During our 2024 sailing season, we focused on familiarizing ourselves with Sialia, our Aloha 32. As with any change-of-boat, there were challenges with various marine systems, including aging rigging, electrical, and mechanical components. Our primary goal was to enhance safety and ease-of-use, so we spent much of our time problem-solving and planning the modernization of these systems. For the 2025 season, we plan to implement the knowledge we gained throughout this year into several (do-able) technical projects, which include:
Re-plumbing Water Systems: We will overhaul our water plumbing to improve efficiency and reliability, incorporating new materials and fittings to prevent leaks and enhance flow. 40 years of previous owners have left hose and fitting that “lead nowhere”, or terminate in cut pipe! We will pull all the redundant stuff out.
Installation of Tank Level Gauges: We aim to add tank level gauges to provide real-time monitoring of our potable water, ensuring better water-use management during our trips. I overfilled the two tanks a few times last season!
Revision of Solar Controller Panel: We will update the solar controller panel designed in the previous season to optimize energy management and increase solar panel efficiency. I completely re-wired both the DC and AC distribution systems in 2024. Solar charging was new to me, and although I think I made some improvements in the safety of the existing systems, I would like to use some of what I learned in using it last season to reduce the likelihood of overcharging batteries. Also, I would very much like to know what is happening with the charging system when we are ashore, so I will be adding a Raspberry Pi contraption with a Wi-Fi dongle to facilitate remote access of connectable systems. For the Raspberry Pi computer — don’t assume that I am that smart! Thankfully, there is a vast number of user-programmers out there in the boating community, and many plans are available open-source.
Re-rigging the Boom: This project will include rigging an internal outhaul, and re-thinking reefing lines to enhance mainsail handling and performance.
Dry Bilge Project: I designed and started to install this in October. This is an undertaking aimed at creating a near-dry bilge environment, minimizing water accumulation, and the subsequent stagnation and damp smells.
Improved Ventilation: We will enhance ventilation in critical areas, including battery, holding tanks, and sub-galley compartments, to prevent moisture buildup and ensure component longevity.
We hope that these projects will improve Sialia’s overall performance and comfort, which is already pretty amazing!
Below is a mock-up of a new solar controller panel. The first image shows the original, the middle shows what I rigged for last season (including a switch to isolate power from solar panels), and the addition of “smart” battery monitor. Lastly, the current design will include dual water tank gauges, and I will change the solar controller from a PWM dual bank controller to a remotely mounted single MPPT controller for charging the house bank, with a monitor here. The start battery will be topped up through a DC-DC charger instead of using the solar controller directly (in our experience last year, it rarely needed charging, while the house bank nearly always did). My instinct to add a cutoff switch was sort of correct — the new switch will be the better two-pole photovoltaic switch (isolating pos and neg). Oh — and I am toying with adding an (inexpensive, used) inverter… but I have resisted having one of these on board for the past 15 years.
