We had bought “Elektra” in November 2016 and spent extra money on new standing rigging, new cabin heater and generally getting her how we wanted for sailing this season.
Then came the delivery passage in March, not without its problems with the engine but mainly due to not knowing our new yacht very well at the time. The engine has since proved to be very reliable.
We have lived with the electrics as they are this season but it is clear now we will have to increase the battery power before next season. She had been set up for shore power which is good if you have it but on a swing mooring we do not. She has 2x70ahr batteries for domestic and a 70ahr for engine. I am going to remove the 70ahr for the engine and fit 2x new 110hr batteries instead as a 2nd domestic bank plus fit a fixed solar panel charger. Also changing all the cabin lights to LEDs.
I will also be doing some carpentry, little things really but all of which will make living aboard easier.
We used her lots though March-mid July, delivery in March, Fowey in April and May, Yealm River one weekend in June and The Isles of Scilly over the 1st week of July after that the weather turned poor and we only sailed locally. In the end logging 715nm this season.
Elektra has bilge keels, I have always been told bilge keels yachts don’t point very well, this is not true in the Sadler fleet, our Sadler 29 points very well indeed and fast with it. She will sail in almost no wind, true we do have to reef early as the wind picks up but she will still look after us in a blow. Vicki and I are delighted of how well our Sadler 29 sails, she hasn’t disappointed us.
The numbers are, days aboard in the 2017 season were 70 of which we sailed for 43 of them and logged 716nm, we slept aboard 49 nights and 28 of them were at anchor.
Love Sailing 
Hi Bruce, enjoying your blog. Not sure why you would need 4 x 70 ahr domestic batteries. I have a Starlight 35 with 1 x 100 engine batt plus 2 x 100 ahr domestic, totally 300 aHr compared to your planned 350 in total. When I bought my boat 3 yrs ago I changed all the cabin lights to LED and replaced all 3 batteries.
I have two chartplotters, water pump and fridge plus instruments and so far have not had any issues with shortage of power. However, we do spend a lot of time in Marina’s , hooked up to shore power.
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Hi Roy
Yes our power seemed to be ok when we were hooked up to shore power in Cobbs Quay, Poole and the last time we used it in Salcombe on our delivery passage in March. After that just being on a swing mooring or at anchor, the batteries just have not coped. I spent the summer saving power where I could, changing lights to LEDs, I even bought a petrol power gen to top up power if anchored for more than two nights.
Anyway I am hoping the solar panel will top up the batteries next summer.
I am glad you are enjoying my blog, I am going to continue with it in years to come.
All the best
Bruce
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