Does anyone have an external device to charge their batteries while they are away from the boat or moored somewhere, not the kind that plugs into a slip source but wind driven or solar? I am looking for inexpensive means to keep my boat batteries charged when not in use.

Richard, I've had a solar panel aboard Winnie the Pooh since his launch in 1997. It's a Kyocera 75w panel, and it's bigger than necessary to keep the 8 golf-cart batteries topped up. Depending on the size of your battery bank, you might get by with a smaller panel. If the panel size is limited to about 1% of the battery bank size (40 watts for a 400 amp-hr bank), no regulator is needed. Solar panels have come down in price a good bit since 1997; I would probably installer a bigger 130w or so panel today, so that the refrigeration could be left running for long periods, but would then need a regulator also. Mark Richter, "Winnie the Pooh", Ortona, FL on the Okeechbee Waterway Mark's Mobile Marine General boat repairs at my dock or yours Specializing in electrical system design, installation and repair > Does anyone have an external device to charge their batteries while they > are > away from the boat or > moored somewhere, not the kind that plugs into a slip source but wind > driven > or solar? > > I am looking for inexpensive means to keep my boat batteries charged when > not > in use. .