Our unexpected hiatus, while initially perceived as a burden, has turned into an opportunity. Despite its disadvantages, the US health system is swift and effective; it worked as intended. I'm now minus the odd bodily part but alive and kicking. We've supplemented a month of enforced stay in the USA with a productive visit to Didim Marina, near Bodrum.
Snag list gets smaller
During my absence, we've made significant strides, successfully fixing the leaking hatches (thank you for the seals, Amazon Prime), and the fresh and hot water systems are now operating reliably. We've also addressed the spurious leaks in the engine room as systems came online and commissioned the engines, hybrid drives, and gearboxes. This progress has boosted our confidence, given a rocky start three months back. As I reflected yesterday evening over a glass of Scotland's finest, Vanguard now exudes the aura of a commercial boat built for a purpose beyond mere aesthetics. We will soon test the truth of this reflection.
We have also experienced difficulties with our electrical installation at the main helm. Looking at the timeline, this coincided with installing all the various access doors and screens. Funny that. The thermal camera came out to reveal some components reaching 60 deg.C where airflow has been restricted. No wonder it was troublesome. So we spent time installing better ventilation, both passive and forced, using fans made for audiovisual equipment towers. Some more power-hungry devices will also be moved to ceiling cavities far from anything else.
Language barriers
Our crew, consisting of a Turk (Akan), a Ukrainian (Valeriy), a Russian (Yevgeny), and an American-once-was-British (me!), reminds me of lessons I learned in my youth in the British Merchant Navy, such as tolerance and understanding of a fellow man. Being at sea blurs the lines of privacy; there is no clear definition of space, experience, attitude, or opinion. We make it work.
We have also begun to develop our new English-speaking subcontractor resources with Praxis for the hybrid drives and 3-phase distribution, Polus Yachts for staffing and local contacts, and Hartnell Marine for all things solar or Victron.
Underperforming solar installation
Our solar installation, which should have been a success story, has presented unexpected challenges. However, understanding the reasons behind these challenges has been a valuable learning experience. We've installed a theoretical 6kW of panels, but the learning curve associated with our first large solar installation has led to some issues.
The first is shading, the death toll of many good solar hopes. We have mapped the effect of this shading at 9.00, 12.00, and 15.00 to understand the panel groups impacted. The thought is to connect panels shaded or in full sun simultaneously and not mix them up, as it simply kills the output of anything linked in a series. Two panels are permanently shaded and will be disconnected.
The second is to examine pre-set system current and voltage figures. That is ongoing, and we have found two issues where the system was self-limiting. Remedying this has lifted solar output from a maximum of 1.2kW to 1.6kW and counting.
Next, we will split up some groupings and install smaller local MPPTs that deliver DC directly to the 24VDC system rather than batteries, allowing for more individual panel voltage optimization. Our sister ship, Mobius, was installed this way; I should have been a better listener.
The fourth is energy saving rather than power increase. Consider setting solar as a priority power source and maximize the advantage of the opportunity. Once the house batteries reach 100%, solar is disabled as the MPPT chargers back off, and we draw from power batteries or shore power. There is a fix via the Victron Cerbo GX controller that Hartnell will enable once we get to Palma. It's about setting charge/discharge limits on the house batteries, small deviations in charging voltage, and which systems trigger when we reach those limits.
Finally, we have better understood how Vanguard operates and the potential for parasitic losses. Simple measures like switching off the HVAC in unoccupied spaces have reduced our power demand by a significant 2kW (48kWh!!). Turning off screens and lights has further reduced the demand by another 600W. In cooler weather, we aim to support using solar alone, at least when charging. These measures underscore the importance of energy conservation in our project.
However, educating my gas-guzzling US-based family about this need may be a continuous effort!