110 Cookson Lane | Whitefield, ME 04353 | 207-232-7600 | tim@lackeysailing.com
Snow Lily | Tuesday, June 4, 2013
With the arrival of some last-minute materials, I got back to work on the electrical system. With another length of 2/0 battery cable, I made up a jumper between the two battery banks, then secured the positive and negative cables to their appropriate terminals on the batteries. To cover the batteries and protect against accidental contact with the terminals, I fashioned a cover from 1/4" acrylic sheet, which I'd later strap into position.
With the connections complete, it was time to power up the system for the first time. With some trepidation--something my inherent nature would never seem to overcome--I turned the main battery switch, fortunately with no dramatics involved. Leaving the main electric motor breaker (a 250A breaker contained within the 48V distribution box) alone for now, I first checked out the 12V and 24V electrical systems, powering up interior lighting, navigation lights, instruments, VHF, and refrigerator. All tested positive for operation.
The e-xpert pro battery monitor also came to life along with the system, reading 55.6 volts, or full.
With all the basics checked out, next I turned on the main breaker for the propulsion system and took steps to operate the electric motor. To my dismay, I could get no life out of anything related to the motor: no display on the Sevcon status unit on the electrical panel; no power to the motor; no power to the controller. I double-checked all my wiring, and pored over various instructions looking for something that I missed, all to no avail. Eventually, after a phone consultation with James Lambden at Propulsion Marine, the supplier of the entire electric propulsion system and related components, we were able to determine that a simple tripped breaker--located on the back, hidden side of the 48V distribution box, and connected to the logic control wire for the controller--was the culprit, and after resetting the breakers the system came to life and tested operational. The only way to visually document this was to show the Sevcon display unit on the electric panel.
Total Time on This Job Today: 5 hours
