Bass Fishing and Boat Electronics

Bass fishing – the exciting, fast-growing sport which blends traditional techniques with electronic technology – has mostly been taken up by men …but South African national Leandri Language plans to rock the boat.

She has just taken delivery of a fully-equipped Bass Fishing boat with which she intends to claw her way up to International Competition level. She’s just formed South Africa’s first ‘Ladies’ team: When competing in Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) events she fishes with her sister Nicole …and when she fishes in Ebass leagues her competition partner is Molly Roodt.

Leandri Language and new teammate Molly Roodt

What’s installed on her boat?

Let’s have a look at her new boat. The Crackleback 500 is a five metre purpose-built bass boat fitted with a Mercury four-stroke 150HP outboard. That’s for getting between fishing grounds …but there’s also an electric trolling motor: a Motor guide Xi5 24 VDC Trolling motor, which delivers 80 lbs of thrust almost silently. As the name implies, the trolling motor is used whilst fishing.

To find out where the fish are lying she has two Lowrance elite touch screen fish finders – one mounted on the console and another right on the bow.

The Crickleback 500

Competition bass boats have to be fitted with a vivarium or ‘live well’ requiring constant aeration with a pump. This is because in competition fishing, only live fish can be presented at the weigh-in. It makes perfect sense to return all fish to the water to fight another day.

Power for all Leandri’s equipment comes from a single 125Ah Super cycle AGM battery. Her 24V electric outboard motor is powered, separately, by two 60Ah Super AGM’s wired in series.

Let’s see how these dissimilar battery banks can be charged conveniently…

Battery Charging – on land and underway

Shore-side charging of her battery banks is achieved by separate Blue Smart Chargers – one rated at 12V (for the engine cranking battery), and the other at 24V for the electric outboard. These seven-step Lead/Li ion compatible Smart Chargers can be interrogated by your phone or smart device allowing you to monitor the charge process, battery voltage, or to initiate a periodic reconditioning phase to keep your batteries in tip top condition. Charging is temperature-compensated, and an automatic Storage mode allows you to leave the charger connected to the battery indefinitely, without fear of damage. The IP65 (Ingress Protection) rating means that the charger is impervious to water spray – an IP67 version is available if the unit is likely to experience full water-immersion.

The IP65 charger – designed for working environments

There’s a really smart deck-socket available for connection to shore power – further enhancing the appearance of your boat …and allowing shore power be connected professionally between supply and your sub-deck boat electrics. These chromium plated sockets can be ordered on the shore power cable page of the Victron website.

Boat Bling – a really smart shore power deck-socket

By the way – some electric outboard motors are rated at 36VDC which presents an apparent difficulty when it comes to battery charging. There are almost no chargers on the market rated at 36V and those which are available come with a prohibitively high price tag. A cost-effective solution is to connect each of the three series-connected 12V batteries to a separate 12VDC Blue Smart-charger.

Charging 12V and 24V Batteries …at the same time …on the water

Leandri’s on-board battery-charging comes from a 12VDC Alternator rated at 80A. Her first battery – which as we mentioned is a 12VDC 125Ah Super cycle – is used for engine cranking, and also powers all 12 of her accessories …the fish-finders; the live-tank aerator pump and so on. Her second 24VDC battery bank consists of 2x 12V 60Ah, batteries wired in series, and is used only to power her electric trolling motor.

She monitors the status of both battery banks using separate BMV 712 battery monitors – which not only work as a kind of fuel gauge for the batteries by showing how much power remains as a percentage …or how much time remains at the present output – but as you would expect from Victron electronics they will also show much more in-depth information about the voltage/ the current / historical use; together with low voltage alarms and automatic shutdown of non- essential loads …ensuring she always has enough power in the battery to start the engine.

Voltage

Percentage remaining

Hassle-free; worry free:

Leandri’s alternator is wired to charge both the 12V and the 24V battery at the same time – so charging is worry free. This is achieved by connecting the alternator to the starter battery; and then on to the 24V battery via a Buck-Boost DC – DC converter. The job of the Buck-Boost DC-DC converter is to receive 12VDC alternator output and convert it into a 24VDC supply for charging her second battery bank.

Boats (or vans) with two battery banks – including dissimilar 12V and 24V battery banks – can also be charged using our new Orion DC-DC converter. This product was described in a recent blog post.

Larger boats, fitted with two 12VDC battery banks – one for engine cranking, the other for service, will find it convenient to install one of our Cyrix battery combiners. This device will detect when your engine cranking battery (for example) has been re-charged, and then divert the charging current to the second battery bank. It works both ways – whilst charging the second bank, it will detect a voltage drop in the first bank (indicating that a load has been placed on it) and restore the charge current to the first battery.

Reliable electronics will ensure you have a great fun on the water – and that you will always return safely to shore at the end of the day.

Safely back on shore

A note about Glass Bridge Integration…

Early on in the development of our electronics for the Marine market we saw that the ability to integrate Victron products with third-party marine electronics using the NMEA 2000 communications protocol would herald a new era in terms of the value of the data available to the skipper. Years of work has resulted is plug-in compatibility with leading navigation systems – and the ability to read data straight from a glass-bridge Multi Function Display. You can read more information about the latest exciting developments in this field; the latest compatibilities; and cross-brand support by following the link.

Leandri’s Boat Baptism

Equipped with her new boat – towed behind a Toyota Hilux D4D double cab 4×4, -Leandri teamed up with her sister Nicole, to notch up their first win in an FLW competition recently on the Witbank dam, in Mpumalanga province, SA.

Boat baptism

Leandri and her sister Nicole went to fish the (to her) unfamiliar water the weekend before the competition in preparation. She wanted to mark some of the fish lies, and get a feel for the topography under her hull – generally do a bit of homework to get acquainted with the dam.

A week later, with sixty fishermen on the water in 30 boats, a difficult day presented itself to all competitors. The water level had fallen by a metre so that all Leandri’s marks were now either too shallow to hold fish, or else they were actually dry! Add to that a severe depression earlier in the week which had brought with it cold temperatures and strong winds. That kind of meteorological event sends the fish into deeper waters; and they lose interest in feeding.

Facing up to those challenges Leandri and Nicole had to start from scratch – rediscovering the grounds, and trying their luck with both Spinners, and Plastic lures until eventually they discovered what was ‘fishing’ that day …and at last began to retrieve enough fish to allow them to choose their best five to present to the judges at weigh-in. Their persistence paid off and they won the Ladies competition.

Leandri and her sister Nicole

Leandri, 24, is committed to becoming a world class competition bass fisher-woman. Victron is committed to helping make her mark in the exciting world sport of Bass Fishing.

If you’d like to see how simple it is to install reliable power on your boat, this instructional video shows Gerrit Tromp – one of our sales manager in South Africa – demonstrating how it all comes together on a boat owned by Bass fisherman Marius Mostert. Have fun!:

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Justin Tyers • 25 June 2025

3000 kilometre road trip with map, compass and fridge

Navigating Scandinavian back roads for eight days in an old car by map and compass takes you to some unexpected places. Both physically and mentally. Life in the slow lane can be refreshing yet challenging. Friends, Ferry, Jacco and Jurg , who live in Vlissingen in the Dutch province of Zeeland, were excited to undertake the 3000km Viking Sun Rally challenge – providing they could celebrate the end of each day’s adventure with cold beer straight from the fridge …no matter how far they strayed from the nearest bar. Setting off from Hamburg in a twenty year old Volvo V70XC which already had 370,000km on the clock, the team known as Walcheren Warriors followed their philosophy: Sometimes you just feel like doing something crazy. With limited weight and room available – and realising that success for their long and arduous journey depended on making careful choices about what to bring and what to leave behind, they installed four solar panels , a Sun Inverter , an AGM battery , a fridge, and a crate of beer. Leaving nothing to chance they also installed a SmartShunt so they could monitor the battery’s state of charge straight from the phone. Fridges sometimes draw a lot of power – failure to monitor the charge/discharge rate of their battery only invites the risk of having to drink warm beer. The Sun Inverter – as its name suggests – is a combined DC to AC inverter, and solar charge controller. Ideal for a road trip such as this, there is no installation – you simply attach your solar panel(s) and your battery with +ive and -ive leads …and you’re done. Instant, renewable AC power. The PWM solar charge controller harvests solar energy and optimises battery charge with a programmable algorithm. Up to 375W of solar panels can be attached – 500W for the 24V Sun Inverter Model. A toroidal transformer in the inverter continuously provides up to 250VA, and up to 400W for peak power surges. The SmartShunt acts as a battery monitor and is connected inline to the battery -ive cable. Participants in the Viking Sun Adventure Rally choose which charity they would like to support. There is a mandatory donation at the time of registration and teams are encouraged to continue to raise funds before and during their journey. The Walcheren Warriors chose to support Stichting Dromen voor Duchenne . a charity which provides adventure days for people with the condition known as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Ferry says: We thought: if we can make a difference for the charity with our road trip, then we’ll go for it. We started with €250 from our own pockets, but donations soon came in from friends, family, colleagues — even from people we didn’t know until we reached a total amount of €5,330! Their journey took them as far north as Trondheim, Norway – close to the Arctic Circle. We really enjoyed the fact that it is only dark for 2 hours a day. We were able to fish in daylight until midnight! Strangely enough, it was a very nice experience to have. In Sweden, there’s a good chance of spotting a moose in the wild! We were very keen to actually experience this – so much so that we stopped the car when we thought we’d seen our first moose – but it turned out to be just a tree stump… luckily we were rewarded and 30 minutes later when a moose walked right in front of our car! Story: Something we will never forget. We drove through forests, over mountains, along fjords — really breathtaking. We slept in tents, cooked on a gas burner, and drove on back roads. We met other teams along the way and yes, we got lost. Often. But that was part of it. Every detour brought us something new! The rally is over, but the excitement remains. We experienced something beautiful, together as friends, and we were able to make a difference to others. That is worth gold. And who knows… maybe we will participate again next year.

gewest-fryslan-skaters-race-ahead-featured

Justin Tyers • 23 January 2025

Gewest Fryslân skaters race ahead

Training Coaches at Dutch skating club Gewest Fryslân have been rewarded with some impressive results over the last few days as they work to develop the young skating talent in their care. On 11 and 12 January, in Leeuwarden hosted the Daikin NK Shorttrack event, providing two days of thrilling action! With short track races of 500m, 1000m and 1500m distances, and the exciting mixed relay, it provided an exciting weekend for skaters and spectators alike. The National Championship Junior all-rounders and Long Distance took place at Icerink Twente , Enschede on 18 and 19 January, Willeke Bouwhuis achieved third place for the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m events. Thijs Wiersma achieved a track record in the 3000m race and was overall champion and long distance champion in the 1500-1000 metre events, whilst Sem Spruit achieve third place in the overall class and came second in the 1500 metre events. Berend Lange claimed third place for the 500metres – and second place in the 1000metre events; and Mika Kolder was overall champion and acheived second place for the 1500 metre event. Coach Peter Kolder Chris de Velde was the ‘mass start’ champion, whilst Sil van der Veen achieved third place. Skaters and Coaches alike will be very encouraged by these promising performances – both driven by an aspiration to stand among the top Dutch team skaters, and to represent their country on the world stage. Training is a gruelling and relentless process, but the rewards are sweet! There are meetings every week as the season unfolds. Last weekend the rink at Thialf hosted a selection event for the figure skating at which our shining star is Anna de Groot. Anna has been recovering from an injury, but is looking strong again in rehearsals. With meetings every week at Thialf or the Elfstedenhal both teams and coaches are working hard to achieve the goals they have set themselves for the season. Each team is committed – junior progress-makers and experienced skaters alike – are striving for excellence, and their passion shows. Some of our long distance skaters will compete at the Dutch championship sprint/pure sprint in Eindhoven this weekend (25/26 January). And Good luck to Mika Kolder , Sil van der Veen , Jasmijn Veenhuis and Mats Bendijk who are leaving for Collalbo, Italy, to prepare for the Worldcup (1/2 Feb) and World championship (8/9 Feb) . We at Victron Energy are proud to support our sponsored club team and coaches in their constant pursuit of greatness. We look forward to hearing more from the team as the season builds to a climax! You can follow team news straight from the horse’s mouth on the Gewest Fryslân club Facebook page. All photography reproduced here is the work of Dyane Ribbink.

Justin Tyers • 10 January 2025

Skating team turns on the heat

Netherlands skating team KNSB Gewest Fryslân has already achieved some impressive podium finishes this season. Don’t miss out on the climax of the action! Victron Energy is very proud to be nurturing young skating talent, once again, as Main Sponsor of the team. The more-than 100 year old club continues to produce world-class skaters through their coaching programmes. We’ll hear a little more about some of the successes they’ve achieved so far this season in a minute – but if you’re new to the sport, let’s take a quick look at what it’s all about! At first glance competition rules and event classes can seem a little bit baffling – sometimes they really are! But the sport of skating provides lots of excitement for the casual spectator and connoisseur alike. Competition skating is an Olympic class event practised, most notably, by a number of European countries, Canada, USA, South Korea, China and Japan. Ice Skating fans often have a favourite event and there are a number of skating disciplines to choose from – featuring Short and Long track events for individuals, teams and even Mass Start! – together with Figure Skating singles or pairs. Performing on ice-skating tracks of up to 400m in length, official Speed Skating competitions are organised into distances of 500, 1000, 1500, 1500, 5000 and 10,000 m. Even over long distances it is possible to maintain speeds of over 50kmh/30mph on blades which measure 420mm / 17 inches. Some events take place on a shorter track allowing the excitement to build as skaters navigate tighter curves at which they arrive more quickly! In races with four to eight skaters, success hinges on a combination of tactics, agility, and acceleration. It’s not always the strongest or fastest skater who wins; strategy plays a crucial role. During races between two (and sometimes three) competitors the inside and outside skater must swap lanes at each lap to share the advantage. Sprint Racing is a singles race over distances of 500m / 1,000m / 1,500m – where the skater’s overall performance is recalculated to provide their average speed over 500 metres. Figure Skating Performed as singles or pairs to music, competitors strive to exhibit their form, style, and technique through movements, spins, jumps, and figures on the ice. In the pairs events, these skills are thrillingly augmented by synchronized movements, where the partnership coordinates their actions – ‘both ahead’ or with one partner in reverse – and performs lifts, throws, throw jumps, and death spirals – making for hair-tingling viewing. Points are awarded based on the quality of their performance, including the execution of their elements and the technical difficulty. Team Pursuit The Team Pursuit event is contested between two teams of three skaters each, over six or eight laps. At the start of the race the teams begin on the straight, opposite each other on the oval rink – therefore separated by half-a-lap. A team wins when all three of its skaters cross the finish line ahead of all three of the other team – or when the whole of one team overtakes the other. Mass Start Arguably one of the most exciting events in skating is the Mass Start – in which up to 24 skaters race 16 laps. These ‘short track’ events see skaters compete en-masse, round tight curves with no designated lanes. They are frantic dashes to the winning line with a lot of contact between skaters, and great potential for clashes …and sometimes chaos! It’s an elimination event where succeeding heats are populated by the winners of previous bouts – on the way to the top there will be many falls and disqualifications! Gewest Fryslân are sliding ahead of the competition! This season’s Ice skating competition is warming up. Let’s take a quick look at some of the notable performances which have been achieved by our sponsored skaters – so far. Among the Junior team Mats Bendijk comfortably won his last 3000 meter event with Sil van der Veen taking third place. Elsewhere, Mats Bendijk achieved silver in one of his 1500 metre events, whilst in the Team Pursuit event Bendijk, Sil van der Veen and Mika Kolder achieved third place. Team eventers Britt Breider, Elbrich Nicolay and Elanne de Vrie s won the Team Sprint and their Mixed Relay race, whilst also achieving second place in the Team Pursuit. We’re very proud of the competitive spirit amongst all our team members – and whilst any one snapshot of stand-out performances may not reflect the efforts of the whole team – other skaters who have climbed the podium already this season include: Kai-Anre Ottenhof, Jonas de Jong; Leon Visser; Jack Boekema; Berend Lange; Sem Spruit; Jarin Ridder; Niek Almost; Rutger Jansma; Anouk Aalders; Eva-Sofie Elferink; Willeke Bouwhuis; Breider and Sietse de Vries; Kailey van der Veen and Tjalle Nijenuis; Otte Hilarides and Ingmar Carpenter; Djoeke Schmitz; Lana Sumirah Schiphof; Janna Wietske van der Ende; Silke Middeldorp; Isa Vijfhuizen; Aaliyah Naceri and Djura Elzinga. Tijn Borst secured the national title in the neo-senior women’s marathon, breaking away with Vera van Ditshuizen and Kaat van Steekelenburg in the final. In a strong sprint to the finish, she outpaced the others to claim the victory. That’s a quite lot of skaters who have stretched themselves to greatness. I hope I haven’t missed out any notable early successes – but we can see already that the whole team are really committed to achieving notoriety for their club, their coaches, and for themselves! The achievements of Pien Smit are worth singling-out as she seems to be shaping up for a World Cup debut. If you find yourself in the Netherlands this weekend or sometime over the next couple of weeks you can spectate the Gewest Fryslân team’s upcoming competitions on the following dates and locations: 11th and 12th of January: Daikin NK Shorttrack in Leeuwarden (the capital city of the province of Fryslân) 18th and 19th of January: KNSB Cup A3 Klaverblad Bokaal (figure skating) in Heerenveen 18th of January: KNSB Cup Top 2 Shorttrack in Heerenveen We wish our sponsored team all the luck and success in the world and we will be bringing you more news as the culmination events of the 24/25 winter season reaches their climax! All photographic images are the work of Wiebe Sietze

Bass Fishing and Boat Electronics

What’s installed on her boat?

Battery Charging – on land and underway

Charging 12V and 24V Batteries …at the same time …on the water

A note about Glass Bridge Integration…

Leandri’s Boat Baptism

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