About the Ocean Angel
After our first trip to the Bahamas Joy and I decided to add a few convenience items. We had already replaced the engine driven refrigeration with a Frigoboat 12 volt keel-cooled system, but that didn't keep the cabin very cool. So we added a 16,500 BTU ducted air conditioning system manufactured by Flagship Marine in Ft. Lauderdale. Here it is off to the right tucked underneath the navigation desk. How in the world? Another story; it cools the entire boat, but it's been a constant source of irritation with noise, vibration, and break downs. Flagship took a look at the unit when we returned from Guatemala to the States, but all the repairs were at my expense. So now with this latest repair, I have spent about $800 in repairs on a 6 year old unit. Right now I'm ready to toss it over board and start again.
I made big improvements to both the 12 volt and 120 volt electrical systems. When we bought our Angel, shore power was European and all the 120 volt system was foreign to me, but with the help of Beneteau USA I was able to re-configure the system to US standards. I re-wired the boat, and added new 120 volt panels, breakers, and devices throughout the boat. I installed a Xantrex 2500 inverter charger, Link 1000 control, and new heavier wiring throughout. I now know the system front to back, and thus far, it has been flawless.
The photo above shows the original Navigation station with the European shore power controls behind the binoculars. Below you see how the new system is put together with Blue Seas 120 volt panels. All the new electronics were installed after the 2008 lightning strike, but the layout is identical to my modifications of 2001 - 2002. When we are underway I add the laptop computer linked to the GPS and communications systems to make the system complete. What you cannot see is all the work that went into changing the wiring behind the panels.
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When we bought the boat, the wiring and electronics were original, 16 years old, so we replaced everything. When lightning struck in the spring of 2008, I had the opportunity to do it all over again. What fun! Nearly all the wiring was replaced a second time, the keel bolts were replaced, the mast was re-wired (again), the navigation lights were all replaced, VHF radios, cables, antennas, the works, every single electrical component - again. Even the lightning ground system as that was also blown apart. The rigging was undamaged, thankfully, as we had replaced all the rigging only two years earlier.
The old keel bolts coming out and the new ones installed below. These massive full width stringers are spaced about every 2 feet, bow to stern.
