Blue Marine's Free System Consultations: How They Work and How to Prepare

Most weeks this blog is about a component — an inverter, a charge controller, a cable with a resistor in it. This week it's about the step before the components: figuring out what your boat, RV, or off-grid cabin actually needs. That's what a Blue Marine system consultation is for, and unlike much of this industry, it costs nothing.

What you get

In a nutshell: a one-on-one, 30-minute call with one of our ABYC-certified technicians — the same people who design and install these systems every day. Virtual for most customers, or in person if you're local to Seattle. Whether you're building out a sailboat, upgrading an RV, or designing a full off-grid power setup, the conversation is catered to your project, not a script.

A lot of companies in this space charge a premium just to get a technician on the phone. At Blue Marine, the consultation is free — because a system designed right the first time is better for everyone, including us.

How it works

1. Book a time slot. It takes a minute, right on the consultation page. You can reschedule or cancel later if you need to.
2. Share your project details. Your vessel or vehicle type, how you use it, and what your power goals are. The more context you give us up front, the further the call goes.
3. The call itself. Your tech walks you through system components, best practices for your specific setup, charging sources, battery capacity, load profiles — all of it, grounded in what you're actually trying to run.
4. Your proposal. Within half a business day you'll receive a custom proposal with a full equipment list and pricing. No guessing, no surprises.

It doesn't end with the call

The proposal includes follow-up calls throughout your installation. If you hit a question halfway through wiring the DC bus — and almost everyone does — you're not on your own. That support continues through commissioning, until the system is doing what it was designed to do.

How to prepare (so you get the most out of 30 minutes)

You don't need to prepare anything — plenty of great consultations start from "I have a boat and a dream." But if you want to make the half hour count double, bring:

• A loads list. What you want to run, roughly how many watts each item draws, and for how long each day. Even a rough version changes the conversation.
• What you already have. Existing batteries, chargers, solar, inverters — brand and model if you have them, photos if you don't.
• How you use the boat, rig, or cabin. Weekends at the dock with shore power is a very different design problem from two weeks at anchor or a winter off-grid.
• Solar numbers, if solar is in the picture. Our Solar MPPT Sizing Calculator will shortlist the right charge controller from your panel wattage and bank voltage — it's the same first question our Advisors work through on every solar call.

Who it's for

Two kinds of people book these calls, and both are in the right place. The first is just starting to plan and wants to get the architecture right before buying anything. The second already has a half-built system — sometimes inherited with the boat or rig — and needs expert eyes on it before going further. If something in an existing system is misbehaving, it's also worth a pass through the 10 Victron troubleshooting questions we hear the most before the call; it'll sharpen the conversation.

Bottom line

Free expert advice, catered to your project, built on best practices — and a written proposal you can actually order from. Book your consultation here, and if you want to browse what your proposal will likely draw from, everything Victron we stock lives in one place: shop Victron Energy.

A note on safety: electrical work on boats, RVs, and off-grid systems can be dangerous — big DC banks carry serious energy even with everything switched off. When in doubt, bring in a certified marine electrician — no video replaces hands-on judgment.