see if you mention why you are not also trying a wind generator. That high performance on-engine unit was news to me - so thanks very much for that alone!
Thanks! We did try a wind-generator years ago but didn't like the noise...
@@DistantShoresTV Ah - I've sailed with a Rutland 913 and did not find the noise too bad. Up high on an arch across the stern. Some sound to the cockpit may have been blocked by the solar panels beneath it mounted across the arch. It was picked for being a less noisy than others at the time but it has been a few years.
Thanks for demystifying solar power!
Great video!! Love the "guest" helper..... Ha! Ha! Was waiting for the third one who was looking for a peanut. Know the movie?
Hey Russell glad your liked my visitor ❤️😀 no - I don't know which movie you are referring to... is it worth a watch?
Thanks for those videos, they really clearly explained the power process on sailboats.
Just Soo beautiful!! Come to Florida guy's.
Perhaps a video on how to select the proper chain and anchor for your size boat...
Hehe, excellent video. Love the dry humor!
awesome... just lovely. If I'm about to build a houseboat, what would you do differently to your set-up to make your life easier?
Living the dream! 👍😊 Thanks for sharing. 👍👍👍👍👍👍😍⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵
Thanks Bill - glad you liked it 👍❤️🏝😀
Nice one...Thanks for sharing...
Forgive the rudimentary question, but what's the difference between an on-engine generator and an alternator? Do you have any thoughts on the new high-output alternators? Thanks in advance. Love your videos, as always.
Chris Ryba , great question
Glad you're enjoying our videos Chris 😊.
The Integrel system is like a super high power alternator. It's the combination of very powerful alternator - smart controller and the 48V battery bank capable of absorbing so much power that makes it different. We see the system pumping out over 6kW continuously - which would be equivalent to 500 amps on a 12 volt system. The smart controller carefully manages this large load on the engine. At just 1200 RPM we see over 5kW output, and even at idle it will produce 2-3kW so we hardly find we run the engine for more than 15-20 minutes as a generator. With the load on the engine from this higher power, it is not the same as running an engine in idle with a small alternator (which would not give the engine enough load). You definitely need a battery bank capable of absorbing the power to make the system work. The "Thin Plate Pure Lead" TPPL battery bank we have can absorb huge power up to 90 percent or so before slowing down. That's when we shut down the system and let solar finish up charging. This system would work amazing with a lithium battery bank which would absorb large power right up to 100 percent charge. Hope this helps :-)
The main physical difference between an alternator and generator is that in an alternator a magnetic field spins inside the stator, while in a generator the armature spins inside a fixed magnetic field.
Welcome back to you too! Great episode (as always)
Thanks Tord! Glad you liked it!
Well done. Do you have or might get a wind generator?
Thanks Tom. We did install a Rutland Wind generator on our first boat "Two-Step" way back when. Its a matter of taste but after a while we found we didn't like the whirring wind noise. We changed it off and added solar instead. Since then we haven't tried wind power again.
Good video, good info! ⛵️
Great video!
How did you do that??? That was so impressive!!! Love your videos!
😊💕 Glad you're liking 'em E Lipsis
Great vid ya'll.
Good construction，Can it be adjusted according to the angle of the sun?maybe can get more power
Thanks for another great video! The hammock is a great addition to the boat. :-) Did you consider installing higher wattage solar panels? Could you please explain the choice for 100W panels?
😊💕🏝 Thanks Corujariousa yeah the hammock is excellent!
We did consider more solar but wanted to keep the weight down so went with 500 watts. It would have been great to have 700 watts or so. Since the battery bank for the Integrel system is 48V we chose to put 5 X 100 watt panels in series to get the higher voltage. However there are more options for than and perhaps we will explore those in the future.
Hi Both. Very insightful and did something similar on my boat. I made the spreadsheet, a little bit more intelligent, which estimates power consumption underway or at anchor either at night or day. Whilst my water maker is DC I like to have as much charge going in to the battery at the same time as I am running it (consumes 30amps) so either while on engine, or around midday (so maximum solar charge) or when the generator is running. I have lead acid domestic (5X105ah), 550watt solar domestic and separate 60watt for engine battery and 4Kw generator. I try and manage powwer needs so to use diesel (ie mechanical charging) as little as possible. I use my deep freeze at a very low setting and for chilling beers (very important), wine, soft drinks, milk etc and turn it off at night. It keeps everything cool and does not take long in the morning (when the sun is up) to get down to the right temperature again. Golden rule is to keep power consumption down to a minimum when the sun goes down. Make sure you run fans in the rooms you are in. Key to it all is having a good battery monitoring system when below 70% I look to start the generator (if at anchor at night). I was told, maybe incorrectly, that it is not good to run your main engine at low RPM with minimum load (could be rubbish not sure) therefore at anchor and need a top up I use the generator. Appreciate your thoughts on this one. This is also a lot quieter (have a below waterline separator) for our neighbours. We, like you spend, a long time at anchor and managing power consumption is very important. Keep up the good work.
Hi Mike and thanks for the well thought out email.
Your system sounds quite well designed and I see you appreciate how much work it is to manage power on a cruising boat!! 🏝😀
You are indeed correct that it's bad for any diesel engine to be run at low load.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_engine_problems
The system on our boat (Integrel) can generate quite a bit of power at lower speed so it actually takes enough power so that the engine is loaded properly at low speed. Of course this will taper off after a while if our batteries are filling up so thats why we stop it when the kW output falls down below 3-4 kW.
With any diesel engine it's a good idea to run it up to high load on a regular basis to "de-carbon" it.
So this is true. Thanks for the link. On the same theme what rpm do you run at when on motor. I have a 75hp Yanmar and tend to run at 2000 rpm which gives me about 6.5 knots but told I should run at least 2500 or higher. Do you agree?
Mike
Great info! Do you use wind power? I do hear vibration is a problem. So location is critical.
Just started watching your channel, very great information. Wondering how many gallons of fuel you'd be using running for 20 minutes at 1200 rpm? i.e..Cost of running the engine generator..thanks for your educating videos.
Thanks for the video - well done and nicely presented. I am curious as to why the Integrel system uses TPPL instead of Lithium - is it a cost issue?
They require a battery bank that can be charged very quickly. Initially Integrel approved TPPL but have now added some Lithium batteries as well. It will definitely be a cost issue for purchasers as lithium is still quite a bit more $$$
What about hydro and wind for power generation.
Great video series. With 5 solar panels, does that mean they must be wired in parallel?
good evening quick question how much did you pay for the complete system for your solar?
Excellent videos, thanks. What do you think about flexible solar panels to install on the bimini?
Thanks Santiago! The bimini is a great place to install panels since it is generally clear of shadows. I do not have personal experience with flexible panels but I see lots of people doing this. Also flexible panels are fairly light which is good!
Thanks for another on-point technical video! Has running the Integral unit affected your engine performance or maintenance schedule (e.g., more frequent oil changes, more attention to cooling system)?
Thanks Doug😅 we have a few more hours on the engine but not a lot. And we don’t have to carry spares for the generator or maintain that at all which is great. Generally it’s lived up to our expectations 👍
I didn’t know you had a twin brother 😆
Speaking of energy production, couldn't you use kinetics to generate energy from carrying the little boat behind you?
I'm on a tight budget and was on a smaller sailboat, so I went with two 100 watt panels wired to their own individual PWM controller. Each controller can accept both panels if for some reason one of them gives up the ghost. We're currently shopping for a new sailboat, and the only change I would make would be to use two MPPT controllers.
Does the Victron controller get very hot? I've heard from other's that they get very hot and would appreciate your experience with the unit.
I like your arch, but it doesn't appear to double as davits for the dinghy. Is that correct??
Isn’t that an alternator? Nice vid
While an alternator and generator look similar there is one important difference. In an alternator a magnetic field spins inside the stator, while in a generator the armature spins inside a fixed magnetic field.
Man, may I know how much you bought for that boat?
Thanks! I bet it took a few days to make this video. Flying drone, editing... and the second dude? Your twin?
Thanks Mixa. Yes we filmed it over 5 days including the drone flights. The second "evil Paul" is an occasional visitor when I have enough time in the editing bay ;-)
great video.... now explain about batteries..... Then you have a whole package.... LiFePo4 vs Lead/acid, AGM.....
Agree. Those red cases looked like they were lithium but he stated otherwise. A portable 3000w power station would be ideal for his stated needs.
Great video. A couple of questions: is there any particular reason that you didn’t go with lithium batteries? How do you like the Integrel generator and how does it compare to a traditional generator? What is the cost of the Integrel? Thanks! Fair winds
Thanks Kia glad you liked it! 😊💕
Lithium batteries are still quite a bit more costly than our TPPL battery bank. Likely that will come down in the future but right now its a big difference. We have found the Integrel to work exactly as they said it would - and are quite happy not to have a separate generator. For more information and pricing you can contact Integrel here...
www.integrelmarine.com
You might want to consider an mppt controller per panel, that way if one is shaded you lose less charging ability than if multiple panels are run through one controller. Victron has you covered.
Cheers for now
I am looking at that Carl 👍 the difficulty is that our Integrel battery bank is at 48 volts so the controller must run that. I’ve found an option by Genasun that would boost output from 12-48
have you tried a hydrogenerator?
These thin plate lead batteries you say you have what make and model type are they and where do you buy them and where to get spec sheets on them ??? I thought all lead types had the bulk charge then the slow charge and then the maintenance charge
Hi DCbourbonireland
We are using Odyssey batteries - ours are model PC1800
www.odysseybattery.com/Batteries/ExtremeSeries
The battery has been tested by the manufacturers of the Integrel system since the batteries must be compatible with the generator system. As you say - most lead acid batteries have a slower bulk charge and then an even slower absorption charge.
Hi P&S...are you in the Bahamas (G'town ?) just now ?? Coming to the USA next ?? Just curious.
Hi Paul Question- you chose 5 solar panels vs 2 - 250’s. Any reason for the greater number?
Hi Murray. Our boat has a 48 battery bank so we needed 4or 5 panels in series to get the 48V. Otherwise you’re right we could have gone with 2 larger panels each with their own controller. 😅
If I may ask, what is the difference between your generator and a high output alternator? Other sail vloggers seem to have 160 to 320 amp alternators, while you produce kilowatts. Is it all the same but just different terminology?
I believe it makes sense to speak in kW kilowatts since this is true power. The unit we have can produce 170 amps - but this is at 48 volts. So the power in watts is 170 X 48 = 8160 or 8.1kW.
Comparing that to a 160Amp alternator running at 12V = 1920 watts. However if the 160 Amp alternator was running at 24V that would be 160 X 24 = 3840 watts. Hope this helps :-)
Thanks for clearing that up.
👍👍👍
It seems like a much simpler solution to have a large alternator on your boats main engine rather than having an additional generator the less internal combustion engines you have the better off you are with one less internal combustion engine to maintain yet you never hear much about it on the sailing channels I wonder if there's any reason why you can't do that to an older boat when you take off the existing alternator and put on a bigger one?
Thanks Lightchaserphoto our system can be retrofit (and likely will be in the future) although it does require a fair bit of work. We were an early adopter of the technology. :-)
Do you require one controller per bank?
There should be a controller on each set of solar panels. On our previous installation (on Distant Shores II) we had 3 panels in parallel (mounted on an arch) and had a single controller managing them and feeding the output into our 12V bank.
On this boat (Distant Shores III) I put 5 panels in series to make up the voltage to charge our 48V bank. However wiring solar panels in series is not ideal and a good alternative would be to have one controller per panel in that case.
You forgot to say about inclanation of the place where you are to calculate what exactly power your solar pannels can produce
Thanks Paul! Did you say you don't have lithium batteries? If not, why not please, given their 80%usable capacity rather than 50% for lead acid. With love, Ken
Glad you enjoyed it Ken 😊💕
Aside from the lighter weight Lithium also continue to accept charge right up to the point they are full whereas lead batteries taper off. However - No we don't have Lithium batteries. At the time we were working with Triskel Marine to design Distant Shores III system they had not certified any Lithium batteries to work with their Integrel system. The premium price for Lithium has now come down somewhat (from more than triple $$$) to make them more affordable. So I am sure we will replace these ones we have with Lithium when the time comes.
Fair Winds
Paul
@@DistantShoresTV Thanks Paul 👌
Wonderful, easy to understand and interesting topic. Do You have experiences with wind-powered generators?
Thanks Gafrers we did install a wind generator on our first boat. It was a Rutland but didn’t produce much power. We also didn’t like the noise so we switched over to solar and haven’t looked back 😅
@@DistantShoresTV Thank you very much for your answer. It's the same conclusion i arrived to after researching and asking to experienced people. Not as experienced as You two of course.
What's your draft?
Distant Shores III draws just 3’3” with the keel swung up or 10’2 with it down 😅
So, you need to run the motor 20 minutes each day to break even ? That seems like you need ALOT of fuel just to live ?? And most likely your not running a ac? Or being over generous in your life style. ?? After watching this I would say you dont have enough solar panels. Or battery bank , or a secondary generator is needed. ..
And would love reply to this, so ? How much fuel is needed to run that motor each 20 minute period? How many gallons. ?
5:00 "that is the generator" - You just showed me an Alternator ... what gives? The Secret Source (yes I spelt it wrong on purpose) - 3:43 ( Ok ) you have 4x Alternators putting out their normal 14v (just like the ones in a car) - (as it says on the second Line your total output is 56 V) Kilowatts is not Voltage so we have here a High Amperage (I've found one for that is rated at 150 Amps - basic google search) - which is 2100 Watts of electrical energy per second x 4 units .. 8400 Watts per second.
That's a lot of power for a sail boat.
Reverse engineering your situation ... you would have approximately 116 Amps per Alternator.. Fun Fact, Alternators need electricity to work, while Generators have permanent magnets in them. Alternators are lighter, produce more electrical energy and give more Juice at lower RPMS ... but without a battery to power the secondary coils.. it doesn't work.
A starter Motor is not an Alternator, they are usually (magnetic type) DC motors
Final Edit 4
Ps - Alternators can be converted to electrical motors with some fancy wiring :P
Bahamian water the best in the world
With a portable 3000w lithium power station your energy needs would be satisfied without spending a penny on petrol.
This wont even power the lights on my boat let alone the important systems. Sheesh
how can you afford your living?
Watthours per day, not watts per day, goddamnit.
I just dont get it,If your engine fails.You have no power.Apart from the solar.So much cheaper to carry a portable generator.And use alternator on engine as normal.
or with that much sunlight at your location a portable 3000w lithium power station and not spend a penny on petrol.
@@aerofpv2109 You having a laugh.£2800 .For a back up.For a 300 ah battery inside a case.You still have to charge it.£400 for a portable generator.That can also power batteries up at same time.Yes 5 litres of petrol in about 4 hours use.But its a back up.it will charge everything up and most battery bank in about an hour.
@@t147han Think long term Sir ... 10 years plus. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries with a 3,000 to 5,000+ cycle life on solar will save you plenty money in the long run.
@@aerofpv2109 Please dont quote me that hyped up selling garbage.
@@t147han I was once a skeptic as well. All I ask is that you take a look into Will Prowse channel here on YT and view several of his episodes. This young man is beyond amazing and is sincerely educating tens of thousands of solar enthusiasts. Cheers mate.
:)
This solar system is disappointing. Since you designed that racking specifically for the solar panels you could have installed 3 x 400W panels that would have produced 6-7 kW a day. Also you do not have lithium batteries ?? I just do not understand why you would sabotage yourself like this. I guess you like to run that generator every day.