We\u2019ve been in dozens of cruiser gatherings \u2013in cockpits, on beaches, in raft ups\u2014and inevitably at some point the discussion \u2013among men particularly\u2014turns to the issue of on-board electrical power–generating, storing and replenishing.<\/p>\n
With all of our modern gadgets, phones, tablets, laptops, plus the growing preference for air conditioning, the power draw on the house battery bank now reaches an astonishing number of ap-hours. To meet this need, more and more new production cruising boats are coming with generators and large lithium battery banks.<\/p>\n
But, gensets are noisy, smell of diesel, emit noxious fumes and need regular maintenance and repair. In other words, there is no free lunch when it comes to on-board power supplies.<\/p>\n
This problem has been on Rufus Van Gruisen\u2019s mind for some time. As the founder and president of Cay Electronics, Rufus is deeply knowledgeable about all things to do with marine electronics and yacht power supplies. He\u2019s even built himself an electric powered runabout.<\/p>\n
So, it is not surprising that his inventive mind came up with an elegant, simple solution for battery power on cruising boats \u2013sail or power. It\u2019s called the Cay Cube and it may well be that proverbial \u201cbetter mousetrap.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cay Cube is designed to replace an auxiliary generator and to do so silently, efficiently and cleanly. The cube, which comes in three sizes, is basically a giant lithium battery with up to 60 kilo-watt hours of storage.<\/p>\n
This capacity means that with a full charge you can run all systems on your boat without recharging for 24 hours or more and in some configurations that time frame can double. The smallest cube has a 20 kWh capacity which will work on moderate-size sailboats while the largest cube with 60 kWh will be appropriate for larger yachts.<\/p>\n
The cubes will fit into the spaces normally allocated to generators yet installation \u2013this will interest boat builders\u2014is much simpler. With no fuel tank and filter system, no exhaust, raw water cooling, and no sound insulation, the man-hours and costs for an install are cut dramatically. \u00a0Plus a cube has it\u2019s own built-in inverter, which eliminates the cost and installation of a stand-alone unit.<\/p>\n
The cubes are set up for rapid charging and when plugged into shore power will recharge in under two hours. If you add a high-output \u00a0DC generator to your main engines, you can recharge the cube while motoring in a similar amount of time.<\/p>\n
A nice high-tech touch that will appeal to owners who live a distance away from their boats will be the remote monitoring capability. If the boat and cube are near an internet connection, you can monitor all of its functions on a smart phone or tablet.<\/p>\n
Ther Cay Cube was introduced to the marine market at the Newport International Boat Show last September and shown to the huge Florida powerboat crowd at last month\u2019s Palm Beach show.\u00a0 The response has been enthusiastic, especially among hose looking for silent, clean and long-lasting power for their boat that is not a diesel generator.<\/p>\n