Solar arch, mizzen mast and windvane design?

[jpeach]

Hi folks, I live aboard a 28ft custom grp ketch, built 40 years ago. She's quite well put together for extended cruising, but to build on that I'm looking to add to both the boat's solar capacity, as a wind vane.

I'm looking for picture inspiration of any solar arches that can accommodate for both a mizzen boom overhanging the stern, and a wind vane aft of that - im struggling to think of a solution that doesn't involve an enormous amount of fabrication, but you never know!

 

[Ardenfour]

Hi folks, I live aboard a 28ft custom grp ketch, built 40 years ago. She's quite well put together for extended cruising, but to build on that I'm looking to add to both the boat's solar capacity, as a wind vane.

I'm looking for picture inspiration of any solar arches that can accommodate for both a mizzen boom overhanging the stern, and a wind vane aft of that - im struggling to think of a solution that doesn't involve an enormous amount of fabrication, but you never know!

Do you mean a wind powered generator?

 

[Jules W]

We have aketch with an overhanging boom. We chose the duogen for the back. In wind mode which we use when not sailing it doesn't catch the boom and in water mode it is out of the way in the water. Avoided building goal posts etc.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I fitted a solar arch on to my previous ketch boat by angling the arch at about 60 degrees over the stern to muss the mizzen boom.
I also fitted a wind generator on top of the solar arch that cleared the mizzen boom.

If you are talking about a wind vane self-steering gear the vane would need to extend aft of the arch to allow the wind to drive the vane correctly

I don't have any pich of the previous boat but do have pics of my current boat, but this is not a ketch so may not help you

 

[Tranona]

Hi folks, I live aboard a 28ft custom grp ketch, built 40 years ago. She's quite well put together for extended cruising, but to build on that I'm looking to add to both the boat's solar capacity, as a wind vane.

I'm looking for picture inspiration of any solar arches that can accommodate for both a mizzen boom overhanging the stern, and a wind vane aft of that - im struggling to think of a solution that doesn't involve an enormous amount of fabrication, but you never know!

I think you will continue to struggle because on such a small boat particularly with a mizzen boom there simply is not room to construct an arch that is in proportion to the boat without it overhanging the stern and seriously affecting the balance and stability of the boat. The photo shows the solar arch on my 31' boat which doubles as davits. The overhang is nearly 4' and upset the balance of the boat. I have removed it because I don't need solar, but if I did maybe I would tolerate the inconvenience. You don't say whether the windvane is to drive self steering, but it would be difficult to engineer a linkage to the tiller or wheel. If you mean a wind generator then to gain the height6 and distance from sails for it to work would result in it being both high and well back from the stern of the boat. As you can see mine was on the aft deck (also since removed) but that would not work with a mizzen.

 

[MontyMariner]

This is how I did mine