Lurching towards Lithium

Melissa’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean we don’t have the power?  We’ve been motoring all day long.  Surely the batteries are charged now!”

Sadly, Melissa’s brow spent much of September and October a-furrowed. Our 440 Amp Hours of Lifeline AGM batteries were aging and and could no longer deliver the juice they once did (Something I can relate to). Even with good sun on our solar panels and the Balmar 110 amp alternator running, the batteries would not accept as much power when new.

Our old Lifeline batteries. These were top of the line when we left the dock in 2017.

Our old Lifeline batteries. These were top of the line when we left the dock in 2017. Somehow it escaped my attention that they were almost seven years old

I should have foreseen this crisis.  When we were preparing the boat for this cruise, I was busily adding new instrumentation and communications equipment.  We now sport Garmin Radar and wind instruments, an electric toilet, an AIS class B transceiver, and Starlink internet in addition to a not inconsiderable number of power hungry devices already aboard.

Oh and a 2000 watt Victron inverter charger! Let’s not forget that. That inverter opens up a veritable Pandora’s box of amp sucking geegaws that seem to mysteriously find their way onto the boat. This isn’t a new phenomena.  A quiet battle has been raging on Galapagos about supply and demand since the beginning. Even as I type, Melissa is wondering out loud if we could install a washer/dryer combo in the V-Berth.  Check out some of our earlier posts on the subject Here and Here.

By the time we reached San Diego it was clear that we would need to replace the old batteries. My first instinct was to simply buy another set of Lifelines.  That would be the easiest route. But who wants to do things the easy way? Not us!

We had been hearing that regular cruisers were now installing Lithium batteries (technically Lithium Iron Phosphate, or LiFePO for short) onto boats with great success.  This particular chemistry is now widely available and has addressed many of the safety concerns of earlier Lithium battery types.

Thus emboldened to consider a serious upgrade to our power system, I began to research, perseverate, ponder and cogitate on the myriad choices available. There are so many great resources available on the subject and it is amazing how much effort folks put into creating great advice and content.  Links to some of the articles and channels that helped me are below.

After much hand wringing, I bought two 460 Amp Hour Epoch batteries. These things are an amazing value and have features I would never have considered possible in a battery. For example:

  • 300A Max Continuous Discharge (500A 30s Discharge)
  • 230A Max Continuous Charge (300A 10s Charge)
  • Built in 500 Amp Class T fuse
  • IP67 Rated, Dust and WATERPROOF
  • HEATED – Internal heating for below 0C charging
  • BLUETOOTH – iOS and Android Apps
  • CANBUS Communication allows BMS to communicate directly with Victron OS
  • Mountable ON/OFF Switch
  • Mountable Battery gauge
Our two Epoch 460 AHr batteries. These are an 8D form factor. On the right hand side, you can see the power switch and a row of dip switches for setting up series/parallel configuration. The power switch is an especially useful safety feature.

Our two Epoch 460 AHr batteries. These are an 8D form factor. On the right hand side, you can see the power switch and a row of dip switches for setting up series/parallel configuration. The power switch is an especially useful safety feature.

Out of this impressive list of features the fact that I could integrate the Battery Management System (BMS) with the Victron equipment I had was intriguing. This means that the battery would tell the charger what it needs. Charging batteries correctly is the key to a long and useful life. Living with lead acid batteries on a boat it is difficult to give them the love that they need; don’t discharge below 50% capacity, do bring them up to full charge often, AGMs prefer one charge profile while traditional wet cell batteries  want to be charged differently.

Each battery came with a well made set of 700mm battery cables. These made the installation that much easier.

Each battery came with a well made set of 1 meter battery cables. These made the installation that much easier.

Now, the battery can tell most of the charge sources (not all) what it needs.  The Victron Multiplus charger and both solar chargers are controlled by the Epoch BMS.  The Balmar alternator is not that intelligent and special considerations have been made to ensure that the alternator maintains both a safe charge profile and is itself protected from working too hard.

Any project of this magnitude requires more than just a pair of batteries.  I installed a Victron Cerbo GX to provide the communications interface between the various charge devices and the batteries but it does so much more.  The Cerbo offers a number of digital and analog inputs for displaying alarms, tank levels etc.  It also has a built in web server which provides visibility and control of all of the various Victron devices. And since the Cerbo is networked via our Starlink router, that visibility and control is available anywhere in the world.

One concern I have is the reliability of these fancy new batteries in extreme conditions.  For example, would a lightning strike destroy the BMS, rendering the whole battery useless? I don’t have a spare BMS but plan on acquiring one. This worry led me to maintain a set of traditional wet cell batteries for the engine and windlass.  They are three inexpensive (Interstate) Group 24 batteries that are used only for start and windlass duties but if the worst should happen, I can switch them over to provide power to the house and vital navigation electronics.  While it would be difficult and expensive to plan for every dark contingency, I feel this strategy provides some old school redundancy. Let’s hope I never need it.

This is the power distribution diagram for Galapagos. Note that a Victron DC-DC 30 amp charger is used to supply charging voltage to the Wet Cell batteries. Click on image for a larger view.

This is the power distribution diagram for Galapagos. Note that a Victron DC-DC 30 amp charger is used to supply charging voltage to the Wet Cell batteries. Click on image for a larger view.

One potentially controversial decision I made was in how the I use the alternator to charge the LiFePo batteries.  Because the BMS can disconnect the batteries from a charge source for a variety of reasons, there is a risk that the alternator could be unceremoniously disconnected from the batteries.  Alternators do not like to be dumped. Who does? If this happens a large field voltage spike is generated which can destroy the rectifier diodes.  For this reason, provisions must be made to prevent such an occurrence or minimize its effects if it does happen.

Conventionally, the alternator would be charging a lead battery and the LiFePo bank would be charged via a DC-DC charger. That way there is always a battery to charge into.  But when I was sourcing my Victron charger, all I could get was a 30 amp charger (I think a 50 amp charger is now available). Since my alternator can comfortably deliver 75 amps to the LiFePo bank I would be missing out on all that juice, something I am loathe to do.

So I have reversed the process and charge the lead battery from the LiFePo bank using the DC-DC 30 amp charger.  To mitigate any risks of damage of a battery disconnect, I  have installed the Balmar APM-12 protection module to our alternator which will clamp field voltage spikes to prevent damage to the diodes and other electrical devices. I also have a manual field disconnect switch which I can use if the batteries are approaching 100% State of Charge. Additionally, I have de-rated the alternator using the Belt Saver feature on the regulator to keep the alternator running a lower operating temperature, about 80 degrees C at present.

The DC-DC charger and the Cerbo GX module.

The DC-DC charger and the Cerbo GX module.

If I acquire a second, larger DC-DC charger, I may reconfigure this setting. For now, I am comfortable with the risks.  The likelihood that both batteries would go offline at the same time seems fairly low.  Maybe I can buy another Epoch battery and then further minimize the risk.

So far, I have been ecstatic about how this new system is working.  I have taken the 920AHr house bank down to 13 percent SOC and charged it back to 50 percent in 4 hours. If I run the generator and the alternator and solar at the same time, I can put 150 amps into the house bank without worry. Well, I still worry, but less than I used to.  I love not having to to charge the bank up to 100% SOC. For a cruising sailboat that is a big deal.

We are presently anchored off of Isla San Geronimo, about a third of the way down the Pacific coast of the Baja Peninsula. Today we motored for about three hours until the wind got up and we sailed the rest of the day. The graphic below depicts our energy demands and production.  This is probably not totally accurate as it does not correctly account for the power generated when the alternator was running. Maybe I need a smart shunt.

One of the many nice features of the Cerbo GX is the ability to create a Victron Remote Monitor (VRM) account. With it you can not only control your Victron devices but gain insights into your energy production and usage.

One of the many nice features of the Cerbo GX is the ability to create a Victron Remote Monitor (VRM) account. With it you can not only control your Victron devices but gain insights into your energy production and usage.

This is a long post and most readers are likely bored silly. Hopefully it will help those of you that may be considering the switch to LiFePo batteries. Remember, this is just one data point by a guy on the internet. Do your research and make decisions based on your own circumstances.

Here are a few of my favorite resource as I began this journey.

Off Grid Garage :This guy is very knowledgeable and entertaining.  He is an Australian dirt dweller but well worth a visit.  Lots of youtube videos about LiFePo and various battery monitoring systems.

MV Intrique He has a couple of videos on the Epoch 460 AHr batteries and has done a good job of explaining some of advantages of these batteries.

Panbo An excellent review of the Epoch Battery with a tear down.  This site gave me great confidence in the build quality of these batteries.

Marine How To If you have done any research into batteries and charging, You have visited Rod Collins’ site.  He has done a lot for the DIY community.  Rod had a massive stroke two years back and is slowly recovering. If you find his articles useful, think about donating to his site.

Gui Mods The Cerbo GX is a Linux based platform so of course smart folks have hacked the interface and made it better.  I highly recommend the Gui Mods.  This video is a primer on what the mods do and how to install them onto your Cerbo.

It’s That Time of Year, Again

Based on the fact that Thanksgiving is barely over, I imagine your thoughts have turned to the obvious question: What should I give the cruisers on my holiday gift giving list? Don’t worry, capitalist friends. Little Cunning Plan has you covered. This year, in an absolute spree of money-spending glee, we added a bunch of smallish items to beloved Galapagos that have turned out to be money well spent, indeed. Not to be proprietary about this kind of intel, we’re sharing the details with readers so they can get ahead of the gift-buying and enjoy the season stress free. No need to thank us. We live to serve.

Inside Hotel del Coronado they are already pushing the holiday theme. This gorgeous Christmas tree is simply breathtaking.

You’ll want to hop on these gifts asap since the economy is waiting for your cash, so I won’t spent much time waxing on about the weather here in San Diego. (Coolish with a chance of sunshine.) We won’t yet discuss our dying bank of batteries and the choice we’ve made to power our daily life on board. (Hint: it starts with an L.) I won’t bore you with all the details about all the social functions we have attended;  aboard Galapagos, at a local yacht club,  and also on the boats of new friends. If you’re the social media type you can follow Sea Dream of Clyde, and Sailing Sphynx and their hilarious cats as they adventure forth. We are pleased to count these worthy folks among our new friends. They’re both here in San Diego enroute to Ensenada. Meanwhile, here’s our list of goodies. Full disclosure: we are not Amazon affiliates, or any kind of affiliates at all.

  1. It’s hard to overstate the convenience of being able to serve a cold beverage without watering down your guest’s drinks. These reusable ice cubes have served their purpose very well. I even put them in wine because I like mine cold and crisp. They don’t take up as much room in the freezer as ice trays do, but also you can’t make a blended margarita with them. We all have our challenges.
  2. Entertaining with bubbly wine and you’ve already had as much as you should have? Save the rest with this fabulous bubble wine saver cork. Yes, it really works. Not only that, but it is a lot less money than the expensive Le Creuset one that only works on REAL Champagne bottles, which apparently are made a special way. I know this because I bought the expensive one and had to return it because it didn’t fit the cheap wine that I actually like just fine, thanks. I have kept bottles of Prosecco in the fridge for as many as 5 days (only because I forgot I had it) and the cork still popped aggressively when I took it off the bottle. Well recommended.
  3. Partied too hard and need a latte’ but you are at anchor and nowhere near a good coffee shop? I’ve got you covered, especially if your batteries are not dying. Even if they are. Just turn on the engine for about 60 seconds, pay no attention to the battery police,  and whip your milk into a heated froth. I actually bought this Secura milk frother in 2016 and it has continued to work seamlessly and yummily. Not only that, but the price is still about where it was back then. WHAT?? There is no 12 volt version, so you’re gonna have to have DC outlets on the boat. But if this is you, this is worth the money. You, too, can practice your foamed milk latte’ art while at anchor.

    Yes, that is the same Copco coffee mug I have been using since 2015 when I wrote this post. I notice back in 2015 when I wrote that one, I was using a rechargeable Bodum frother. I replaced that frother with this one and am much happier. I am also falling over myself laughing at the portable stepper I bought way back then thinking I would use it. Maybe I did. But not for long. Still have the Turkish towels, though. And the hammock, the food sealer, and the Dry Case backpacks, which Mike uses but I find to be too heavy and hot.

    What did I tell you? I’m not lying. I never lie about coffee. Yes, I still drink the instant coffee I learned to love in Scotland.

    4.  This fairly inexpensive solar cooker. Yes, there are more expensive solar cookers out there that look almost the same. However, I’m just not going to spend over 400$ on a solar cooker because, technically, I already have one and, well, just no. I have this one, the price of which has gone up CONSIDERABLY since I bought it in 2019. I rarely have used this because if you are not on board to keep it turned facing the sun, it doesn’t work that well. On the other hand, you can put a big pot inside this and if you tend to the unit, it works great. For the recent price, though, I would not buy it. Basically it’s plasticized cardboard and you have to put it together each time you use it. I’m kind of hoping that our new lithium batteries (shhhhh! Michael will talk about those in the future.) will make this unit obsolete and I can find someone else who will use it.
    I’ve used the new, sleek cooker once already and have been pleased with the result. I baked potatoes. While that is not exactly rocket science, the truth is that I put the potatoes in the oven and walked away and went snorkeling. I didn’t stay on board to baby the thing. When I came back the potatoes were done perfectly and I was dead pleased with myself and with this cooker. It is pretty well made. I mean, how hard can it be to make what is, in effect, a sort of vacuumish tube with reflectors? The case is heavy duty and the unit is really easy to set up and get going. I like it and will be using it to bake things when I don’t want to heat up my salon with the propane oven.

    This unit is Patrick-approved.

    5.  Z Block lip protective balm in a stick. Reef safe lip protection. We are always looking for safe ways to protect our skin from UV rays and Michael’s lips are particularly sensitive to certain chemicals that are found in many cosmetic products. I ordered this stuff with hope in my heart and I am pleased to say that not only does it work, but it doesn’t hurt him or the precious fish we love to watch in their watery homes. We’ve stocked up. They also make an overall sunscreen, although I have not looked at the ingredients on that yet. 6.  Up all night because the winds piped up and you couldn’t sleep due to fear? Diligence? You be the judge. This Bucky Ultralight sleep mask will block the dreadful sunlight and allow you to get some well deserved shut eye. I like this mask in particular because it doesn’t press down on my face and it has cupped eye covers. It’s inexpensive enough you can stock some for guests as well. This is my second one. I wore out the first one but it took well over a year of nightly wear due to streetlights being right outside my window back at the house. Yes, I do have light blocking shades, thanks. I just need it to be really dark to actually sleep well. This does the trick. 7.  Maybe you are someone whose body chemistry is attractive to mosquitos. Or maybe you like to go barefoot and, like me, you step on a dying honeybee camouflaged against the rug on your boat and the bee stings you with its last dying gasp. Either way this device has you covered. The Buerer Insect Bite Healer is an important piece of medical kit on our boat. It works with heat. You turn on the unit and gently press its wee circular ceramic plate over the bite or sting and it uses heat to neutralize the venom. It works. Goodbye sleepless nights scratching the itchy mosquito bites and the secondary infection you could get by clawing your skin to bleeding. Same with the bee sting. I rushed to use this on the sting on the bottom of my foot. For good measure, I did it twice. I’m not sure that was necessary, but what I AM sure about is that I suffered no more. No swelling, no tenderness. Two days later it began to itch a little bit. I used the Buerer and then the itching stopped. That’s all the treatment I needed. 8.  Lower your chances of being bitten by mosquitos aboard by using this rechargeable Thermacell unit. We have found this works very well when we are in areas rife with mosquitos. While the unit itself is not overly pricey, the refills are a bit steep. But we still recommend it because it works and it’s easy. We ordered some refills that will last us 120 hours. There is another kind of unit you can get that also works but uses these little pads filled with repellant. You can find instructions on the internet about how to recharge those yourself. We have a supply of the chemical on board and also one of those kinds of units. I find that the pads do not last very long, but they do work. Overall I prefer this rechargeable unit. The downside is that the refills are really expensive and not reusable (unless you are a lifestyle hacker like me and you won’t rest until you figure out a way to reuse that stupid plastic insert). 9.  Maybe, like we aboard Galapagos, you still have to wash clothes by hand. Perhaps, like us, you have not yet remodeled a space to fit one of those nifty Splendide washing machines like they use over on S/V Paragon. After watching this video over a hot tin of early Christmas Cookies last night, I’m not exactly bitter, but I did fall asleep wondering if the forward cabin is being put to enough use. Until I can convince Michael that our small amount of clothing warrants an actual washing machine and the overhaul that cabin would need in order to store one, I am relegated to doing the laundry by hand unless I pay someone else to do it for me (I’m looking at you, Mexico).
    And this is where the Free Pile at Swantown Marina came through for me. One day I happened upon a brand new Breathing Mobile Washer just sitting at the top of the ramp waiting to be adopted by a new home.  This thing takes the ‘plunger and a bucket’ concept to an entirely new level. When you push this device up and down in your bucket of laundry and soapy water, the suction it creates agitates the laundry most satisfyingly. It really pulls and pushes those clothes through the suds! To go with this treasure, I ordered a collapsible fish bucket. Why this fish bucket? Because it has a zippered top with a hole through which I could plunge my new washer, keeping most of the water IN the bucket. In addition, I figured I could load the thing with laundry and let it agitate gently as the boat sailed along, then use the hand washer to finish the load. While smaller than it looks on paper, it holds quite a lot of laundry. This system is working pretty well for me, but it’s not as nice as a Spendide washing machine would be. Still, it’s a lot cheaper. And, after all, we don’t have a lot of clothes and tend to wear the same thing for weeks at a time or until we begin to smell. 10.  Nothing says “I love you, baby” better than giving someone his own personal table for laptop, drink, or the occasional small collection of beach pebbles. As a 1970’s boat, everything on Galapagos seems overly beefy and heavy, which translates into hard-to-deploy. That’s why we took out the huge and heavy teak table in the salon and replaced it with a sleek and easy to maneuver around oval table. On the starboard side, if we wanted a table we’d be giving up a ready-to-nap settee by removing the center cushion and turning over what it rests upon, which is basically a nice coffee table. That’s too much work for us. We’re pretty lazy. Instead we bought this nice, lightweight aluminum table leg system from Lagun USA.  The beauty of this system is that it is completely removable. It also swings out of the way if someone wants to nap on that side of the salon. We like naps on Galapagos. We were in a hurry to leave the dock in Washington, so I found this second hand wooden tray at some thrift shop somewhere and it serves as a nice enough table top until we find something we like better. It’s a great addition. You’re welcome.

S/V Galapagos, standing by on Channel 16.

Galley On the Go

Tonight Michael is sitting across from me on our deep settee, brow furrowed over the decision that is before him: which bottom paint shall we use this time? That’s right, it’s time to haul the boat for a new paint job. In fact, it’s well overdue, much to our shame. So haul the boat we will. This month. That will begin on October 17, Gods willing and weather cooperating.

One day of fun actually SWIMMING in Puget Sound. Actually. Swimming. Weird. Look Ma! No wetsuit.

But wait! There’s more! Tomorrow we leave the slip for the first time in 2 years! Huzzah! Are we going cruising? No we are not. Are we anchoring out for a night, just to remember what that feels like? Nope. Will we raise a sail? HAHAHA! You jest. Those sails are stored at the house. No, we will leave the dock and drift over to the boatyard to have the masts pulled. The sad thing is that this makes us all kinds of excited. The bar for excitement for us, after two years of land life, is so terribly low. Nobody warns you about this when you return to land; that your life will feel so mundane that taking your boat to the yard will be dead exciting. Let me be the first to inform you.

See those wooden shims? Those drove us insane on our voyage to Hawaii. Having dried out when the boat was in Mexico, they squeaked constantly and loudly. Squirting soapy water up into that space about hourly helped loads. Those will be replaced with something else. Something that doesn’t make noise.

Anyhow, here we are excited to get some work done. Making sure our hydraulic steering pump is in good shape and having brand new lines for the fluid was on the lengthy ‘to do’ list and so we had Summers Marine come and pull the steering pump out and send it off to be rebuilt. When the refurbished pump was put back, Mike and Jonathan, our steering guy, bled the air from the system. They bled and bled and bled the lines, getting all the little air bubbles out. Then the system sat for a couple of weeks until Mike turned the engine on tonight and tested out the transmission to reassure ourselves it had not forgotten how to go into reverse and then back into forward gear.

He gave the wheel a few turns. My ears pricked up. He turned the wheel a few more times. Yes, I definitely heard a growling sound that I didn’t like. If my ears can hear it, by definition the noise is loud. More and more turning, a lot more loud growling from the steering mechanism, and pretty soon Michael was in the aft cabin ripping the place apart so he could get to the steering ram and see what was up. Ah, the sweet sound of cushions being tossed around and boards being moved aside! It sure took me back to all those good times where we  (And by ‘we’, I mean ‘Mike’)  were fixing boat things in picturesque anchorages.

Our pump is so old that it can actually be rebuilt. So while the casing looks worn, the innards are new. Shiny new lines!

It sounds like after sitting for awhile, some residual air bubbles have found each other and they are making a hell of a racket while also possibly making the steering a bit stiff. Tomorrow we will pull the masts. And then we will sit at the work dock and bleed that damn system some more. I hope that solves the problem. Otherwise, Jonathan is on standby in case we need him to come on down for a visit. Are we cruising yet? Because it’s starting to feel like we are.

Anyway, I want to get back into the habit of writing this stuff down, now that we are approaching things like mast pullings and boat haul outs. Finally, it feels like we have a lot to report on. Mike has been on a veritable shopping spree for gear and boat parts. New radar (Garmin, to play with our chart plotter), new halyards, a new shaft seal, wind instruments, AIS transceiver, two hatches… and that’s just as of today. We will be making major changes to certain parts of the boat and will write more about those as they happen. We’re are hiring out some fiberglass work to give us proper scuppers to clear water off the decks more easily and to add a radar pole with an outboard engine davit to the aft deck of the boat. We are even working with our rigger to re-work the way the boat is rigged and make sailing her easier for aging sailors who want to stay aboard for as long as possible. The month of October will be interesting and expensive.

As summer is giving way to shorter days and cooler nights, the galley aboard Galapagos is cooking more than usual and frankly it’s easier for me to get my head around the goings on in that space than it is for me to think about the huge number of projects we need to accomplish in the next month and all the big decisions that are waiting to be made.

So I’m easing myself back into the habit of writing by putting together a list of my favorite and most relied upon galley gadgets and tools. These are things I reach for regularly; things that really do make life in a tiny kitchen easier. We are planning to leave the dock next spring. I look forward to using all of these while lying at anchor in a nice cove somewhere; probably while Michael rips cabins apart with his bare hands, chasing down the inevitable puzzling noises that might indicate trouble. I’m ready! Let’s go!

So here are my top ten most-loved galley gadets and gear:

  1. Number one on my list lately is my nifty jumbo sized silicone baking cups. Who knew what a game changer these would be? These are sturdy and hold their shape well, even when filled with batter. Easy to clean, they save me the much-loathed task of cleaning muffin tins. I hate cleaning muffin tins, and I also dislike those little paper inserts, which make more trash anyhow. Dirty muffin tins always seem to sit in the sink, filled with water, in the vain hope that a dishwashing fairy might come and allow me to avoid dealing with them. Alas; the disappointment is always real. Honestly, whenever the mood for muffins arises, I always have to weigh the desire for a tasty morsel with the dreaded dirty muffin tin left behind. No more! These are sturdy enough to stand up to meatloaf or my special egg/sausage/cheese/onion handheld breakfast “muffins” I make for passages. I could probably even bake yeast rolls in them. I like them so much I am tempted to buy them in the smaller size as well. These get bonus points for taking up a lot less room than muffin tins. 
  2. Our new 10.25″ cast iron skillet with lid (sold separately); made in the USA. We have been cooking with a cast iron skillet at home for 40 years. A little thing like moving aboard a boat was unlikely to change that. In fact, when we first moved aboard we brought along our 12″ skillet, a well seasoned cooking tool that we literally used every single day. That skillet had been aboard since we first moved onto the boat and was still in perfect condition. No, it did not rust. (Too much oil on it!) Why did I take that skillet home, ignoring Michael’s tears of grief as he watched me stow it in the cart to carry up to the car? Because it was too big. We have a 4 burner Force 10 stove. That skillet took up 1.5 burners and every time we wanted to do anything OTHER than cook with the skillet, it had to find another place to stay for awhile. I was tired of it. I was tired of putting it on the floor of the shop so I could have a saucepan instead.  Forget about using my pressure cooker if the skillet was at home.  I could not use three burners at a time because that skillet was taking up more than its fair share of burner space. So, after carefully measuring our space, I determined that this  10-ish inch skillet would fit better and would still be more than large enough for us. Only thing was that Michael would have to spend a few years scraping the iron down to a perfectly flat surface for his everyday omelettes. He is learning to live with it. Don’t be afraid to bring your cast iron skillet on board. Nothing cooks better eggs.
  3. Our crock pot. I use this a lot, even underway. Sure, I’ve learned that I cannot overfill it, and it’s best to put it in the sink if we are sailing. Sure, I learned that the hard way. And I actually DO wish that it had a locking lid. But it’s small enough that I can store it and it doesn’t heat up the galley like using the stove; at least not as badly. I use it frequently. It draws little power so our inverter hardly feels a thing as it bubbles along. And it’s great to have a hot dinner ready when we pull into an anchorage after a long day.
  4. Our insulated wine tumblers with lids, made by Rabbit and found at Costco for literally 10$ less than the Amazon price. An impulse purchase, they are proof that my impulses are sometimes good. They keep the beverage cold. Ice keeps overnight in these little tumblers, at least in the Pacific Northwest Summer. Highly recommended. Plus they are really cute and the perfect size for not only my hands, but for the cup holders at the steering pedestal!

    Image absolutely stolen from Amazon. But this is the set we have.

  5. And speaking of ice, these Komax ice cube trays with locking lids have solved the problem of safely making ice aboard a moving boat. We love them. They do not leak and they stack easily in our freezer. We tried a couple of other varieties of locking ice cube trays but were not happy with any of them because the lids leaked. These cubes are small, but that’s ok.

    Ack! Another stolen image from Amazon! Go buy these so they don’t get their knickers in a twist.

  6. The Omnia Stovetop Oven. Honestly, if this had not been a gift, I’m not sure I would have sprung for it. The cost seemed excessive to me for what you get: an aluminum pan and lid, sitting on a steel ring. The gift package I was given also included a silicone insert and a storage bag.  Turns out, this is a great galley addition! My first foray into Omnia cooking was roasting stuffed peppers. Instead of using the silicone insert, I lined the little oven with foil for ease of cleaning and so that the peppers would crisp up. They turned out perfectly! I then tried a brownie mix and that, too, was good. The silicone insert made cleanup very easy with the brownies. I’m excited to weave this into our repertoire as we get going again. And I’m thinking next up will be some kind of muffins using the jumbo silicone muffin cups listed above.

    This image could be from anywhere. But this is what the oven looks like.

  7. Under the category of ‘has stood the test of time’, my little Briefton’s manual food processor is the decided winner.  I bought this before the first big trip, in 2017, and it whips up delicious pico de gallo fast and easy. This was before we added a larger inverter to the boat. I could probably use my Cuisinart now, a real food processor. But I prefer to save the space once we have left the dock and leave the Cuisinart at home.

    I took this photo myself.

    8.  Our Fagor “Elegant Belly” design pressure cooker. Yes, that’s right. This shape is referred to as the ‘elegant belly’ and I actually find this very satisfying. This is an old school manual pressure cooker and is the perfect size for making soups and rice, or beans, or whatever. I never thought I would use it much, but I actually do. I have a fancy Instant Pot, and that’s a nice tool, but it’s too big for my kitchen so I left that at the house. I can make rice in about 3 minutes in this pot. Mine does not have that big handle that is shown in the photo from Amazon below. I’m glad. That looks like it takes up too much space.

    Amazon’s photo show the lovely shape of this pot.

    9.  Our set of nesting Magma non-stick pots. These have really held up over time. We bought these when we had our Cal 34, Moonrise, so about 15 years ago. While I don’t use the skillet (because…cast iron is better) or the soup pot (because my Fagor Elegant Belly has a locking lid), the saucepans are used regularly. They heat up evenly and quickly, and they hold the heat for awhile when the fire is turned off. The finish can still be wiped clean or just given a quick rinse. They seemed expensive to us back then, but I’m glad we spent the money on them.

    10.  This useful collapsing silicone bowl with a handle. I have no idea who made this, or where or even when I bought it. The silicone is yellowing with age and use. Mike uses this literally every day to whip up the eggs for his breakfast. I use this on the occasions when I want to mix up a small amount of a batter. I expect it to crack at a fold pretty much any day now and I’ve been scouring the interweb for a replacement to no avail. This bowl is used so frequently that I generally do not even bother putting it away in the cabinet. If you ever see one of these bowls, let me know right away! And if, early one morning, you hear a high, long, piercing wail of despair coming from the west, it could be that Michael has discovered the death of his beloved silicone mixing bowl.

    WANTED: A 2 cup measuring bowl like this. The handle has multiple positions, it collapses flat to store. Might come in different colors.