About Boaty Buoy Ben the Founder
A Life Wired for Freedom
While most kids were outside kicking footballs, I was
knee-deep in a pile of wires, circuit boards, and
batteries—surrounded by half-dismantled toys and
blinking LEDs. My bedroom looked more like a miniature
electronics lab than a child’s room. But it wasn’t
destruction; it was discovery. I was fascinated by how
things worked, drawn to the logic and creativity that
powered electronics. And when I wasn’t taking things
apart, I was building, fuelled by imagination, Lego bricks,
and a passion for innovation.
That was the start. The foundation. But my journey was
never just about the technical, it was about freedom.
From a young age, I knew I didn’t fit the mould. The “9 to 5,
house, car, marriage” life wasn’t calling me. What was
calling me was the open road, the forest, the idea of living
on my own terms. So the first real chance I had, I left
home and moved into a caravan. That freedom was
intoxicating. The simplicity, the quiet, the feeling that I
could just be. But it also came with a very real challenge: power.
Living off-grid isn’t glamorous unless you know what
you’re doing. For years, I lived in a mixture of caravans,
forest log cabins, camper vans, and finally what I consider
the pinnacle of my lifestyle journey, my 55ft narrowboat,
which has been my home for the last 8 years. With every
move, I encountered the same issue: how do you live a
modern life, full of technology and convenience, without
being plugged into the grid?
That question became my obsession.
I didn’t want someone else’s solution I wanted to
understand it myself. So I experimented, failed, adapted,
tested again. I tried almost every brand and model of
system component on the market. I dove deep into lithium
battery tech, inverter efficiency, solar harvesting, wiring
standards, and charge profiles. I didn’t just learn off-grid
power I lived it. Every day. Year-round. In every weather.
Today, my boat is the result of that relentless curiosity and
dedication. I live fully powered without ever needing a
generator, engine, or shoreline hook-up. I can run a 2-hour
electric water heater, microwave lunch, cook dinner in the
air fryer, charge my devices, run my PC, and leave the
lights on all without flinching. And by midday the next day,
my batteries are fully topped up by the sun.
It’s not magic. It’s design.
Smart, experienced, tailored design.
That’s why I founded Boaty Buoy Boats to help others experience that
same level of freedom and peace of mind. Most people
who live on boats (especially first-timers) find the power
side daunting. And I get it, it’s complicated. There’s a lot of
jargon, a lot of expensive mistakes to be made, and very
few people who truly live the lifestyle giving advice.
But here’s the thing:
You don’t need to spend years making the same mistakes I did.
I’ve already done the experimenting, the trial and error, the
deep research, and the brand comparisons so you don’t
have to.
I can fast-track you to a reliable, efficient off-grid power
setup that works the way you need it to. I don’t just design
systems I teach you how to understand them, use them,
and maintain them confidently.
These days, I run Boaty Buoyz from that very same narrowboat,
cruising the UK’s waterway network. It’s not just my
home—it’s my workshop, my base of operations, and
proof that these systems work in the real world. I even
designed and built this website from my floating office,
powered entirely by the same systems I offer to clients. It’s
not theory—it’s lived experience.
One of the smartest choices I’ve made in that journey is
integrating the EcoFlow Delta Pro into my setup. After
years of experimenting with countless components, I
landed on the Delta Pro for its cutting-edge tech and
unmatched versatility. It’s an all-in-one powerhouse that
not only integrates seamlessly into my boat’s main
electrical system, but also gives me the freedom to simply
unplug and take it anywhere—from camping trips to future
van life. Instead of buying separate inverters, batteries,
and chargers for each adventure, I just wheel the Delta
Pro over, plug in, and I’m good to go. For me, it’s the
ultimate blend of versatility, portability, and performance.
Whether you’re on a narrowboat, in a van, or off-grid in a
cabin, I can help you build a power system that gives you
complete freedom
without compromise, and without the long road I had to
take to figure it all out.
Whether it’s choosing a portable powerhouse or getting
help upgrading or installing a fixed system, we’re here to
help.
This is more than a business. It’s a mission.
Because I believe everyone deserves the freedom to live
life unplugged but still fully powered.
Benjamin Yachts
Nicknamed Boaty Buoy Ben
Founder | Consultant | Engineer
Website Design & Build
