New Projects

It's been a long while since I posted to the blog. Over Thanksgiving weekend 2006 we are moving Pelican from the Harborage Marina in St. Petersburg to Burnt Store Marina in Charlotte Harbor. We have wanted to explore Charlotte Harbor in detail and decided now was the time.

Prior to the trip I am installing the following new charging system for Pelican:

1. Xantrex Link 10 Battery Monitor. I am happy with the new battery configuration from the previous post, but have not had the ability to monitor our battery usage.

2. Balmar high output alternator -- I have the model 621-100-SR-IG on order which should be footed properly for a Perkins 4-154 engine and puts out up to 100 amps.

3. Balmar Max Charge Regulator MC612H I have used this regulator on a past boat and it does a terrific job of quickly charging a battery bank.

4. Balmar Digital Duo Charge. The alternator and TrueCharge 40+ battery charger will be wired directly to the house bank of 6 6VDC flooded lead acid batteries. The Optima starting battery charge will be controlled by the Digital Duo Charge that is connected between the house bank and the starting battery. This system will put up to 30 amps into the starting battery only when the house bank is at a charging voltage above 13.5 volts.

Once we have the Link 10 installed we will learn how efficient our refrigeration, anchor light and reading lights are. Once we know this, we will understand the issues involved in long term cruising.

After this round of the electrical system is installed we will begin to install 16 new stainless ports from New Found Metals on Pelican. I can't say I'm looking forward to this job, but am looking forward to the results.