Sierra2

Petzel is the brand to go for. Model depends on your needs and budget

Great info Boat Fan. Having done some reading 'methyl-methacrylate' does seem to be the way forward over Polycarbonate. Plexiglas don't mention crazing however, just a non yellowing guarantee?. I thought crazing was caused by long exposure to the Sun/UV rays?. I'm assuming there is an equivalent thickness for strength, ie 12mm Acrylic to 6mm Glass ? Thanks again

Thanks for the number W+T, I'll give him a call tomorrow I'll need to do some research on the difference between Acrylic, Lexan, Perspex. Perspex is very prone to scratching if I remember correctly?. That's an interesting point about UV resistance as the crazing/fading/cracking element had put me off the idea and moved me onto glass. Chas

I've already fitted a 'link switch' between the Isolator switch for each bank as a back up, so no need for jump leads. I'll check out the Advanced Smart Gauge now. Thanks for the help gents Chas

Thank you W+T. The two panels over the old Aft Cabin are huge(800x1080mm) so I'm worried about them being in Glass

Aye it wpuld be simpler but knowing my luck sooner or later a engine will fail and one bank won't be getting any power. I'm planning a solar set up as well but would prefer both engines to be able to charge both banks when on the move.

Afternoon all Had a Google but not much is coming up for a diagram for a charging system for charging a Starter and Domestic bank of batteries. I'm assuming a VSR or Split Charging system can be used but not much is coming up and how to go about it. Can anyone help? Twin Diesel Engines with 70amp alternators, will be approx 330-440aH Domestic bank @12v and 220aH Starter bank in Parallel @12v supplying both engines. This is what I was planning but as its a rebuild anything can be changed at this stage Chas

Hi all I'm struggling somewhat trying to source info on the type of glass I should use for the frame work I've had done to the hard top conversion that replaces the folding canopy. As a liveaboard and a semi plaining displacement hull I'm concerned about any weight added and making her top heavy. The frame work was built with imported White Cedar and is as light as we could make it. 1) I believe she is a Category B rated boat, do I require 6mm Toughened Glass for all panels or can I get away with less thickness?. 2) I understand water pressure from rogue waves in bad weather could be an issue with less. Would I be ok replacing the forward facing five panels with 6mm (as was originally fitted) ? 3) Are there any regulations that need to be followed as a private boat builder, if I'm going to sell her later? I plan to keep her for several years while saving up for a larger boat and do some sailing on the continent. Thanks in advance Chas

18v and if you only have the one battery make sure it's in the 3+ aH range Dewalt gets my recomendation from experience.

Can anyone recommend a small skirting type radiator that they do use and works?

You'd be surprised how many 'deals' fall through. My friend was on for Jog Post (leaflet delivery service). Debrough Meaden was choosen to invest (all five dragons made an offer) but after a month nothing happened. He done very, very well just from the air time

Funnily enough that's what has attracted me to the product as I want something at floor level away from the hull. I'd be doing the install my self as with everything else to keep the budget alive.

The prices are on one of the drop down menus, £30 a meter roughly with VAT

Seems perfect for spreading the heat evenly through a section of the boat and not taking up any space? http://www.discreteheat.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRfYw-cw3uU#action=share Technical : http://www.discreteheat.com/thermaskirt/technical-information/performance-data.aspx

Thanks for all the replies guys (sorry been busy seeing the new year in ) Good feedback on what I thought was an ambitious idea. I did intend to use the Port engine to power a Matrix heater to demist the windows in the wheelhouse, but quite like the idea of an additional independent radiator for cold weather cruising. Any thoughts on Point 5...? "the insulation around the Calorifer is old, tatty and falling off in parts. Is there any reason I couldn't cut it all off and have the Spray Foam contractor spray over it once it has been refitted and plumbed in? I would mask up all the connections for inspection and future works" Thanks again

Happy Xmas eve all! I was wondering if any of you would be Santa's could bring me an early present/answer with an idea I've started thinking about for heating? I have a 55lt Calorifier that I will be refitting to my 31ft GRP Motor Cruiser. It is powered by an AC heating element when on shore power or the Starboard engines heat exchanger when cruising. Is there any reason I couldn't add a AC pump and use the heated water to heat small 'skirting board' type radiators throughout the boat? This would be one method of heating the boat, not the only one. If it works I'd be happy to spend the money saved on a Diesel boiler elsewhere on secondary heating. Some problems I could potentially see: 1) With the system pressurized I could imagine problems with it tripping the hot water pressure switch and activating the DC hot water pump?. 2) I presume the AC heating element I have has a thermostat (so it's not constantly on). How much heat loss within the water temperature do you get through radiators? I understand heating through AC is generally inefficient but as I was planning to leave the calorifer on (while on shore power) am I looking at a higher bill? Is this a viable alternative to Gas bottles and expensive boilers? 4) Control. I could always put the AC pump on a automatic timer but in terms of regulating the temperature while the system is on, is it just Thermostatic Valves(?) on the radiators and will they do the job? 5) On a side note, the insulation around the Calorifer is tatty and falling off in parts. Is there any reason I couldn't cut it all off and have the Spray Foam contractor spray over it once it has been refitted and plumbed in, in place? I would mask up all the connections for inspection and future works. Does the temperature get beyond the working temperature of the closed cell spray foam? Thanks in advance for any help

Certainly it's not charging all the time as I have it 'baby sitting' my spare 78aH car battery and the 60aH starter battery from my speed boat (that is laid up at the moment). I am powering Three 15w strip lights while I'm working and also the Isotherm fridge. The draw is around 7amp but the charger only starts when it needs to. I get the auto changeover valve for convenience but I'd probably want a third smaller spare bottle (that I don't have space for) as a back up if I did forget to check. As there's no risk of a shower going cold half way through and only inconvenience during cooking, I think I'm more inclined to have a manual changeover valve so I don't have to get messy with a spanner and just turn a valve to get cooking again. Nice to know about the length a bottle will go, I'm new to all this as you can probably can tell! What size bottle are you using Phil? Chaz

I should clarify what others at the Marina are doing is running an extension lead (with RCD protection) into their boat and just plugging laptops, tv's, heaters or what ever. They're not doing what I suggested and trying to do it neatly by splitting the power at the consumer unit. If that's dangerous (3phase or not), then I need to let them know really! (but there have been no fires, black outs or electrocutions)

They're not David. You would want something like this but I hope you're sitting down when you see the price.... http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/circuit-breakers.html Chaz

I suppose I could fit an automatic timer to the Immersion heater to cut it off just before I get up in the morning, back on again in the late afternoon and then off just after I get in from work in the evening?

Quite like that idea. Something like this? http://www.theowl.com/index.php/products/energy-moni/

That's a great find Jonathan and yes the cost is within my budget. How I didn't find these in my earlier searches, I don't know! Virtual pint for you sir

I would buy a 500w travel type kettle as I new there would be limitations. Time I do have

Safety first as always so thank you for making me aware of that possibility making it a non starter. If the switching is possible would it make sense to use the shore power to just power the immersion heater and battery charger, then use the inverter to power the socket ring main for kettle, toaster, TV when required?. Hi Jonathan, I managed to get a one year old 50A charger for the price of a 20A (Sterling Pro Charge) unfortunately Bank is a planned 330aH with 130aH starter. As Gas is our primary heating and cooking source it's why I'm trying to limit its usage with electric kettle/toaster while we are moored up. The Propex heater does also have an AC Element for back up if we do run out of gas that I'm hoping will only need to be run on the 500w setting (given the size and insulation on the cruiser). It would be very easy for me to wire this to a plug as a fly lead and not hard wired to the consumer unit so it could be plugged in via an RCD protected extension lead to a second 16amp shore supply as others are doing. Thank you all for your views, knowledgeable as always!

Another day, another problem... I have been informed by a friend about the quality of the 16amp shore power supply at the Marina I plan to moor at when my boat is built. In short it seems the service points supply is much less than the 16amp supply advertised and can trip with not much more than a battery charger, immersion heater and a kettle going. One way around this that locals do is to pay for two metered supply's and run the shore power cable as normal and then run a second cable through a gap in a door/window/skylight to an RCD protected 4-gang socket inside the boat. This is obviously unsightly and an extra potential trip hazard. It would also mean running extension leads on the interior of the boat. What I have done is fit a 32amp shore line with 4mm2 (to a yet to be purchased change over switch) from the Stern of the boat that I will plug into an adaptor to take it down to 16amp. Although I'm not planning to need it, I have also run a 16amp socket with 2.5mm2 to the rear of the wheel house where is the only space that a generator could live. That is simple enough as the changeover switch would just have the usual 'SHORE POWER', 'INVERTER' and 'GENERATOR' positions. The question is, is it possible to wire the Consumer unit to accept two shore supply's at the same time? My Consumer unit has two RCD's and seven MCB's. Yes, I will have a qualified bod test and commission the entire set-up. I'm only asking as I would like to know if I need to run any additional wires now or if there is a simpler way of getting around the problem (other than taking the Marina to task!) Thanks in advance