For most sailors finding energy saving devices that draw the minimum possible power is a crucial part of our decision making process. Of course, for those planning to cross the Atlantic or Pacific – or indeed anyone intending on doing any sort of bluewater cruising – these concerns are important in order to maintain a level of comfort at sea when there are few options to recharge batteries and limited fuel for engines.

Even for those only interested in cruising in short coastal hops from port-to-port, energy saving devices are still essential for those who want to be mindful of their energy consumption in these increasingly green times – and for those who have taken the plunge with an electric yacht.

Here, we’ve taken a look at some of the best energy saving products on the market for all your boating needs.

Best energy saving devices for boating

Meacodry Arete One Dehumidifier

A ‘game changer’ for preventing damp on a boat. When coupled with the MeacoDry Arete One Pump (£60), the MeacoDry Arete One dehumidifier offers non-stop drainage; the pump fits inside the unit’s water tank and lifts water away to 2.5m high, emptying into a sink or out of a window.

Arete One assesses humidity levels and adjusts fan speeds; running full pelt when required, then slowing as humidity reduces to provide the best balance between fast dehumidification and lowest possible noise level – at 40 and 41dB it is twice as quiet as the industry standard. It comes with a 3m drain hose and has a Night Mode. A medical grade H13 HEPA filter means it doubles up as an air purifier.

Price: from £260
Buy the Meacodry Arete One Dehumidifier from Amazon

Caframo Sirocco II fan

Quiet operation and a low power draw makes the Sirocco II fan, from SEEKR by Caframo, ‘especially suited to confined interiors such as below deck’. The 95 x 241 x 311mm gimbaled design offers 360° directional airflow and folds flat when not in use.

Available in black or white, it has three fan speeds and four timer settings. The Sirocco II moves up to 185 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air and automatically senses voltage, so it can run on 12V or 24V DC power. For 12V, the amperage range is 0.12A-0.35A.

Price £184
Buy Caframo Sirocco II fan from Amazon

Mastervolt ChargeMaster Plus

Quieter, smaller and lighter than previous designs, Mastervolt’s four new ChargeMaster Plus models operate as plug-and-play standalone battery chargers or as part of a larger system. Designed for easy installation in confined spaces, the 12/35-3, 12/50-3, 24/20-3 and 24/30-3 models have three outputs capable of delivering the maximum current for fast charging.

Each output can individually go into pre-float, which means voltage is no longer applied when not needed, keeping full charge current available for the other outputs. All ChargeMaster Plus chargers can communicate with displays, shunts and power systems including communication standards
like CZone and NMEA 2000, without the need for additional interfaces.

Specially suited to bluewater yachts, the charger resists large voltage spikes and high temperatures; useful in places where power supplies are erratic and unreliable, and also helps protect any sensitive equipment that may be connected to the DC system during charging.

The four models can be used with all types of batteries – lithium ion, gels and AGMs. When coupled with Mastervolt’s MLI Ultra 1250, it can deliver great power out of a very small system, and the new ChargeMaster Plus models will be able to quickly recharge the lithium battery when connected to a 230V power source.

For example the MLI Ultra 120 24V could be recharged from 20% depth of discharge to 100% using the ChargeMaster Plus 24/30 in 1 to 1.5 hours. The new range can be a drop-in replacement of a previous generation ChargeMaster.

Price: From £424
Buy the Mastervolt ChargeMaster Plus from Amazon

Paguro 4 MY diesel generator

Advance Yacht Systems’ Paguro 4 MY diesel generator is a compact, high-output generator made possible by marrying the Yanmar L70N engine used on the Paguro 4 SY with permanent magnet generator technology. The result is the smallest, lightest and most powerful diesel generator in its class. It is claimed this generator fills the gap in the market for a small, powerful machine for installation in yachts where space is tight, but electrical loads have grown. Provides 3.5kW output.

Price: £5,940
Buy the Paguro 4 MY generator from advanceyacht

Fischer Panda H2O eco watermarker

Suited to small- to mid-size sailing yachts with limited power options, Fischer Panda’s H20 ECO Series of automatic watermakers are available in two models; providing 400 or 600 gallons per day (GPD). Drawing 1Ah for approximately 3 litres of drinking water production, the ‘extremely quiet’, 283 x 487 x 627mm reverse osmosis water desalination units work with AC or DC power, weigh 54 to 57kg and require minimal maintenance. The 400 GPD unit produces 17 gallons per hour of potable water at 240W.

Price: £12,960
Buy the Fischer Panda H2O eco watermaker from Fischer Panda

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