AC/DC and a couple of thoughts on a frugal power system…

This week, one of the tasks I actually look forward to is getting rid of all the vestiges of AC power aboard the Islander. Partly because the existing system is right up there with the stick a fork in a power circuit combined with taking a bath with a plugged in toaster. Then there’s the fact that while not having a #3 Rippingille Stove to jettison, throwing the no longer needed electrical disaster fulfills a primal urge*.

The AC system I’ll be replacing it with is a spartan 300 watt inverter with two outlets…

What, you say? No large screen TV, no Instant Pot, no air fryer? How can we live with such meager AC power consumption?

Sure, these days it’s easy to have all the mod cons at your fingertips but AC electricity aboard a boat is expensive both in cost and power consumption. A 3K watt inverter and a bigger battery bank with enough solar to pump out those watts costs both money and energy that I don’t feel I can afford. While I consider some AC appliances from time to time, all it really takes for me to decide against them is simply looking at how many amps they consume. While I’d love to have an air fryer or big 4K screen video monitor, the amps kill the idea dead followed by the coup de grace of the simple fact that there’s just no place to put them on an Islander 36.

So, all the old AC wiring is about to find it’s way off the boat which will make the confusing Hydra’s nest of wiring aboard more manageable and the water line will be just that little bit happier.

Works for me.

*Of course, throwing stuff overboard these days is a big no-no and I’ll be disposing of said wire and suchlike in a manner agreeable to the local environmental rules and regulations.