Soak the navy beans overnight in 8 cups of water, then drain and discard the soaking liquid.

Add the rinsed navy beans, ham bone, diced onion, celery, minced garlic, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper into a 5-quart slow cooker. Pour enough water or broth to cover the beans by about 1 inch.

Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 6 hours if using soaked beans, or 9 hours if using unsoaked beans. Monitor the liquid level and add more water or broth if necessary.

During the final hour of cooking, stir in the diced carrots and continue cooking until both beans and carrots are tender.

Remove the ham bone along with any bones or gristle. Shred or dice any leftover ham from the bone and add back to the soup.

Use a potato masher to mash some of the beans to thicken the broth to your desired consistency.

Return the shredded or diced leftover ham to the soup, stir well to combine, then serve hot.

Cool any leftovers to room temperature before storing in airtight containers.