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Power Systems on Great American II

It is important to have an electrical system aboard Great American II, as electricity is needed to power the navigation equipment, water maker, lights, etc. There are several different ways that the batteries aboard Great American II are charged. The engine can be used, although it is noisy and burns up fuel. The wind chargers are very effective at charging the batteries and create minimal noise compared to the engine. The solar panels are good to have if there should be no wind for a prolonged period of time.

Marine batteries in their compartment. 2 x 180 amp-hour AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) house batteries. 1 x 75 amp-hour (Gel Cell) starting battery.	The diesel engine can be used to charge the batteries via 170 amp alternator (located in the upper right-hand corner). The engine is a Yanmar 38 HP diesel with a SailDrive propeller.
Wind chargers, located at the stern of the boat. These are AirMarine 400 and AirMarine X Windchargers. With 20 knots of apparent wind, they generate 12+ amps.	Solar panels, located beneath the boom. Seven solar panels have a capacity to generate at 7.5 amps total. .