We also attended the 60th birthday BBQ of family member Alan that went rather well with a very warm evening making the beer much more enjoyable.
So after visiting and staying the night at Bev`s, thank you darling, with three months post(mail) thanks JoJo/Kev we drove back to the boat.
The sunny days have been keeping the batteries topped up via the Solar panels and I never stop being overwhelmed by the amount of free power. Now as the sun was shining Jaq wanted to do all the washing and hang it out to dry. I decided to see how the battery voltage stood up to not having the engine running to keep them topped up.
The machine was set to a 32 minute wash and I monitored the battery figure. It was reading 14.2 when the wash started and during the run it never went below 13.28 or above 13.53.
Now some points to consider in this experiment;
The washer is a Candy Aqua which does not use the internal heating element as I have plumbed it into the boats hot/cold system. Now for the benefit of U.S. readers our machines in the UK have built in heating elements where as you across the pond use hot water from an external electrically heated tank.
The Solar panels add up to 345 watts giving around 12/13 amps. Reminds me I must fit the ammeter.
Our battery bank is 510 amp hours.
The picture shows the old White wind generator controller that has a maximum input of 100 watts solar plus the battery voltage reading. Below is the 20 amp MPPT controller for the larger solar panel.
So a successful trial but I did start the engine for the other two wash cycles and so still wonder if the solar could have done the second two washes. Something to do on a sunny afternoon.
Mr Tesco found us again following Jaq`s searching with Google maps to find a good location. he unloaded and I passed the bags through the railings to Jaq.So as I hit the publish button we are moored in a shady mooring and Jaq is cooking home made American burgers on the BBQ on what is a wonderful summers evening.
3 comments:
Just had to say hello from Tibberton (Worcs & Birmingham Canal) on the first night on our maiden cruise! We certainly picked the hot weather!
You'll receive this come sunday morning, no doubt.
Burgers on the grill, hopefully with all the fixin's. Enjoyable.
So tell me why the chap in the last photo is on the pavement, wearing a reflective vest whilst Valerie lurks down below?
And my dishwasher here preheats the water if needed. However being one person in a small bungalow I installed a 30 gallon water heater which often is never really emptied. And my clothes washer like yours will also heat the water if asked for, however generally I wash in cool water.
Interesting about the consumption of the "white" power...those solar panels really do work!
As for humidity...
Hamilton airport is close enough..it is stifling outside and my breathing is laboured; a side effect of more than three years of chemo to kill my cancer.
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/canada/ontario/hamilton
Congratulations Jennie and Chris on the launch of NB Tentatrice! Excellent weather for a maiden voyage and we are totally chuffed for you both. Now one of these days hopefully sooner rather than later we will be bow to bow. Something wonderful to look forward to in the coming months.
Jaq and LesXX
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