When we took on Molly at the beginning of the season, I spent some time doing a bit of winter maintenance and getting to know the systems aboard. I decided that I would not change or add anything during the first season, but would sail her and thoroughly understand how things worked before changing anything. There was one exception to this, and that was a battery monitor – I was uncomfortable not having any means of monitoring the voltage and charging of the leisure and starter batteries, particularly as the previous owner told me that the first time he came to use her, the batteries were flat and needed replacing. Rather than fit another display in the cockpit or cabin, I chose a bluetooth unit, which has been excellent. It tells me the voltages and dis/charge rates at a glance and the bluetooth range is enough for me to read when I am in the car park and Molly is on her berth!

If you’re interested in the details, have a look at this video I made of the installation: https://youtu.be/GZ07bel7T6A

• Technical