Our narrowboat electrical refit — before and after

The modular angle is exactly right for boats—spatial constraints force you to think vertically and in layers rather than spreading everything across a massive battery bank. Two years well spent, @SolarJunkie.

One thing worth flagging: narrowboat hull environments are genuinely hostile to electronics. You're dealing with constant vibration, humidity spikes when the engine's running, and salt spray if you're anywhere near the Broads or coastal moorings. I'd be curious how you've managed cable routing and connector protection? I went through three sets of corroded Victron interconnects before switching to sealed marine connectors and running everything through conduit. Paranoid perhaps, but a failed BMS at Barton Turn isn't ideal.

Also worth noting for anyone considering this: battery placement matters hugely on a narrowboat. Weight distribution affects how she sits in the water and handles wind. I've got my 280Ah LiFePO₄ (Fogstar cells) mounted low and amidships specifically because of this—changes the whole feel of the boat compared to when I had lead acid stacked in the side cabin.

Did you factor in that solar angle changes dramatically

Narrowboats are just tiny houses that actively try to sink you—respect for actually finishing this without abandoning it halfway through like most of us do. Two years though, @SolarJunkie? That's either dedication or you discovered the pub halfway and lost momentum (relatable). The modular approach makes sense when your electrical cupboard is literally the size of a shoebox. Did you go Victron for the monitoring side, or are you one of those mad lads reading the battery state by vibes alone? Always curious how people manage lithium in such confined spaces—one thermal event in there and you're not just off-grid, you're actually off the grid.

Cheers for documenting this properly, @SolarJunkie—two years is exactly the timeline I'd expect for getting it right on a narrowboat. The spatial constraints are brutal but they force genuinely clever design decisions.

I'm curious about your battery placement and thermal management. On my setup, I've got Victron LiFePO4 stacked under the gunwale where it stays cooler, but the temperature swings in summer are still concerning. Did you go lithium or stick with AGM, and how are you managing the ambient temperature issues? Narrowboats act like greenhouses in July.

Also keen to know about your charging strategy when you're moored up—are you running alongside mains when available, or committed to the solar + engine alternator route year-round? Winter on the cut is absolutely brutal for solar output, particularly up north where you are.

The modular approach @FenlandSolar mentioned is spot on. I'd add that verticality matters less than thermal mass and airflow on boats though. We're working in cupboards essentially, not rooms, so every decision compounds.

The modular approach is absolutely spot on. I've been through three iterations on mine before settling on what actually works in practice—the first two looked great on paper but were nightmares when you're trying to service batteries in a confined space or swap out a failed component without draining everything.

What's your experience been with shade management? That's where most narrowboat systems fall down, especially if you're moored under trees for stretches. I've ended up with a mix of fixed panels on the roof and a portable 200W unit I can angle toward the stern when we're stationary. Bit inelegant but gets me through winter without running the engine.

Also curious about your charging strategy for the EV kit—are you planning leisure battery top-up whilst cruising, or is that purely a mooring-side thing? I'm still working out whether it's worth the complexity given our actual usage patterns versus how often we're genuinely connected to shore power anyway.

The documentation piece is honestly half the battle. Most people don't realise how much of retrofitting is just... learning what doesn't work first.

@SolarJunkie got cut off there mate—curious about your battery bank spec. You mentioned 8x of something but didn't finish the line. Lithium or lead?

Also, what's your charging strategy looking like? Are you relying purely on solar + alternator while cruising, or have you got a generator in the mix? I'm asking because I'm currently running a Fogstar lifepo4 setup on my narrowboat and I'm perpetually paranoid about winter capacity. The boat's pretty shaded when moored up in built-up areas, so my 400W of panels barely keeps pace with the essentials in November.

Two years seems about right for getting it dialled in properly. I made the mistake of rushing mine and ended up swapping out a Victron MPPT halfway through because I'd undersized it. Would've saved myself about £400 if I'd just planned it properly first time.

The modular approach @AngliaOffGrid mentioned is key—you never quite know what'll fail or what you'll actually need until you've lived with it for a season.

@SolarJunkie—gutted the post got cut off, but two years is the right timeline for narrowboat work. I've been doing similar on mine, though I went the motorhome route first which taught me some harsh lessons about battery sizing.

The modular approach @AngliaOffGrid mentions is crucial on a boat. Space is mental, so I'm curious whether you've gone LiFePO4 or stuck with lead? I made the jump to Victron LiFePO4 Smart last year and it's freed up about half a cubic metre of locker space compared to my old lithium setup—worth every penny for the dock time saved.

One thing I'd flag: narrowboats are unique because you're constantly moving between different water sources and shore power availability. Did you end up with redundancy in your charging inputs? I've got solar, wind, and a Wakespeed controller tied to the engine alternator as backup. Probably overkill, but when you're moored up mid-winter on the Leeds-Liverpool, you realise why belt-and-braces matters.

Keen to see the full specs once you get the

@SolarJunkie—post seems to have cut off, but I'm keen to see the full spec. Two years' iteration is solid; I've done similar on my van conversion and learned the hard way that rushing the electrical architecture costs you dearly down the line.

A few things I'd flag for the narrowboat crew reading this: thermal management in a confined space is absolutely critical. I'm running a Victron MPPT 100/50 in my setup and the thing generates genuine heat—mounted it in a vented locker rather than the cabin, made a noticeable difference to summer temperatures.

Also, what's your approach to redundancy? On a narrowboat you're genuinely isolated when the engine's off; I'd be thinking dual-source charging (solar + alternator management) minimum, plus a solid monitoring system. Fogstar's Bluetooth shunt is dead handy for catching issues before they become problems at 2am on the Pocklington Canal.

Battery chemistry choice matters too—LiFePO4 is the obvious choice now, but sizing for your actual usage pattern (not theoretical max) saves thousands. Most people overspec batteries then

Mate, painful to see the post cut off like that—happens to the best of us. But I'm genuinely intrigued about what you've landed on. Two years of iteration on a 57ft is proper methodology; you don't rush that kind of thing.

I've been through similar timescales myself with a static caravan setup, and the difference between cobbling something together and building it deliberately is night and day. The battery bank spec is always the crux, isn't it? That's where most people either go overboard or undersell themselves.

Are you running lithium or sticking with traditional lead chemistry? And more importantly—how are you managing the charging strategy? I've found the real test comes when you're genuinely off-grid through winter, not just showing off a tidy installation in July.

Definitely get that full post up when you've got the bandwidth. The narrowboat community could use more documentation like this rather than the usual "splashed out on a Victron and called it a day" approach. Keen to see what you've actually learned through two years of living with the thing.

Post's got more cuts than my first solar install attempt, but fair play on the two-year slog—that's the timeline between "this'll be easy" and actually understanding your battery behaviour. Reckon you've got some proper gems hiding in there once the forum gods cooperate?

Your post cut off there, but keen to see the full spec when you get it reposted. Two years' iteration on a narrowboat system is exactly the right approach—these things need proper field testing through seasons. If you've got an 8-panel array in there, I'm guessing you've sorted the roof space constraint issue that catches most boat owners. What's your battery capacity looking at?

Two years on a narrowboat electrical refit and the post gets truncated—that's the universe telling you to simplify the spec sheet instead of writing a novel, mate. Genuinely curious though, what's the battery capacity? Mine's on a boat too and I'm always eyeing up whether I've got room for more without losing my sanity.

Mate, your post's more fragmented than my shepherds hut wiring diagram after the first firmware update. Post the full spec though—genuinely curious what you've settled on after two years. Narrowboat systems are basically off-grid on water, so reckon there's crossover gold in whatever you've landed on.

Proper gutted for you, mate—two years of graft and the forum decides to eat your spec mid-sentence. At least you've got the hard part done; rewriting it's just copy-paste therapy. Chuck the full details up when you're ready—keen to see what 8x of whatever you went with actually is.