Our short answer is YES!
Recently we've had some interesting comments made on our video for Firefly's Oasis Carbon Foam Batteries. The comments in question talk of "claims too good to be true" and "blatant sales pitch" (which is rather humorous as we have no affiliation with the battery manufacturer or distributor). The video shows us installing and using these new batteries on our own boat in order to share our actual, real life experience with other boaters. See for yourself:
While we do not claim to be boat systems/electrical experts, we are full-time liveaboards (and workaboards!) with eight years experience. And we use our vessel 24/7, spending three months each summer out cruising.
Two years ago we started researching batteries, as we knew we would have to replace our aging battery bank. As we had an 800-mile trip to make that summer, we wanted the most amperage (bang) for the buck. We found the Oasis batteries and read as much as we could.
Seeing that boat systems guru Nigel Calder was also testing them - and liked what he saw - gave us the confidence to try them. Well, that and we simply couldn't afford expensive lithium batteries!
It's been nearly two years now, and in layman's terms we still say the same things:
1. Oasis Batteries last twice as long as conventional lead acid batteries.
2. And they charge in about half the time.
That's the simple truth.
We'll leave it to the experts like Nigel and Bruce Schwab to explain HOW that happens (and we encourage you to ask them questions!), but suffice to say Firefly Oasis Carbon Foam Batteries really are amazing.
Please let us know in the comments if you have any real life experience with these batteries on your boat.
Btw, any particular charging requirements for the battery? Someone was telling me the float charge shouldn’t be more than 13.5V. Is that true? Also, mine is leaking acid through the vents. Did you have any such experiences?
How do the batteries hold up now?
where to buy the Firefly Oasis Carbon Foam Batteries? Thanks.
Hi, I installed Firefly Oasis Carbon Foam Batteries in my 40ft Ketch, Shadowside, in preparation for the Pacific Cup Yacht Race to Hawaii in 2016. The batteries performed very well on the voyage from SF to Hi and then on the return form HI to Port Townsend, WA. They are great and still going strong. Lad Burgin
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Darren O'Brien
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