Electrifying my small sailboat?

Project_Mayhem · Mar 4, 2024

That is a very nice unit. No matter route you choose, you need to figure out how much each one of those devices use as 10A isn't much power to work with

Don S/V ILLusion · Mar 4, 2024

It’s a 12aH battery. A small bilge pump alone might draw 5-10 aH when running. By comparison, a small 12 V deep cycle battery typically used on small boats is around 100 aH to run some electronics for a day sail. Much better off and safer with the latter

dlochner · Mar 4, 2024

The capacity is really limited. 268 wh is about 22 ah. The bigger question is how much capacity do you need? Start with an energy budget, what needs energy, how much, and for how long.

To provide context, 2 LED lights at 6 watts each will drain the unit unit completely. (6 watts = .5a, .5a*2*24h = 24ah)

dlochner · Mar 4, 2024

Don S/V ILLusion said:
It’s a 12aH battery. A small bilge pump alone might draw 5-10 aH when running. By comparison, a small 12 V deep cycle battery typically used on small boats is around 100 aH to run some electronics for a day sail. Much better off and safer with the latter

I'm coming up wit a different capacity and the ad is confusing. Energy capacity in a battery is measured by watt hours or amp hours. I have no idea what it they mean when they advertise a 600 watt battery.

As I do the math (and never a certain thing) 268 watt hours is about 22 amp hours @12v. Watts = Volts * amps, Watt hours = Watts * Time. Doing the math 268wh/12v= 22 amp hours.

A device like this Bluetti is really good for afternoon out door activities or as a big back up battery for cell phone charging. A Group 24 FLA battery has a capacity of about 70 ah, with 35 usable ah.

JBP-PA · Mar 4, 2024

A portable power station is a brilliant idea for a boat that doesn't otherwise have power. You get the battery, AC charger, solar charge controller, battery monitor, and inverter all in one convenient package. The downside is that it's an all or nothing affair. If you find out the battery you chose wasn't big enough, you have to buy the whole unit again. As people said, the battery in the one you linked seems too small for the needs you stated, but you can get bigger ones. Not only Bluetti but Jackery and Ecoflow are popular brands. Ecoflow does have an option for adding extra batteries, but I think only for their top end models. There are also a lot of imitation products out there now too.

kloudie1 · Mar 4, 2024

Consider a "mini" sized 100 amp hour lithium and a lithium charger..
Amazon.com : 100 amp hour lifepo4 battery mini
may be a little more expensive up front, but the small lithium is very light and easy to move.

Don S/V ILLusion · Mar 4, 2024

dlochner said:
I'm coming up wit a different capacity and the ad is confusing. Energy capacity in a battery is measured by watt hours or amp hours. I have no idea what it they mean when they advertise a 600 watt battery.

As I do the math (and never a certain thing) 268 watt hours is about 22 amp hours @12v. Watts = Volts * amps, Watt hours = Watts * Time. Doing the math 268wh/12v= 22 amp hours.

A device like this Bluetti is really good for afternoon out door activities or as a big back up battery for cell phone charging. A Group 24 FLA battery has a capacity of about 70 ah, with 35 usable ah.

I cited what the manufacturer stated as it’s capacity.

Maine Sail · Mar 4, 2024

Te Bluetti uses a 12 Ah battery that is wired for about 24V internally. This allows them to use smaller wire too keep it light. The 12V outlets use a buck converter to drop the voltage to 12V hence the hard stop max at 10A.. The 600W is the inverter portion.Very little capacity @ 12V..

pgandw · Mar 4, 2024

If you don't want the size/weight of a full 12V 100AH LiFePO battery (about $250, 25lbs, size of a car battery), you can get 50AH or 80AH for a little less money, weight, and size. Add in a LiFePO battery charger (starting at about $25) and you have a much better solution than one of the battery packs (in my opinion). The battery packs are good for significant loads for short periods of time. A sailboat is just the opposite - light loads for 24-48 hours on a trailer cruiser.

Fred W
Stuart Mariner 19 Sweet P
no electrical system yet, planning for a 100AH 12V LiFePO battery with portable charger and extension cord.

Barnacle Bill · Mar 17, 2024

Project_Mayhem said:
That is a very nice unit. No matter route you choose, you need to figure out how much each one of those devices use as 10A isn't much power to work with

10A isn't the power output - it is the capacity of the fuse.

Barnacle Bill · Mar 17, 2024

That looks like a nice unit. There are a number of products on the market for marine use that offer USB ports, cigarette outlets, etc. to supply the goods you have. You might find that a cheaper alternative to what you posted. But, if you don't want to fuss with putting something together yourself, then that would be a good choice, I think.

Project_Mayhem · Mar 18, 2024

Barnacle Bill said:
10A isn't the power output - it is the capacity of the fuse.

I could see the Op's devices (GPS, VHF radio, nav lights, AM/FM/CD stereo, single bilge pump and spotlight) pulling 10A if two or more are used at the same time. Not to mention, it's a good idea to add up the power draw and duration to determine how long the battery would last. Also note Mainsail's observation of this unit:

Maine Sail said:
The 12V outlets use a buck converter to drop the voltage to 12V hence the hard stop max at 10A.