End of Year Stats 2018

Miles, Hours, Locks L/Ms per hour etc for second year of Hamwih

(May 18th* to December 31st 2018)

Beta Marine 43 - This years engine

Beta 38 (Last years Engine)

Beta AC Panel

Total engine hours      420.2;      Total distance 600 miles;         Total locks 548;  Avg L/MpH 2.46
Home mooring hours# 47.5;                 Distance 30.5 miles;                  Locks 0;      Avg Mph 0.64
Cruising hours            372.7; Cruising distance 569.5 miles; Cruising locks 548; Avg L/MpH 2.69

Total litres used 624.2, this includes the stove running for 97 hours at half-a-litre per hour.
The engine therefore used 549.9 litres which equals 1.38 (1.29) litres per hour.


The diesel cost £504.76 which works out at £1.20p (1.09p) per hour the engine was running.

(The figures in brackets are for 2017 and are lower than this years due to the smaller engine)

* Boat having engine replaced & other works Jan to May.
# This includes running engine to top up batteries, moving boat to top up with water and or fuel + winding in preparation for next trip.

Saloon Furniture

When we first ordered furniture for the saloon we used a 'Captains Chair' from our previous boat and ordered a new 'Boatman's Chair Bed' from  Elite Furnishings,

Captains chair on Notos.

The problem with two separate chairs is that one of the chairs is positioned very close to the stove (see picture below) and has to be moved when the stove is used. With the 'Captains Chair' it is very difficult to place the chairs side by side.

The two chairs in their 'summer' position.

Ordering a second chair means that in the winter we can, by removing an arm from each chair, use them as a two seater settee.

The two chairs side by side facing the stove.

 The different/alternating patterns on the two chairs is a deliberate decision.

As well as ordering the new chair we also ordered two footstools, which apart from providing some extra storage space also means that we can convert the two chairs into either two singe beds or a double bed, albeit a very small one.

Hamwih

Installing Solar Panel

Installing the solar panel the first step is to select a location and then temporarily run the cables to make sure they are long enough. The picture below left shows the covered solar panel in the preferred location, just past the plank & pole bracket.


I am also installing a fan in the saloon roof vent, to run from the 'load' connections of the charge controller. The cable for this can be seen in the picture on the right going into the roof vent.




After finalising the  position for the Solar Panel I attached the cables to charge the batteries (domestic bank & starter battery) and the battery temperature sensing wire. I then 'ran' them through to the electric cupboard





The picture to the left shows the approximate location of the battery & temperature sensing wires in the electric cupboard.



The picture to the right shows the Solar Panel & fan cables hanging down from the roof. Which clearly shows that there will be sufficient length to reach the charge controller in the electric cupboard.

After making sure the cables were long enough the next stage is to drill holes in the roof for the Fan & Solar Panel Cables.

Cables being fed through holes.

Followed by feeding the cables through the holes

View from inside the roof.

Cables being fed along roof space and
down into electric cupboard.

               








The cables were then fed along the roof space and down to the electric cupboard. Its the two thicker black cables (solar panel) and the red & black thinner cables (Saloon Fan)

Cables as they emerge from
roof space into electric cupboard.

The next stage is to site the charge controller. The picture to the left shows the first position and the various wires. From left to right these are 1) Temperature sensing wire, 2) Positive & Negative cables from the Solar Panel, 3) Positive & Negative charging cables for the domestic battery bank, 4) Positive & Negative charging cables for the starter battery & 5) The Positive & Negative cables for the fan.


I thought placing the charge controller in this position would be a bit unsightly with all the cables running up to it.













The charge controller in its final position

The box to the left is the BlueTooth which enable me to view the various statistics on my phone.

A fuse was inserted into the positive cable for the fan. The shuts down automatically if the battery level falls below 12.5 volts and is not switched on again until the battery reaches 13 volts. This fuse, with a switch means that I can also manually swith the fan on or off.

The final job was to cover the wires on the roof with some plastic conduit and stick down the entry gland.

New Cratch & Dogger

Solar Panel

About to a fit a 150W solar panel and MPPT Dual Battery Controller.

WRM15 dualB/dualB is an MPPT charge controller for PV applications with two batteries automatic charge management, with Bluetooth connection and Android/iOS APPs to manage and monitor the PV system.

Solar Panel Specs.

Anchor Bracket

We are due to have a cratch cover fitted which means that the anchor currently stored in the bow well has to be moved. 

Spoke to Oxley Marine about fitting a bracket to the stern and this is is the result.

End Of Year Stats 2017

Miles, Hours, Locks L/Ms per hour etc for first year of Hamwih

(July 24th to December 31st 2017)

Beta 38 Engine

Beta AC Panel

Total engine hours 196
Total distance 324 miles
Total locks 158

Average speed 2.46 Lock/Miles per hour.

Total litres used 278.7, this includes the stove running for 50 hours at half-a-litre per hour.
The engine therefore used 253.7 litres which equals 1.29 litres per hour.
(This was the Beta 38 engine, which we upgraded to a Beta 43 engine before we did any hours in 2018)

The diesel cost £213.49 which works out at £1.09p per hour the engine was running.