Solar power on a 46.6 convertable

How do you expect solar to work at night.

No need for a power selector switch. Charger/Inverters are usually in line now days. This way the fridge keeps running automatically if you loose dock power.
Just maybe a by-pass switch if your concerned with inverter failure/service.

During daily operation, you will get higher re-charge rates from a gen-set or engine alternator than a solar panel.

For extended anchoring out with out a fridge (or other heavy loads) running, solar charging is great for bilge pumps and alarms.

One approach might be to add the battery bank and inverter system first... then use it... evaluate... decide whether adding solar to that would be worth the effort.

Saying "lithium" as a general class is slightly different from saying LiFePO4 (aka LFP). Latter are inside the whole lithium class, but a different lithium chemistry from the small batteries in laptops or hand tools or whatever... and reading suggests there are no known fire events caused by LFPs. None. Zip. Nada.

-Chris

Don't know if you follow this guy but in the link I'll post he installed what appeared to me a great battery set up despite having 2 generators.

Just had a new generator installed on mine; but I never do overnight anchor outs.

Understand, but "lithium" is a larger playing field than the smaller LFP subset. Ask your FD guys "which lithium" they were dealing with. Or try to find a documented case of LFP-caused fire. (I suspect there may have been boat fires where LFPs were installed, but the fire was caused by something else. No first-hand info on that, though.)

-Chris

Something I inadvertently left out, Len: I'm not actually advocating for LFP. My focus was only about the safety (or not) perception.

Cheers, -Chris

I looked into a similar set up a couple of years ago without the solar. Needed about 600 AH for running refrigeration without air conditioning. I typically run the gen at night for ac so recharging would happen then. A DIY installation was going to be around $4-6K. I ended up deciding against it as I didn't want another system to deal with. I have a 53 and couldn't figure out where to put the batteries as I did not want them in the living space even though the LFP track record is excellent. My engine room has enough stuff all ready and adding them there would add difficulty accessing them and other stuff. My decided path was to try to wear out my generator instead. With proper maintenance I figure I'll get close to 10-15 years out of it.

I have enjoyed my TelCom batteries for a many years now.
AGM technology and bomb proof.

Note the different foot print.

We run a Magnum 4024PAE. It provides 115/230Vac.
The inverter will alarm at a conservative battery state of charge and auto start our small gen-set, recharge the 24Vdc battery bank and then shut down again.
I have clamped on a second alternator to the port main engine.
While underway inverter runs everything (no gen-set).
Full sized refrigerator
Chest freezer.
Ice maker.
Keurig coffee maker.
Micro-wave oven.
Bunch of lights.
Bunch of big TVs.
A few desktop computer systems.
Air filter and fans.
I have been planing for years but never wired the stateroom A/C to it.

Using very conservative numbers, lets look at it this way;
Poorly guessing, I would say in 5 years there is between 1500 to 2000 hours on this inverter.

On a good day, down hill, with the wind & light loads, the lil gen-set (9kw) will consume over 0.5GPH.
Off the truck, Diesel can sell for $3.00 a gallon.
So; I do NOT consume $150.00 of fuel every 100 hours.
So; I do NOT consume $1500.00 of fuel every 1000 hours.

Slowly the inverter is paying for itself.
AND, that is hours not on the gen-set (Wear & tear).

When we purchased this boat 22 years ago, it had no gen-sets.
To keep the beer cold while underway, we were using an inverter.
I recall, our first investment in the new to us boat.

As you may be able to tell, I like inverters.
I also like correctly and safely installed inverters.

I have witnessed enough new hair styles to onboard fires from Buba installing a battery charger or inverter.
For the DIY guy, please read all well and be careful.
When in doubt, involve a REAL marine electrician.