We’re 100% solar and had zero issues on the last 4200nm passage from Panama to the Marquases. We are setup very efficiently though. Fridge and freezer have 100mm of insulation and the boats running on 24v not 12v which increases efficiency.

Not running lithium yet as we couldn’t find a reliable supplier in Costa Rica or Panama so our battery technology is old. That means we need to run the engine to make water as our 24v desal unit draws around 900 watts or 40amps @ 24v and we get too much voltage drop when it runs for extended periods. We lived off 500 watts of solar on our last boat for five years and on that boat we installed 320Ah of lithium which made a massive difference to our efficiency.

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I have 180Ah of flooded and 140w of solar. I have to run the engine on a cloudy day. I’ve been thinking about replacing the insulation on the refer. What I need is an arch for more solar and a place to hang the dink.

I’m a sailor. Of course I’ll pay $5 for a coffee just so I can charge my devices at Starbucks, rather than use the precious battery power on the boat.

(Not pictured: the phone that I’m using to take this pic, also charging)