Canadian Yachting June 2020 - 46

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This brings tremendous convenience.
For example, connecting the battery to the
boat's onboard NEMA network means
you can now easily monitor its condition
and what your charger is doing at any
given time, whether you're at the helm
peeking at your MFD, up on the flybridge
monitoring a secondary screen, or sitting
at home taking a glance at your smartphone. Want to check to see if you're
recharged after that long day on the
water? There's no need to walk down to
the boat and peek under the hatch. Just
pull it up on your phone or a tablet.
That's a particularly attractive benefit
if you happen to rig your boat with a solar
panel or two, which is a great way to keep
a steady trickle charge on the battery at all
times. Solar panels are great for offsetting
so-called parasitic loads, meaning the
power draw of electrical devices that are
on all the time like radios. Even with only
five or six hours of sunlight, a pair of
100-watt solar panels can generate from
60 to 72 amp hours' worth of power per
day. That's more than enough to power the
GPS and a blender all day, with plenty of
leftover power to spare.
Lithium-ion batteries are new technology that deliver far superior performance
to old-school lead acid cells. They give
boaters far greater run times, and they
have a much, much longer life span so
they don't need to be replaced anywhere
near as often - something that's not only
more convenient and less expensive, but
better for the environment as well. Beyond
that, they're smaller and lighter than lead
acid, and they deliver the steady voltage
that modern electronics require all the
way through their charge cycle.
SO WHAT'S THE CATCH?
In a word, it's cost. For the moment at
least, lithium-ion batteries are more expensive than old-style lead acid batteries
are. Not just a little - they're a LOT more
pricey. The hope is that this higher cost
will come down as more batteries make
their way into the market. But even so, if
you spend a fair amount of time on your
boat they're still worth a look, even with
the premium price tag.

Xantrex flexible solar panel and
Xantrex Lithium Ion Battery.

"Over the life of the battery there is a
cost savings given that lithium-ion
batteries last on average seven times as
long as AGM cells do," notes Dave Maryanov. "And, through that time they provide
far better performance by delivering about
double the capacity and stable power output, while being smaller and lighter than
the batteries they replace. You're paying
more up front, but if you put the hours in
on the water there is a definite savings in
the long run."
It's a good bet that the cost of lithiumion batteries will drop as they come into
wider use. But the benefits they provide
are strong enough that a growing number
of cruising boaters are still looking hard at
making the switch right now. The prospect
of eliminating battery headaches and
never worrying about running out of juice
again is an enticing proposition for anyone
who spends a lot of time on the water. The
opportunity to ditch the generator and
finally get a decent night's sleep could be
just enough to seal the deal. *
JUNE 2020
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Canadian Yachting June 2020

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