Building the Heart of Our Boat | 24V & 48V Power System Refit Episode 62
After nearly a year of planning and waiting, we finally begin building out the heart of our onboard electrical system ⚡⛵
In this episode, we tackle a major refit milestone by designing and installing the core power infrastructure for our catamaran. We’re building a native 24V and 48V electrical system, and the first big decision was relocating critical power equipment out of a deck locker that posed a serious water intrusion risk. Instead, we converted the forward captain’s berth/office into a dedicated utility room — safer, drier, and far more serviceable.
To support the electrical gear, we built a custom structural wall using 1-inch Coosa board laminated with 1/4-inch fiberglass for strength and rigidity. As we mocked up the layout, we discovered that not everything would fit as planned — the large inverters had to be moved to an adjacent wall, forcing a rethink of the design before final installation.
With the wall bonded in place using bolts and Sikaflex, we mounted a significant portion of our power system, including:
Victron inverter and transformer
Two battery chargers
DC/DC charger
24V and 48V DC bus bars
AC electrical panel(s)
This Victron equipment has been stored away for nearly a year while other refit priorities took precedence, so finally getting everything mounted and positioned feels like a huge win. The system is coming together, and the next major step will be wiring and commissioning the power plant.
If you’re interested in catamaran refits, marine electrical systems, Victron installations, or large-scale sailboat upgrades, this episode is a big step forward in our long refit journey.
Thanks for following along — progress is finally visible, and it feels great.
00:00 Teaser clips
00:18 Channel Intro
00:36 Intro to project
01:06 Layout power wall
09:22 Support ledge
11:42 Create aluminum backing plates
15:30 Epoxy in backing plates
17:31 Drill and tap for mounting hardware
17:55 Cut outs for Aircon vents
18:14 Dry fit
19:22 Prep wall to support Multiplus inverters
20:26 Glue and screw wall into place
24:06 Mount Victron gear
29:34 Like and subscribe
29:58 End card
#SailingLife #BoatRefit #SailboatMaintenance #CruisingLife #powerplant #DIYBoatProjects #SailingCouple #SailboatRestoration #liveaboardlife #victron #victronenergy
© Sailing Roam 2025
Sailing Roam
👋 Hi, we’re Geri 👩🏻⚕️(a retired nurse) and Shawn 🤓 (a not retired technologist). We’ve gone on the greatest adventure of our lives instead of living the comfortable and predictable suburban world we left behind. Living aboard Roam, our cruising catamaran, we explore and immerse ourselves in new cultures, do boat repairs in exotic places, and get up to all kinds of shenanigans. Roam isn’t just the name of our boat, it’s kind of a philosophy. We’re not taking the shortest routes or using a formula to sail around the world. We’re not in a hurry either. We’re meeting the people, seeing the places and getting distracted by things we find interesting along the way. We’re unconventional and we’re living the best life we can imagine! Join us as we turn our 11-year old catamaran into our perfect adventure platform and see what’s over the next horizon. We can’t wait to meet you wherever you are! Clamptite Tools link: https://clamptitetools.com/?sld=syroam 10% discount: gerischaffer10
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