Lithium Unplugged & Smart Monitoring
Lithium Unplugged & Smart Monitoring Night at the OBC,
brought to you by HMB Marine Electrical and Lusty& Blundell with Victron Energy.
After the success of our BBYC evening earlier this year, we were thrilled to be invited to the Outboard Boating Club for another round of boating know-how. A huge thanks to the OBC team for hosting our Lithium Unplugged & Smart Monitoring night — an evening full of great questions, shared experiences, and plenty of smart boating chat.
Why Lithium Makes Sense.
Modern boating puts higher demands on both AC and DC systems and lithium batteries are built to handle it all. They’re safe, charge faster, give you more usable power, and are ready for everything from electronics and winches to induction hobs. Even smaller outboard boats are running more tech these days, and lithium keeps up easily.
A quality lithium setup can last 10 years or more, saving space, weight, money and hassle over the long term.
Marine-grade lithium batteries, such as the Victron products, are designed specifically for boats and are very safe. The marine grade lithium batteries use the LiFePO₄chemistry which is very stable, even compared with lithium car batteries, ensuring the safety and reliability of the battery. They also have a built-in Battery Management Systems (BMS), which means they’re constantly monitored in real time and if the battery is running low or something’s not right, you are notified well in advance of it being a problem, there are no surprises. And just to clear up a common misconception, those “lithium fires” you occasionally hear about on boats? They’re almost always caused by small lithium devices or accessories, such as bike chargers, power tools etc … not the main marine batteries.
If you’re thinking about upgrading to lithium, we recommend you call in a qualified marine electrician. We supply proper marine-grade batteries, cabling, and fixtures, and can make sure everything’s set up safely to meet the Maritime NZ standards.
Smart Monitoring - best affordable summer upgrade !
Even if you’re not quite ready to go lithium, smart monitoring is a brilliant upgrade. It helps protect your existing batteries, optimises charging, and avoids those dreaded “won’t start”moments at the ramp.
Smart monitoring gives you real-time insight into your boat’s electrical systems, so you can see what’s happening from anywhere in the world.
You can:
Track battery charge and discharge
Monitor solar and alternator input
Check power draw from fridges, fish finders, bilge pumps, and more
Receive alerts before voltage drops dangerously low
We showcased the Victron GlobalLink, an affordable, entry-level system that runs on the 4G network. It connects your boat straight to your phone — think of it as your electrical dashboard in your pocket.
It is perfect for trailer boats on hardstands, drystacks, as well as boats on moorings or marinas.
GlobalLink Set up costs: $437 for the GlobalLink Unit including 5 years of free data,
Smart Shunts start at $190, depending on your needs, plus install costs.
This is a very affordable option to give you peace of mind. Wherever you are, you’ll know exactly what’s happening on board your boat and you will be able to plan trips confidently, knowing your batteries and systems are ready to go when you are.