solar dodgers

[Chae_73]

I'm looking at where I could potentially fit some solar panels to my boat. Deck space is pretty limited. Is there any reason why this would not work or be a bad idea:

Fit panels to the lifelines in the area where you might traditionally have dodgers. Have a collapsible hinge that would elevate the panels to 40 deg when not sailing, and allow them to be secured vertical and therefore pretty much out of the way when sailing.

In my mind, this seems like a reasonable idea but I've not seen anyone else do this so I think there must be a reason why not.

 

[Daverw]

If you have a look at many of the YouTube cruisers you will see this used

 

[Chae_73]

thanks - hadn't seen that before but useful to know that it's a viable idea.

 

[jonic]

Did just that when we cruised in the Caribbean - worked well. I think Plastimo sold a kit for it.

 

[Daverw]

If you used solid frame panels you can get small stainless rubber lined pipe clamps that bolt onto the frame and over the wire, a short piece of plastic tube would act as a brace support to hold up

 

[jonic]

I found a pic.

Here is one we fitted to the stern of our old Moody 38

It would fold flat when not in use and the leg would swing up and clip to the back of the panel.

 

[NormanB]

I'm looking at where I could potentially fit some solar panels to my boat. Deck space is pretty limited. Is there any reason why this would not work or be a bad idea:

Fit panels to the lifelines in the area where you might traditionally have dodgers. Have a collapsible hinge that would elevate the panels to 40 deg when not sailing, and allow them to be secured vertical and therefore pretty much out of the way when sailing.

In my mind, this seems like a reasonable idea but I've not seen anyone else do this so I think there must be a reason why not.

Drake Paragon on You Tube has done exactly that for years.

 

[dune16]

If you used solid frame panels you can get small stainless rubber lined pipe clamps that bolt onto the frame and over the wire, a short piece of plastic tube would act as a brace support to hold up

Any idea specifically where those clamps come from?

 

[Kelpie]

We've got a 100w panel hung just like that, at some point we'll add another on the other side.
I really like the ability to change the angle to maximise output early and late in the day.

I put almost zero thought and effort in to mounting them. Just scavenged clamps and things from disused equipment on the boat. So there's a tube clamp on the aft end, and a bulldog type clamp on the forward end which goes around the guardwire. Both clamps are only done up loosely, to allow the panel to swivel.
I already had an aerial mast on the pushpit, so there is a line from the panel that goes up to that, and then down to a cleat. And a second line down to the toe-rail to stop it from flapping about.

At no point have we worried about the panel getting damaged, and anyway it was £70 on eBay so there are much more expensive bits of the boat to worry about hitting in a marina.

 

[Daverw]

Any idea specifically where those clamps come from?

316 Stainless Steel P Clip Hose Pipe Clamp Cable Mikalor Lined - Marine Grade | eBay

 

[Tim Good]

I’m also considering this but it is how to wire them in. We already have 360w above the rear arch in series which go into one controller and then another 60w panel on the coach roof which goes into a different controller.

The two controllers seem to work fine together but if we stick more on either side where the dodgers are then surely I can’t put a third controller into the same battery bank?

 

[Pagetslady]

Hi I have two 60w mounted on each side, I have replace the safety wires on each side and replace with 25 mm stainless tubes hinges are cheap fittings attached to the panel frames and hung on the tubes, supported by gas filled struts.All my fittings came from Sea screw

 

[ghostlymoron]

I'm always surprised when people say "when solar panels are not in use". In my view the panels should always be in use and the method of fixing should allow this to be so. My experience of solar is that you've never got enough capacity so they should be working whenever possible. A stern mounted gantry is, in my view, the best way but failing that fixing to the structure of the boat is acceptable. You need to be able to harvest the sun anytime it's available, particularly during the best hours when you're probably sailing. If you look at YouTube of long distance sailors you'll see that's what they do.

 

[catlotion]

Any idea specifically where those clamps come from?

Also these if you fancy pushing the boat out...

HD Bimini fitting 3/4" 7/8" 1" 316 Stainless steel boat cover canopy sprayhood | eBay

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I do exactly that on my Moody 31, using a semu-flexible panel. Works fine.

 

[Kelpie]

I'm always surprised when people say "when solar panels are not in use". In my view the panels should always be in use and the method of fixing should allow this to be so. My experience of solar is that you've never got enough capacity so they should be working whenever possible. A stern mounted gantry is, in my view, the best way but failing that fixing to the structure of the boat is acceptable. You need to be able to harvest the sun anytime it's available, particularly during the best hours when you're probably sailing. If you look at YouTube of long distance sailors you'll see that's what they do.

Mounting panels on the guardwires doesn't mean they end up being out of use. I drop mine when entering a marina or other tight space, but once alongside I can swing them back up again- they really don't stick out all that far.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Mounting panels on the guardwires doesn't mean they end up being out of use. I drop mine when entering a marina or other tight space, but once alongside I can swing them back up again- they really don't stick out all that far.

In the UK, there's not a vast difference in efficiency between panels that are horizontal or vertical. Obviously the ideal is perpendicular to the sun's rays, but that is often not an option on a boat unless there's an arch or other structure.

 

[Kelpie]

In the UK, there's not a vast difference in efficiency between panels that are horizontal or vertical. Obviously the ideal is perpendicular to the sun's rays, but that is often not an option on a boat unless there's an arch or other structure.

Maybe that depends on where you are in the UK... up here at 58 degrees I find it very helpful to be able to angle the panels. Perhaps I'm a bit sad but I quite enjoy tinkering with them and seeing the output increase. Then there's guessing which way the boat will be pointing in the morning and setting the panels to suit... and hoping you got it right... all part of the fun
I will be supplementing my guard-rail mounted panel(s) with 600w of fixed panels overhead, but I still expect the 200w on the rails to provide a useful boost at either end of the day.