ZwerfCat (en-atom)Adventures on a world travelhttps://www.zwerfcat.nl/ZwerfCathttps://www.zwerfcat.nl/zwerfcat_rss.png2022-04-10T00:00:00+01:00BMS-News; News about the BMS projectFollow our progress on the BMS project. Regular updates.https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/bms-news.html2022-04-10T00:00:00+01:002022-04-10T00:00:00+01:00Frans VeldmanProtection against corrosion; Some less well known secretshttps://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/corrosion.html2021-07-17T00:00:00+01:002021-07-17T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatMaxair/Coltri divecompressor mods; Tips and TricksIf you want to use a Maxair or Coltri dive compressor on your boat, you might find some handy information in this article, like how to create reusable cartridges and how to modify the dive compressor so it can be used from within the engine room.https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/divecompressor.html2021-06-07T00:00:00+01:002021-06-07T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatAisdispatcher.pl; Submit your AIS data to aggregation servicesDo you roam in areas where MarineTraffic and ShipFinder have no coverage? Do you have an AIS transponder/receiver on board and access to internet? Then you could become an AIS station and cover the area around your ship. I wrote a Perl script to make that happen, in this article you will find the information you need.https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/aisdispatcher.html2021-03-20T00:00:00+01:002021-03-20T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatWatermakers; Tips and TricksMany cruisers consider watermakers a necessary evil. It is a luxury to have fresh water all the time without having to fill up jerrycans from questionable sources a couple of times per week. But it comes with a prize: energy demands, noise and maintenance. We selected a watermaker with low energy demands and after two years of cruising we have optimized our setup and reduced and simplified the required maintenance. You don't have to reinvent the wheel: read our tips and tricks.
https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/watermakers.html2020-09-09T00:00:00+01:002020-09-09T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatCoconuts; practical tips how to make your own coconut cream and much moreHere I share some ideas what to do with coconuts. Like how do you make your own coconutmilk, coconutcream, whipped cream from coconuts, etceterahttps://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/cooking.html2020-06-05T00:00:00+01:002020-06-05T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatWiFi with the Ubiquiti Bullet; How to get the most out of your UBNThttps://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/ubnt.html2020-03-31T00:00:00+01:002020-03-31T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatCorona; Lock down in the MarquesasLocked in Paradise!!! How long will this take. How will the future of sailing in French Polynesia look like?https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/corona.html2020-03-24T00:00:00+01:002020-04-16T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatOpenHybridBMS; Open source BMS for lithium / lead-acid hybrid installationsThe ultimate solution to use lithium batteries on marine vessels.https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/open-hybrid-bms.html2019-12-06T00:00:00+01:002019-12-06T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatLithium-Hybrid; What is it and why do you want it?A Lithium-Hybrid installation solves a lot of problems, is the easiest lithium conversion possible, and combines the best of lead-acid and lithium batteries. The result is a system which is far better than lithium-only.https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/lithium-hybrid.html2019-12-05T00:00:00+01:002019-12-05T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatLithium implementations; A comparison between different implementationsThere are several ways to implement lithium batteries on a ship. All of them have specific advantages and disadvantages. In this article you will find a detailed analysis and comparison.https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/lithium-implementations.html2019-12-04T00:00:00+01:002019-12-04T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatLithium but-whatabout...; Common marketing inspired mistakesIn the previous article you have seen that proper management of Lithium batteries is not that simple. But then how is it possible that "simple" Lithium solutions are being sold and appear to be working ok? And on the other hand, why do we hear about unsatisfying implementations and Lithium batteries bursting in flames?https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/lithium-whatabout.html2019-12-03T00:00:00+01:002019-12-03T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatLithium management; How to keep Lithium cells safe and healthyA lot of questions answered: Why do you need a BMS? Why does a Lithium battery need a power interrupter? What happens when you overcharge, when you overdischarge, exceed temperature limits, or when the battery becomes imbalanced?
https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/lithium-management.html2019-12-02T00:00:00+01:002019-12-02T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatLithium advantages; The advantages of Lithium batteriesYou probably have heard about the advantages of Lithium batteries over lead-acid batteries, like their low cost, their durability, their low weight, their fast charge ability and their capability to support heavy loads without voltage sag? Then you can just skip this article. However, if you are not convinced yet that Lithium batteries are the better alternative for electrical energy storage on your ship, or have some concerns about their safety, then read this article.https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/lithium-advantages.html2019-12-01T00:00:00+01:002019-12-01T00:00:00+01:00ZwerfCatOn our way to French Polynesia, day 25<p>Almost there! We could had arrived already but we don't want to anchor in the dark. So we try to go as slow as possible, together with Ziezo, the other catamaran we were racing against for the last few weeks.</p><p><i>Info, UTC: 2019-07-06 07:51, Local timezone: UTC-9, Speed: 4.5 knots, Heading: 239</i></p>https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/timeline.html#blog6242019-07-06T07:51:00+01:00Frans Veldman-10.010833 -138.647339On our way to French Polynesia, day 24<p>Yesterday no update. Some complex weathersystem was coming over and the wind kept changing, so I kept busy changing and trimming sails and watching the radar for squalls. Weather is fine again. Only 144nm to go!</p><p><i>Info, UTC: 2019-07-05 05:25, Local timezone: UTC-9, Speed: 4.6 knots, Heading: 267</i></p>https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/timeline.html#blog6232019-07-05T05:25:00+01:00Frans Veldman-9.366333 -136.614166On our way to French Polynesia, day 22<p>Almost there but now the wind decided to go away. Sigh. Ok, we are still moving but nowhere as fast as we have come used to...</p><p><i>Info, UTC: 2019-07-03 08:47, Local timezone: UTC-9, Speed: 4.1 knots, Heading: 230</i></p>https://www.zwerfcat.nl/en/timeline.html#blog6222019-07-03T08:47:00+01:00Frans Veldman-8.444333 -132.887497