Where do you mount your Solar Panels?

Zagato

Zagato

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I was going to just have 2x20W panels stored under the cockpit seat and fix them somewhere outside temporarily whilst I am not sailing but the panels from SunStore come with thick 1cm wide cable which probably won't be easy to tuck over the seat.

Perhaps fixing them permanently would be a better option but where. Can you buy brackets for the push-pit? Maybe one 40W panel would be better but it is 63x54cm :eek: I suppose it easy enough to make a bracket but it's going to get in the way most places - I would prefer to just connect them when not sailing!

Where do you put yours, any bright ideas?
 
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I fixed a 20w panel on my Mirage 28 on the main hatch garage. Not ideal as its often shaded by the boom but it seems to work pretty well and is always there to catch the sun when its shining. There would be room to fit 2 20w panels which would increase output no end and one would be unshaded most of the time. I don't like them on brackets as they may be vulnerable to a 'greeny' over the stern and don't look good aesthetically (IMO). Temporary mountings involve a lot of faffing about so I prefer to have it where it will generate most of the time whether sailing or not. I sail mostly by day so I wouldn't want to restrict the hours when it can generate all that lovely juice.
 
We have 3 semi flexible panels (40 watt each) fitted to the deck round the base of the mast. In addition, there are an additional 2 panels which connect to a plug by the mast foot and we put them on the top of the sail bag, held down by bungees. Works for us even though we loose some input due to shading from the rigging. Thought long and hard about a gantry with about 160 watts of panels, but just too much dosh for the gantry to be worth it. Also looked at hinged panels on the aft guard rails and single pole mounts for smaller panels. In all cases, it was either too expensive or we didn't like the look of the finished item. However, we do live aboard and our electrical needs are such that we need the somewhat larger capacity than the OP is thinking about.
 
ghostlymoron said:
I fixed a 20w panel on my Mirage 28 on the main hatch garage. Not ideal as its often shaded by the boom but it seems to work pretty well and is always there to catch the sun when its shining. There would be room to fit 2 20w panels which would increase output no end and one would be unshaded most of the time. I don't like them on brackets as they may be vulnerable to a 'greeny' over the stern and don't look good aesthetically (IMO). Temporary mountings involve a lot of faffing about so I prefer to have it where it will generate most of the time whether sailing or not. I sail mostly by day so I wouldn't want to restrict the hours when it can generate all that lovely juice.
Click to expand...

+1.
A similar set up sitting flat just in front of the sprayhood , below the boom. A 24W rigid frame. I was a bit concerned about putting it anywhere else on the coach roof, in case it was stood on while dropping the main. So far it has honestly not got in the way. I think it helps considerably while away from base, when you are nowhere near mains chargers. I don't like running engines to charge batteries..:(.

Graeme
 
Agreed about how ugly they are on a boat unless you have big yacht of course but not so great on my little Crabber :( A deck plug you mentioned sounds ideal, Sunstore didn't mention that but it would be a good solution - I could then just plug in one 40W panel everytime I left the boat... I'll give them a call in the morning.
 
Just in front of the sprayhood on the Rustler 44. You can walk on these.

d9c7f11fd15503e2e631d407eda406f2.jpg
 
I have two panels

A 40W, permanently mounted on the stern to the domestic battery and, to the start battery, a 20W panel on a long lead which sits in the cockpit when the boat is on her mooring.

DSCF1158.jpg
 
I have a rigid 30W panel on the hatch garage that is mounted on modified hinges both sides, so that it can be tilted SB or port to catch more sun. When sailing it stays flat.
Also I have a 32W rollable panel that comes out only when moored, at anchor etc. This connects to a plug by the mast foot and can be positioned by strings in many different ways, like in the picture.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/images/attach/jpg.gif
 
I recently fit a 30w rigid panel on the pushpit of my Sadler 34, it is at an angle of about 30 degrees from flat and sits outboard of the rail. When sailing at night it can fold down vertical because it obscures the stern light, otherwise it stays there as it's out of the way. I used anodised aluminium angle from B&Q bolted to the panels frame to form a lip that can sit against the rail, I lined it with plastic angle also from B&Q then tied it on with 3mm line. It is supported in it's 30 degrees by an old anode bar tied at one end to the lower rail and the other end to the second angle bar on the panels frame. It sounds a bit heath robinson but doesn't look too bad, for a solar panel.

Here's a picture, sorry about the quality, the panel is in the bottom left of the image...
solarpanelpushpit.jpg


I also have 2 X 15w rigid amorphous panels that I leave in the cockpit tied to the winches when I leave and put them in a locker out of the way when I arrive.

All of them are connected using deck plugs/sockets I bought from Force 4
These for the 15 watt panels http://www.force4.co.uk/1058/Force-4-2-Pin-3-Amp-Waterproof-Plug---Socket.html
This for the 30 watt panel http://www.force4.co.uk/1060/Force-4-2-Pin-5-Amp-Waterproof-Plug---Socket.html

I like that these sockets have a nice screw fit cap to cover them when the panel is removed.
 
Regardless of how and where you mount them think about the likely hood of shadows. Even a backstay shadow will give you a significent drop. [Mine are on a rear arch]

A simple and inexpensive mount can be made to fit them onto the top of the lifelines with a tilting option which keeps pointing toward the sun.
 
I have a small solar panel that is attached by bungees to the mainsail boom and cover. I just have a flying lead that slips under the hatch above the wash boards (little notch cut out) to socket in cabin.
Re concern about shadow of the boom on a deck mounted panel I always drop my boom off the topping lift onto the cabin top on one side. (no dodger of course). This leaves the centre cabin top much more free of shadows. Though as said I don't put my panel there.
The reason I don't ;leave the boom hanging on topping lift is that the constant movement wore out the traveller car wheels.
good luck olewill
 
Zagato said:
I was going to just have 2x20W panels stored under the cockpit seat and fix them somewhere outside temporarily whilst I am not sailing but the panels from SunStore come with thick 1cm wide cable which probably won't be easy to tuck over the seat.

Perhaps fixing them permanently would be a better option but where. Can you buy brackets for the push-pit? Maybe one 40W panel would be better but it is 63x54cm :eek: I suppose it easy enough to make a bracket but it's going to get in the way most places - I would prefer to just connect them when not sailing!

Where do you put yours, any bright ideas?
Click to expand...

I've got 328 watts in 3 pairs of panels. One pair mounted on a tube framework above the sprayhood, the largest pair on the cockpit arch and the last, smallest, pair above the lines from cockpit to mast base, on either side of the toughened glass mainhatch.

As to where you can put yours, with no information on panel size or boat layout I am unable to help.
 
TQA said:
A simple and inexpensive mount can be made to fit them onto the top of the lifelines with a tilting option which keeps pointing toward the sun.
Click to expand...

Can you please give further details (and pics if poss!) of your 'simple' lifelines option, as we've been thinking about going down this route. We have three 32W semi flexible panels. We will put one on the sprayhood, or possibly two if we incorporate a frame, and either one or two in front of the sprayhood (but this obstructs the handrails and jackstays slightly, and won't look overly attractive), or on the lifelines. As a double-ender, we don't really have any spare pushpit space! We don't really want to have to take them in and out when we sail, if we can help it.

Thanks, and sorry for the slight hijacking of the thread!
 
Here's one I recently installed on our boat:
image.jpg
Once again, the forum has flipped my photo and shown it upside down. I have no idea why. But anyhoo, you get the idea. There's another one to go on the starboard side and then there'll be a third, semi flexible panel attached over the Bimini.
The rigid panels are attached using NOA mounts.
 
Cardo said:
Here's one I recently installed on our boat:
View attachment 28141
Once again, the forum has flipped my photo and shown it upside down. I have no idea why. But anyhoo, you get the idea. There's another one to go on the starboard side and then there'll be a third, semi flexible panel attached over the Bimini.
The rigid panels are attached using NOA mounts.
Click to expand...
vertically mounted panels are very inefficient. The ideal is about 15deg to horizontal but unless you sail on a constant southerly course horizontal is the best compromise.
 
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