Battery choice for BRE

[RichardandJeni]

Hi, We have a BRE on order and wonder if anyone can help.
Our plan is to have a depth sounder, internal cuddy lights and the ability to run a tablet, would the 24AH battery package offered be suitable for this? Once we know the boat a little better, we plan to cruise more and would need nav lights, maybe a fixed chart plotter etc.
Should we get a larger battery now and best place to fit a battery
Any help appreciated! Thx

[R and J]

Hi Richard and Jeni and hello,

We are in the similar place to you as having taken delivery of our BRE 089 Sparkle but not sailed her yet.

I asked Matt about depth etc and he replied it is possible to just put a boat hook out and find the depth that way!

In all seriousness we shall sail the boat, turn up at an event or two and likely copy others with what we have seen and liked.

We are keen on Navionics and tablets having used an iPad with an app and Raymarine chart plotter on previous boats. I suspect our cruising with overnight stops will be more limited than yours. We have a campervan and intend to day sail with very occasional overnights.

I have been looking at standalone devices: Led lights with own battery. An LED anchor light with hopefully it’s own power supply which can be hung in the rigging. An iPad with Navionics. I have seen handheld anenometers. We have a rechargeable power source which outputs 12v and usb power (charges smart devices and hopefully a marine radio). These rechargeable power sources are available with many capacities and outputs and I have seen them used on campsites.

We are hoping we can avoid a more permanent installation requiring a boat battery, shore power, solar panel, outboard coil, fuses and wiring.

Just an idea!

We look forward to all contributions on this topic. We could be persuaded by a simple but more permanent solution.

R and J

[Graham W]

I have a 12V 24Ah lithium house battery on my BR20, which I use to run a Garmin fishfinder/GPS and a Tacktick NMEA converter.  The latter feeds Tacktick (wireless and solar powered) wind data into the Garmin.  The complication isn’t from the Tracer battery, which is small and portable and can be taken home in a carrier bag for recharging at home.  It’s the cabling for the Garmin, which needs both electricity and data from the depth transducer.  LED lighting (cabin or navigation) takes minimal power.

I reckon that I can use the Garmin for a total of 57 hours before the battery runs out.  Charging an iPad would take approximately the same amount of power as the Garmin.  So you would have to be on a multi-day trip, constantly recharging mobile devices, viewing depth data and looking up where you are before you ran out of power.  I have to admit to owning two such 24Ah batteries and have solar panels as well but that’s just me.

[RichardandJeni]

Thank you for your replies. Taking all that on board I think we will go for the 20AH package offered. We have a Power pack car charger with usb outputs so think that could work well as our "Back up"
Graham, would you say that the solar panels you have would typically provide full charge or "top up" only?( Not sure were you are based of course!)

[Graham W]

Graham, would you say that the solar panels you have would typically provide full charge or "top up" only?( Not sure were you are based of course!)

When I was moored in a Greek bay and even in rainy Pwllheli Marina, a long thin 25W solar panel bungeed along the boom was enough to keep my house battery fully topped up. The two 60W panels are more intended to recharge my eProp electric outboard on long trips and only afterwards to top up the house battery when needed.  The latter should be quite quick - assuming an average Kentish summer day, a full recharge from empty would probably take a long afternoon on one panel.

[RichardandJeni]

Thanks for the reply's.
have checked our battery power charger and it has usb and light so think will be great as back up, will let you know ..
Think we will go with the 2 x 30 solar panels and see how we go in "Sunny" Southend on Sea!
sailing our boat round a Greek Island sounds good though!