This is one of the most common questions new cruisers and liveaboards ask. The answer depends less on boat size — and more on how much power you actually use each day.
Refrigeration, Starlink, lighting, and especially air conditioning can dramatically change your solar requirements.
That means many cruising boats use somewhere between:
And that's why many real-world cruising boats carry:
Most people guess wrong.
They either install too little solar and run the generator constantly — or they overspend on equipment they don't actually need.
Instead of guessing, you can simulate your exact setup.
Try the Boat Power SimulatorA liveaboard running refrigeration, Starlink, and occasional air conditioning might use:
With those settings, the system may last overnight — but struggle during cloudy weather.
That's exactly the type of scenario the simulator helps you test.
Try your own system here:
Open the Simulator