Sailboat Solar Setup

Our sailboat, Satori, is in desperate need of an upgrade to our solar setup. But before that, we do a little provisioning and get an unexpected visit from some friends.

Watch this video to see:

  • Shopping in the town of Luperon, Dominican Republic
  • La Isabella and Playa Castillo in the Dominican Republic
  • Outback 60 Amp Solar Charger Installation
  • Upgrade Installation  to Sailboat Solar Setup

Preview

The main goal this week on Satori is our sailboat solar setup and solar upgrade. But first, we explore the local grocery store and where we were pleasantly surprised! This market in Luperon is clean and organized. You can find much more than you could ever see in the Bahamas. At least where we went. There is also a “veggie” truck that would come to the marina in Luperon Harbor three times a week. Fresh, off-the-farm, produce… so amazing!

We also get a visit from our friends Brian and Linda. Their cruise just so happened to stop in Puerto Plata, which is a short one hour drive to Luperon. I’d say they got the best excursion out of anyone on their ship!

Last but not least, we finally upgrade our sailboat solar setup. Watch to see how Nick figures out how to mount those beautiful giant panels!

Full Episode

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Nothing to see here…just Nick riding a donkey on the beach! 😝 #donkeylife #sailingsatori

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The King is pleased with his servant’s menu today! 😋👑🐶 #kingarthur #sailingsatori

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Song Credits

Intro Song – Carribean Cuisine 4 – Magnus Ringblom

0:27 – Latin Lounge – Anders Bothén

1:32 – Spanish Delight 3 – Leif Larsson

King Arthur Intro – 3:55 – Rule Britannia Classic – Traditional

6:31 – Coffee And Sun 2 – Jonatan Järpehag

9:34 – Spring Cooking 3 – Fredrik Thalberg

15:35 – Strolling In New Orleans 1 – Henrik Nagy

Ending Song – Figure It Out – Daniel Gunnarsson

Download these songs for free at Epidemic Sound

 

Video Transcription

INTRO (Sailboat Solar Setup)

Holy crap that is HUGE! How are getting two of those up there? Did we bite off more than we can chew?

SHOPPING (Sailboat Solar Setup)

So we just got back from town. We got a whole carton of eggs here, some fresh milk straight out of the cow. This is raw milk a friend here in town, he helps run Wendy’s bar, he’s got like 35 cows, and they get fresh milk. And we had to get some cheese as well as the local market, so we got this big wheel of cheese for like, less than ten bucks. It’s only a couple bucks for this carton. (Sailboat Solar Setup)

But you do have to wash you can see you need some chicken poo on some of this vinegar solution which is about, I don’t know, a quarter cup of vinegar and some water here. I don’t really measure it, but it’s about 10% 20% vinegar solution. I just wash them in here and then set them in here to dry. is it good? Yeah. Do you like organic eggs? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Those are as organic as you can get. Something gave me a tummy ache. What? Oh, I just broke that egg. Yeah we’re gonna have an egg right now, I just broke an egg. Oh yeah, we have a stir-fry. (Sailboat Solar Setup)

VISIT FROM FRIENDS (Sailboat Solar Setup)

While in Lupron we had a visit from our friends and sailing channel enthusiast Brian and Linda. Check out their YouTube channel Another Beer in Paradise. They jumped ship from their cruise which stops in Puerto Plata, about an hour drive from Luperon. We took the short trip to La Isabela for another beer in paradise. This is said to be the original settlement of Christopher Columbus when he first arrived in the Americas. I’d say Chris has a pretty good eye for real estate. (Sailboat Solar Setup)

Cheers to Brian and Linda and other beer in Paradise. I like it. I like it a lot. What are you watching these days? Well you guys, but you just now arrived in Fort Myers. We’re trying to catch up. And we’re watching Sailboat Story, probably our favorite other than you guys and Delos. Isn’t it breathtaking! (Sailboat Solar Setup)

THE ADVENTURES OF KING ARTHUR (Sailboat Solar Setup)

The Adventures of King Arthur. Look at King Arthur’s he attends the Lupron commandant a ball. For anyone with noble blood, this is the place to be seen. But ever since our Good King arrived in this strange Kingdom, he has struggled to fit in with the lands royalty. Look here as his Highness extends the most honorable of greetings to this Lord. He is snubbed like a common peasant. Not to be ignored the king is determined to receive the attention he is entitled to. But to no avail. Perhaps a more direct approach. Hmm, nothing. Poor Arthur. Like a hot girl passed her prime, he simply does not know how to handle rejection. King Arthur has never been one to give up and today is not the day he starts. Keep at it, little King. They can’t ignore you forever. hmm. (Sailboat Solar Setup)

SAILBOAT SOLAR  DELIVERY (Sailboat Solar Setup)

Today there’s a whole bunch of solar equipment being delivered. So we are in the DR, it’s difficult to get a lot of stuff, but there’s a big market for solar here in the DR, and there’s a very nice little community of cruisers here. And everyone’s really helpful. They put me in touch with this guy, he’s got the hookups, and so I’m getting two big panels 650 watts, a big 60 amp Outback controller, some cable, cables, and other accessories. And actually a good price. I’m gonna run up there now check it out. (Sailboat Solar Setup)

You waiting for daddy? Where’s daddy? Holy crap that is HUGE! Monkey stay back! How are we getting the two of those up there? Did we bite off more than we can chew? (Sailboat Solar Setup)

SAILBOAT SOLAR SETUP (Sailboat Solar Setup)

We’re starting to install the solar that we got here in a Luperon. We’re working with this Outback 60 amp MPPT charge controller. So here we have kind of a combination of some extra solar cable here, and then I needed some additional cable, different size than my existing charger, so this is some bigger. This is welding cable from the hardware store here locally in Luperon, so. And then a couple breakers for between the solar panel and the charger, and then also between the charger and the battery.(Sailboat Solar Setup)

The existing cables, these I can still use. Here are the panels. 325-watt panels. I got two of them, so these are gonna go side by side up there. What do you think Arthur, huh? Putting these two panels up, basically, I’m doubling the weight up on that solar panel mount that I built. It’s a little wobbly, but it’s not wobbly because of the mount that I built, it’s wobbly because of the davits themselves. (Folding/retractable davits). Kind of moved back and forth so I might need to find a way to secure those a little better. we’ll see though, once they go up. (Sailboat Solar Setup)

SOLAR CONTROLLER INSTALL (Sailboat Solar Setup)

I do believe that this might be the best location for this charge controller. I’ll move the fire extinguisher and Kelly’s clothes, but I think this is where this thing’s gonna live. I need some of your closet space for the solar controller. But a lot of space? No, it’s just a little bit. Okay. But the advantages is that we’ll be able to make more water. How does that work? I don’t know. You made that up! (Sailboat Solar Setup)

You’ll be able to take longer showers. Well, once we get this solar up, we’ll, be making more electricity and keeping the batteries topped off. We can run the water maker more. Not that we won’t have to conserve, but we won’t have to grind out so bad when we run out. Sounds good. That was easy. What was that? nothing. (Sailboat Solar Setup) I’m gonna crack this charge controller open right now, just so I know what I’m looking at before I put it up and install it and mount it. There’s Kelly she’s editing video. (Sailboat Solar Setup)

This is a normal day for us really. I do boat work, and she edits video, Arthur lays by mama. Look at him right there. There he is. Let’s see what’s in this bad boy. I think this is pretty much it. We have our connections here. Battery positive, battery negative, P v-, p v+. So this is positive from the panel and then to the battery. We use this top tab, and then we’ll put a couple screws in here. Should we do, solar controller and the two breakers mounted these wires here the ground and the positive here the hard part is this right here getting all the wiring setup and pulling this there. (Sailboat Solar Setup)

BEER EXPLOSION (Sailboat Solar Setup)

So you gotta see this. I can’t. Man, it stinks! Oh, it’s really bad. Alright go ahead, trying to get the new solar panel set up right, so I’m under the bed running some lines, some wires. We had a bunch of beer stored in here, but some of them exploded. This beer should not be up against the bare fiberglass. Because that ’s what I get for getting greedy. Trying to get more in there than I should have. (Sailboat Solar Setup)

TURNING ON THE SOLAR (Sailboat Solar Setup)

That’s it. Charge controller to Breakers. About to flip the switch and see how this did, this menu is gonna show what’s coming in. Baby. Yeah. You want to come see? Arthur does, he’s right here waiting. This is a big deal, a long time coming. Yeah, yeah okay. Ready? You don’t. You do the honors. What do I do? Flip the switch up. Okay. Ready? Yeah. Oh, okay. Go. Oh wow. Whoa 40, we’re over 40. At full Sun, we can have the water maker running, and that draws like 25 amps, everything else draws anywhere between 5 and ten amps throughout the day, so even at full Sun let’s say 35 amps are being used, with the water maker running. That still gives us anywhere from 5 to 7 amps charging into the battery which is awesome whoo no more fridge dying down! (Sailboat Solar Setup)

Yeah and so here’s our battery monitor and you can see we got the water maker on, solar panels both hooked up, and this is what’s going into the battery in excess of what’s being used. Look at that, and we’re at 45 amps right now. Super happy. I got to beef up that mount. It looks it’s a lot of weight up there. Yeah.(Sailboat Solar Setup)

SAILING SATORI COMMERCIAL (Sailboat Solar Setup)

Hey guys we need your help. We have some pretty amazing fans and an awesome little pirate ship here, but we have room for more onboard. So subscribe now and tell a friend. You can also share us on Facebook and Instagram and keep up with our daily posts. As well as our website sailingsatori.life. If you want to see even more from us, visit our Patreon page where you’ll see extra footage and personalized updates. Every effort keeps a little wind in our sails and helps us keep making awesome videos for you guys. (Sailboat Solar Setup)