How to choose the best power pack for your boat

A portable power pack is a game-changer for anyone who doesn't have shore power or want the expense of an inverter. Fox Morgan reviews 8 of the best...

- FOX MORGAN is a Yachtmaster Ocean and commercially qualified skipper who has sailed thousands of miles. She owns a 1989 Dehler 36

Boat owners with a decent battery bank on board may already have ample power and a decent inverter to boot, providing 12V and 240V power throughout the boat whenever it's needed. Whether you have an inverter or not, however, no-one wants to run their house batteries into the ground, and a portable power pack is a great way of charging and running devices from mobile phones to domestic kettles without having to rely on your installed battiers. Equally, I've used one on a Beneteau 50 for a guest's sleep apnoea breathing device when we didn't want to run the generator all night.

CHARGING TIMES

There is a large range of capacities on the market, from 250Wh up to 6kWh. Most banks will be able to charge both 240V AC and 12V DC, with a selection of connectors from three-pin mains plug to USB-C ports. Here's a quick guide to what appliances you'll be able to run from a 500Wh unit:

Cordless power tool (typically 5W-20W)

You can charge this multiple times before any noticeable power drain.

Small hand blender (typically 150W)

Normally used in short bursts, so power consumption is negligible.

Domestic cool box (typically 46W on 12V)

If your cool box uses 46W, and it’s constantly running on a hot day, you will drain the power pack in around eight hours. If it’s colder weather, then you'll get much longer.

Small television (typically 100W)

This is a real power sucker, so if you want to watch a film, you'll have about four hours before your power pack will need to be recharged.

Laptop (typically 30W-56W)

It takes about an hour to charge a laptop, so you should get around seven full charges.

BLUETTI AC200L