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Wire comes in three basic types. Solid core is what you see in homes. For the most part it is found in a product called ROMEX which is multi conductor in a insulating sheath. Normal stranded wire is used in commercial applications. It is inexpensive, functional, and generally is sold with THHN...

No Peter. Victrons deadband of acceptable installation paramaters is not overly narrow. Wire comes in several types, and Victron specifies finely stranded wire. Not finely stranded marine wire not tin plated wire They simply specify finely stranded wire. BTW finely stranded wire is available...

OK, so you acknowledge you used the wrong cable. So why is this even a discussion about the faults of Victron equipment? Why not a discussion of how to buy things internationally online. I live in Mexico and import boat parts constantly that are not available here. Why is this such a big deal?

From the Victron installation and operations manual. Sorry but that is pretty clear to me. RTFM

I use whatever smells good and never have a problem. My whale grewater sump has several years of trouble free performance.

Yes peter live with the 10% voltage drop. your insistence on maintaining a 3% voltage drop is incorrect. My friend, you know my history, I am schooled in this kind of stuff, and you are over engineering this. 10% is just fine. Actually for a 30 amp circuit a professionel will not even...

hmmm I see both sides of this. You have reasonable explanations for all the things that happened but... three tows in 6 weeks is a lot of avtivity. It will be interesting to see how others feel about this.

I do not know about fin stabilizers, but I've got a year of cruising with large rolling chocks, and the change in roll is nothing short of dramatic.

I have a question??? Why is it important for your autopilot to be slaved to your chartplotter? I ask this because... Your autopilot steers to a heading you input in the autopilot itself, and it derives that heading from it's dedicated compass. Your chart plotter is not part of that process...

The problem Peter is that people are running too tight on their voltage drop "needs", causing a chain reaction of oversized wiring, then the wiring not fitting into the terminals, and now we have a boat fire situation on our hands. Yes... I know about published voltage drop tables and graphs...

The most correct answer would be to use the correct size wire in the first place. I have 30 amp charge controllers for example. 10 AWG is perfect for 30 amp circuits, and i have found that the Victron equipment accepts the correct size cables for the currents involved. In the OP's situation...

The root cause of your fires is the poor connection to the terminal block. You used oversized wire and tried to stuff it in the connector. Also in my opinion you are not stripping back enough conductor. in My opinion the correct fix is to add a terminal to the conductor that will fit in the...

Honestly I have not heard good reports from the La Paz boat yards. There is a travel lift to the left of our home port Marina De La Paz, and another at Baja Costa. Unless it's an emergency my opinion is go to Baja Naval in Ensenada, and get top quality work at a reasonable price.

On a limited budget for a cabin cruiser I would seriously look for a well maintained older boat. Something with a head/shower, galley, and cabin. In the PACNW pilothouse designs are the sought after boats because of the enclosed raised helm station. Here are some really popular options...

Thinking about PLC's does anybody have any experience with the automation direct PLC? How is the software? IE how high level is it? I remember maybe a decade and a half ago, playing with a PLC but it seemed to me that I had to manually write subroutines to for example smooth out the readings...

Thinking about it, I like the idea that all sources fail open. I am curious... If the PLC fails do you have a emergency way to close in on a source, and have it stay closed in? for example if you have a push button to manually operate a contactor, does it stay closed when you release the button?

First, it's great to plan early. Second you should buy a boat and start enjoying the hobby. You do not need to buy the perfect retirement boat, what you need to do is get out on the water. Start building skills. Start exploring where and when you can get away from work. Then... you will know...

I'm curious??? You are running the Aux contacts into the PLC and checking those contacts as a verification of open or closed before closing in on a power source... Great design! Have you ever considered running your closing coil currents through the aux contacts of the other energy source...

Thanks very much!!! It might be a fun hobby to take up and keep the brain sharp.

Wow! People probably do not realize the complexity of what you just described. Which PLC is your preferance? Are you coding the PLC by hand or using a GUI? This is really interesting. I've worked in automation engineering in the electrical industry on RTU's and Protective Relays, but never...

The problem with the design is that with the pilothouse to the rear of the boat and the cabin beneath you really have two choices. Either galley aft and up, or forward and down. American designs tend to prefer a pilothouse more mid boat, which allows for a salon and galley aft of the...

I think the whole idea of making a "run" or relocating your boat between two spots, is different than how "most" cruisers actually use their boats. Perhaps I am missing something here but, this is my take being surrounded by cruisers every day and listening to their cruising plans as they deal...

I would argue that if folks are asking what tools they need, they have never before used tools. not that it's bad, it just points out the differing life experiences of boat owners.

The 3388 has a great interior. It is a very liveable boat for it's size. Lots of people operate their boats at hull speed by choice. If that's the speed you want to travel at it might be the perfect boat for you at a bargain price. The 3388 is stern heavy with OEM engines, and might be...

Your guess of 50 kn is probably pretty close.