Circumnavigation-Ready: 48V Lithium Power System for a Outbound 44

This Outbound 44 sailboat was being prepped for a multi-year, around-the-world voyage, which meant the electrical system needed to be built to true bluewater standards — self-sufficient, redundant, and capable of running serious loads far from any marina or service dock.

At the core of the build is a 48V lithium battery bank using four Victron Smartpack Lithium batteries, managed by a Victron Lynx Smart BMS and distributed through a Lynx Distributor for a clean, protected power architecture. A Victron Quattro II inverter/charger (5000VA) handles the AC side, sized specifically to accommodate a variable frequency drive (VFD) running a 3-phase dive compressor — a demanding, motor-driven load that requires stable, clean power to start and run reliably. A Victron Isolation Transformer and Autotransformer round out the AC system, providing shore power flexibility wherever the boat ties up around the world.

Charging capacity was built out with bluewater cruising in mind — redundant and diverse enough to keep the battery bank topped off regardless of conditions. A high-output 130A, 56V isolated-ground alternator on the boat’s Yanmar diesel, paired with an ARCO Zeus Bluetooth regulator and Balmar alternator protection, keeps power flowing under engine power. The boat’s existing solar array and generator were integrated into the new system rather than replaced, with multiple Victron SmartSolar MPPT controllers managing charging across the panels. A Victron Orion XS DC-DC charger bridges the 48V house bank down to the 12V system for smaller loads.

For monitoring and control, a Victron Cerbo GX paired with a GX Touch 70 display gives the crew a complete real-time view of the entire power system — battery status, charging sources, and loads. That visibility, combined with system-wide redundancy, is what makes a build genuinely bluewater ready: everything a couple needs to manage their power thousands of miles from the nearest marine electrician.

The result is a power system built for real ocean crossings — robust charging from multiple independent sources, smart integration with existing gear, and the ability to run demanding equipment like a dive compressor — all engineered for the rigors of long-range bluewater cruising.