Wind turbine tribulation!

Thanks for the advice. I will be making sure I invest in some pretty good insulation for the locker to be converted. To be fair, we won't be away from port all that long (my second mate is rather young at 11 months, so marina hopping makes up 80% of our epic voyages). Based on your recommendations I think I will order something like: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Biard-100...80597103126?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item589d5aea16 , which should fit snugly in front of the sprayhood without fouling the kicking strap or any other gear. It should make running the cable quite easy too.

solarpanel.jpg

I've gone for a flexible panel, do you think that's the best call? It will be going over the main hatch garage, so it will not be flush to the deck along its whole length. Any recommendations of which solar panels to buy or can recommend a supplier?

Ta again.

---Edit---

A rigid unit would fit more snugly over the garage, and would be cheaper (helpful in these times). http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100W-12V-...71119234934?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item3f1ff73776

solarpanel2.jpg

Let me know your thoughts!
 
Last edited:
I'd agree with your choice of solar over wind gen. You need to fit a panel that you can live with on deck and 100W will give decent output.

I'm not a fan of semi-flexible panels as they are more expensive than rigid and I've seen more reports of water ingress than with rigid ones. However, I have no personal experience with them so it's just my personal bias based on a few reports I've seen.

I'd worry about the fact that it sounds as if it will be hanging over the garage. It might be almost as vulnerable as a rigid panel if you step on an unsupported section. You might consider a rigid panel with extra supports either side of the garage. I think that a 100W rigid panel might be about 10% smaller than a semi-flexible with equivalent output (and only half the price). On the other hand, a semi-flexible might handle partial shading better, but you'd need to check.

Link to the deck gland I used for my wiring, it wasn't very common at the time but was very tidy.
http://www.indexmarine.co.uk/deck-glands-se-series.php

I had to as a local chandler to order it in as it was a new range at the time and I couldn't find any in stock. I imagine that they are more common now. It keeps the cable flat on the deck to minimise tripping hazard.

I found http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/ a good place for tinned wire. However, I decided that untinned H07RNF rubber 2-core x 2.5mm² was a better bet for a tidy install with the length of run involved. It was only £1.10 / metre so not expensive.


UPDATE: Just spotted the change you made to say that you'd already come to the same conclusion.
 
Last edited:
When I was researching my solar panels, I mentioned to one supplier that the only suitable place was on the hatch garage, where there'd be shade from the boom or the mail much of the time and he said I'd be better off with two panels of half the capacity wired in parallel, as the likelihood is that if one was shaded, the other would still give full output, where a single panel part shaded may well drop more than 50% because of the same amount of shade.

I got mine from Sunstore, which were significantly cheaper than fleabay at the time I was buying
 
MagicalArmchair said:
Thanks for the cracking response, I must say I am leaning towards the solar option. mainsail1, Mistroma, where do you mount your solar panels? I potentially have space just in front of the sprayhood... Although a bit off topic, which solar panels and regulators would you recommend??

So the approach if you want to stop the wind turbine is actually to tie it up with rope? I had sort of imagined there would be some mechanism, a 'button', to force it to stall - I suppose if it is bad for the turbine the manufacturers would not encourage it.
Click to expand...

I'm not Mistroma but I do know of the problems of fitting PV panels on a boat. I have a pair of 95 watt rigid ones on an arch over the cockpit, 2 x 50 watt rigids mounted on a frame above the sprayhood and 2 x 28 watt semi-rigid, in front of the sprayhood. either side of the glass mainhatch above the lines coming back to the cockpit.
Each pair are in series through an MPPT controller - output varies between 5.2 and 18.2 amps @ 1 volt above system volts during daylight hours up to a maximum of 14.1v. Higher outputs generally with discharged batteries, rather than lots of sun.
Whilst in UK it's just possible to make an half-hearted case for wind generators, the cost of PV panels have fallen to the point where I'm surprised any still manufacture them. When I did the sums 4 years ago the capital cost per AH was £33 for the best output-for-money wind generators (assuming the meltemi) and £18/AH for PV panels @ 40N.
 
The Ebay Chinese one is pretty big for an Albin Ballad - rotor diameter almost 4 ft - mount that high enough to clear heads in the cockpit and it will be very cumbersome indeed. Also it produces AC so you will need to rectify the output to DC.

In comparison the Rutland has blades less than half the diameter, with a ring around the outside to make getting hit by a blade less likely.
 
jwilson said:
The Ebay Chinese one is pretty big for an Albin Ballad - rotor diameter almost 4 ft - mount that high enough to clear heads in the cockpit and it will be very cumbersome indeed. Also it produces AC so you will need to rectify the output to DC.

In comparison the Rutland has blades less than half the diameter, with a ring around the outside to make getting hit by a blade less likely.
Click to expand...

Valid points, but:
OP corrected the AC - DC thing way back around posts #9,10 and Rutland 504 was pretty much out of the running after post #6. The Rutland 913 doesn't have a ring fitted to the outer edge of the blades.

I think you'll find that the OP has already dropped the idea of a wind-gen in favour of solar panels (unless I've misunderstood his posts #17,21).
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top