I recently took on an interesting project to install a dedicated lithium battery to power our boat’s bow thruster and anchor windlass. I’m pleased to share the experience with you. Previously, these systems ran off the starter AGM batteries and alternator, but I wanted to experiment with a dedicated power source. I got my hands … Read more
In this video, I install a new safety and navigation aid called AIS on our 34-foot CHB trawler. The AIS (Automatic Identification System) will use our VHF antenna to send and receive information about us and other boats in the local area. We chose the Em-Trak brand – B954 model. While anchored in a nice, … Read more
I’m back working on the boat, and today’s project was installing the new 24-volt motor for its SideShift bow thruster. The existing 12-volt unit is about eight years old and has developed a squeaky prop from a hardened seal that let in some water. The company liked my lithium battery experiments from last year, so … Read more
I recently tackled an issue with our boat’s Side Shift bow thruster. After a complete overhaul last year, which included sanding, repainting, and upgrading the wiring with a lithium battery system, the thruster failed to respond at Port McNeill Marina due to a faulty wireless controller. Frustrated by recurring wireless issues, including interference from VHF … Read more
I’m experimenting with upgrading my boat’s bow thruster by switching from AGM to lithium batteries to shorten wire runs. The Side Shift brand thruster, externally mounted at the bow, originally used two AGM starter batteries with a 20-foot wire run to the relay, which reduced efficiency. Disclaimer: I’m not a marine technician, just an end … Read more
In this video, I install a UVC purification faucet on our vintage CHB trawler that we use as a liveaboard home in the summers on the British Columbia coast. With the combo of the GoBluTech 3-stage filter system and their drinking water faucet, we will have clean water for drinking and cooking. To install, I … Read more
I recently upgraded the deck lighting on my boat to enhance safety, particularly when anchoring in dark conditions. I chose 45-watt LED floodlights from Amazon, called Jaslites, with 5,500 lumens for bright, stable illumination. They’re designed for harsh marine environments, featuring waterproof DT connectors, an IP67 rating, and aluminum heat sinks for enhanced durability. I … Read more
Anne and I are continuing to prepare our 1976 CHB trawler for summer cruising. Part two shows you my work at the boat’s bow: cleaning and rewiring the Side Shift bow thruster for a new LiFePO battery bank and power washing the forward bilge and anchor locker drain passage. Anne is making headway removing the … Read more
In this video, I install an under-sink reverse osmosis water filter system with UV purification. Model Q3-600UV from SimPure. The installation went well overall, except for a problem with the fresh water line. My RV uses a straight PEX pipe, so I had to buy a couple of Sharkbite fittings to make it work. Then … Read more
I’m back with another product review—this time, it’s a fan from Titan, a company out of Taiwan. I’ve been using their fans to keep my RV fridge running efficiently by cooling the outside enclosure, and they’ve worked great. Last winter, I installed one of their rack-mount cross-flow blower fans, which did the job despite a … Read more
In this RV mod/upgrade, I installed a USB outlet plate in this video into my RV. The Wattcycle USB power panel features a USB-C and USB-A outlet with blue backlighting, a hinged cover, and a power switch. The installation was pretty straightforward, only requiring a hookup to 12VDC. An additional fuse may be required depending … Read more
In this video, I give you my take on another Guta tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). I’ve already reviewed an older model, and you can check that out if you’re interested. This time, they reached out to me with a newer version, and I decided to give it a go because the display is quite … Read more
Quick look at some of the stuff I have added to and modded in our RV shower. Our trailer is a 2011 Keystone Cougar fifth wheel. Related Links: Shower Racks Corner Bars Shower Cut-off Valve – Fury RV Shower Head – Shower Pan Patch Video Faucet Replacement Video
In this video, I hook up and test the new Charger 1 from Bluetti. The Charger 1 device transfers up to 560 watts of charging power from your vehicle’s battery/alternator to Bluetti power stations. This allows for much faster recharging times than the traditional 12V automotive power sockets, which are limited to about 100 watts. … Read more
I wanted to share my thoughts on the new Weber Q1000 grill that Anne got me for Christmas. She picked it out herself, and it turned out to be the perfect choice. We used to have an O Grill, which we bought back in 2011 during our first RV trip. It served us well for … Read more