This post is for all tech-nerds out there that are planning a long distance cruise with a sailing boat and don´t know what power source to choose for your boat. This is how we did it!
On my earlier long distance cruise I had 2 wind generators and 180 watt of solar panels, my experience with wind generators is not the best- they either don´t charge at all or they break because of high wind speeds, also you need to tie them up in time before the wind gets to strong and that can be a suicide mission it self, if the blade catches your hand- you will have big problems. Yeah they do have a built in break system that should stop them if the wind is to strong- but I tell you- it won’t work!
This time we choose to put 400 watt of solar panels and two really good Victron regulators to support them. We are seriously surprised how good this system works. We only have 400 amp of battery bank and even if it has been raining for 2 days we are almost full and we are using a lot of electricity even when we are not sailing.
So my recommendations is to go all in on solar panels and use the engines in case of a long period of rain- with this system you wont have any problem.
//D