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600 Watts of solar power

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It has been a while since we posted anything here. Much work has been done since. It will be another month or so before I can get caught up. I am posting one particular improvement now though as there has been interest in the project on the Bayliner Owners Club forum I participate in. So here goes. How much current might one get at about 46 degrees latitude in the Pacific Northwest on a clear summer day? I took readings from the solar controller the first chance I got. The batteries had been carrying the house load for about 20 hours. These are the readings I took from the time I awoke to the time we headed home: 8 amps, 12.4 volts at 8:00 18.5 amps 13.2 volts at 9:30 27 amps, 13.5 volts 11:30 27 amps 14 volts 13:00 20 amps, 14.3 volts at 14:00 20 amps, 14 volts at 15:00 Not too shabby! Update: definitely keeps up with our loads, even when the morning is cloudy. Custom home made rail mounts Looking down about 10 feet of rail My initial plan f
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Over the refit hump

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I titled this a couple of months ago as I was drafting the list of items tended to since the previous post and the title isn't as good a fit now as it was then but who cares anyway. Here's the deal. It takes about as much time to write a blog entry as it does to knock one or two items off of the todo list and the todo list has been long. Usually I set some kind of goal regarding what I'd like to have accomplished by the next planned cruise. For the very first cruise back in April or May I wanted to have propulsion, heat, refrigeration and a working toilet. Before a long cruise to Beacon Rock I wanted the serious engine maintenance items done which consisted of fluid changes and after cooler servicing along with the sanitation hoses replaced. For this trip down to Astoria where I sit right now typing this out I wanted the engine fuel filters and house batteries replaced. I've pretty much made all of the goals and yes, it is quite satisfying. But that leaves no time for
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Cruise ready and then some

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I started this entry a few weeks ago and at the time Caspian was just to the stage to be worthy of that status. Weeks later even more so. I will spare the details providing as many pictures as I can and text for items that I did not get pictures of. If you wonder why so much time has passed since the last post, well, there is alot of work to do and blog posts take quite a bit of time. I am currently working on sanitation hose replacement. I'll post about that later.  Essentials. Coho Designs created and applied the name for us. Brad Baker did the job and was great to work with. Bernie came up with all of the design specifications such as the compass dotting the capital I. I love it! The name reflected on the transom is a spoof on the boats name appropriate for sail boaters become power boaters. Brad had accidentally left the hailing port in his office. He mailed it to me and I'll be adding that on the transom's starboard side myself sometime after finishing the sanit
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