Journal Entry Week 9

For my 15% time project, I am building a fully functional and energy self sufficient sailboat.  To do this I am building my own solar panel to charge the boats battery.  This battery powers the lights inside and outside the boat, and multiple outlets throughout the boat as well.  Completing this project means never having to buy another battery for my boat again, because it will be charged often.  This is both good for the environment and money saving, and just plain cool.  I won't be throwing out anymore batteries that are dangerous to dispose of because of their chemicals, and because it is a SAILboat I will be modifying, it will be both fully functional AND energy self sufficient as opposed to being fully functional BUT costly energy wise and UN-enviromentally friendly.

I am doing this because I love to sail, and I love to use technology.  I also love the idea of creating anything self sustainable.  Being a sail boat, clean transportation is covered (although it does still have a motor on it) but to use the running lights or power something inside the cabin, you will need multiple large, hazardous batterys over a long period of time.  Now with the solar panel, the boat will not only be fully functional and self sufficient, but much cheaper as well because batteries can become expensive.  This is why I am doing my project.

This project helps me prove that I can make a big difference with only a minor, simple change.  I think this is just another good example of how little things DO make a difference wether its in renewable energy, writing a story, building a machine, or anything else people do.  With just a small addition of a solar panel and a rechargeable battery.  I can now confidently say that my boat is about as close to being fully self sufficient energy wise as possible.  I do still have a gas powered motor for days with little to know wind but its use is optional.  Batteries also do in fact has a lifetime so I will have to throw it away eventually, but that is unavoidable and my setup is still far more efficient than (not to boast...  get it? boast and most and even boats if you were really reaching...) most other boats in my classification.