MW wrote:
>hello, I am thinking about buying a potter 19. I am unsure about
>recharging batteries. do I need a solar panel, or just a plain battery
>charger? I don't know. What do you guys and gals think a weekend sailor
>would need for a four day weekend trip with a wife, two teenage sons
>(music) and what dad wants is a weather report. issues: Batteries- how
>long will they last? Solar panel- will they recharge the battery after a
>day sailing? What do you guys think?
>
I know this has received great answers from the group, but unless I missed
it did anyone mentioned that a normal (GP 24, 27) battery should last for a
four day trip? I used mine for a week at a local lake a couple of years
back and never ran out of power. I would say that my usage was moderate to
low as we ran the stereo when we felt like it and used the cabin light for
about an hour each night, but didn't have to use the anchor or running
lights. A GP 27 battery should have about 80 amp hours of storage. Even
the anchor light only uses 1 amp per hour (both lights) so if that is all
you used your battery for you should be able to stay out for ten nights
(summer). I don't know about you, but ten nights on a Potter is more than I
care to do without a couple of marina (shower) stops where I would be able
to recharge the battery.
And what about the boys and their stereo? Are you telling us that you
always agree on what to listen to? When my girls were at that age I could
never get them to agree between themselves on what to play! My answer was
cheap cassette (with headphones) players (nowadays it would be CDs)and a
brick of AA batteries ($10 for 40 at Costco) split between them. During
"family time" we would "expose" them to our music (turned down low so to be
just a background). We even have trouble here as I am an old 60's rocker,
and my wife is into what I call "suffering female country/folk" singers. It
never failed to happen that she would get a migraine every time I played
Hendrix at the "proper" volume, or I would have to take a walk after the
tenth song about how "the world done me wrong"! So, if all four of you are
able to take extended cruses (and wear out your battery by playing the
stereo) on a boat as small as a P-19 without need of extensive follow-up
therapy, my hat is off to you.
Larry