The Winchelsea goes green, and off the grid!

By Sailor Keddy -
It's official, I am now living pretty comfortably and very green, generating my own power off the grid. When I first came to Newport, my batteries were shot, I had a small solar panel with the incorrect voltage for my batteries, and no engine/alternator combination to produce electricity. As you may remember, I was charging my iPhone at work and using candles at night on the boat. It wasn't the most convenient thing, and it certainly needed improvements, but it worked for a while.

I first upgraded to a larger, more appropriate solar panel, and with that I could now charge my phone, turn on a couple of lights for a few hours and even use the VHF radio, wow! I also replaced the batteries for free, since they were covered under warranty. My dad generously gave me a wind turbine for Christmas since he's in the industry, and its been a long road of failed installation attempts, saving some money for the factory mounting kit and finding a day to do it, but it's finally up, see the pictures below...



I wouldn't have considered it "green" before simply because my needs were not being met. I was getting by, but I couldn't run my computer, or any of my sailing instruments or running lights. With the turbine now up and running, I have fully charged my batteries in only a few days of a stiff 15 to 20 knots of breeze.

All that being said, I'd say I'm probably in the running for one of the greenest people out there. The only fossil fuels I use are a little propane for cooking, and about a gallon of gas every week or two in my dinghy. Living this life, and working on projects like this has really shown me that you really can live pretty comfortably with a lot less than you'd think. And actually, given my lifestyle, the view I wake up to every morning, line of work, and people I've met, I'd venture to say I have a bit more.

Comments

Unknown said…
You are a green machine! Haven't had a chance to read the blog in a while. Hope all is well!!
August 3, 2010 at 3:28 PM
Christina Tobin said…
Ralph would be proud.
August 8, 2010 at 1:15 AM
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