Curious how you guys on boats to most off your battery charging with limited solar floor space
- Thread starter Urge38
- Start date
100w on radar arch & 100w hanged off guardrails each side. 10m monohull full time living at anchor
?100w on radar arch & 100w hanged off guardrails each side. 10m monohull full time living at anchor
I guess no diesel/petrol generator as back up ??
yabert
Solar Enthusiast
I'm also curious about this.
It could be nice to see pictures of the installations.
It could be nice to see pictures of the installations.
Full time living aboard only at anchor for many a year so lots options gathered up over the years ? Towed generator, honda 1K petrol genny, main engine alternator, none needed or used since fitting liFePo4 but you never know... .?
And still have 2 x T105 trojans sitting at 100%, seen as needy and emotional these days ?
44ft monohull. 920w of solar doing everything whilst at anchor in the Caribbean. We have a diesel generator as back up but very rarely use it. Hydrogenerator for on route. We also have a wind turbine.
We cook on an induction hob, make hot water on the immersion heater, make drinking water on the 220v desalination kit every day all via lithium and solar.
We cook on an induction hob, make hot water on the immersion heater, make drinking water on the 220v desalination kit every day all via lithium and solar.
Any air conditioning?
No. That uses way too much power. We have a mattress cooler instead. Like aircon for the bed?
When we’re not at the dock, it’s an 85A alternator with a Wakespeed Regulator bolted onto our poor little Yanmar 1GM10 (single cylinder 10HP engine), with a wakespeed external reglator.
The dirty little secret when it comes to sailing, at least in our part of the world, is that if you have any kind of schedule (and you always do due to extreme tides and currents here), you’re probably running the engine at least 1/3 of the time you’re in motion.
As much as I don’t like it, and really likemy LiFePO4 power system, the reality is that dead dino juice is still a far denser energy storage medium than batteries.
My Thoughts were, you boat guys/girls have limited space and facilities, you have to be more efficient than us land crabs.
I figured we could learn a lot from you guys especially when it comes to best use of solar and generators.
I figured we could learn a lot from you guys especially when it comes to best use of solar and generators.
Last edited:
Grith
New Member
I have gradually increased my panel coverage and now have 720w of unshaded solar on the stern of my 28 foot semi liveaboard cruising trailer sailer.
Four thin frame hard panels three of which exactly fit over my dodger and one is tiltable mounted hanging off the rear of my targa bar.
I have a further 160w thin frame hard panel between the handrails over my cabin roof which is sail shaded but at anchor can tilt port or starboard by releasing one side.
Further to these hard panels I have a couple of semi flexibles one of which is mounted on my dodger but moves up on top of my bagged mainsail at anchor and another which mounts over my (bagged when sailing) central Bimini used at anchor to provide total cockpit cover.
Total available of just over 1000w on a trailerable mono hull yacht.
All the panels are easily removable to stow below on a berth with the hard panels being attached by plastic thumb screw type clamp mounts but to date have not found the need to do this despite some 35knot plus days.
They also remain in place whilst towing between cruising grounds withstanding both 50knots plus windspeeds and road shock from potholes.
The forward tension straps shown here have been replaced with stainless tubes running up to the leading edge of the structure giving much greater support and load sharing. The whole structure tilts forward to allow the mast to sit on top whilst towing.
Combined with two lithium power packs I now have 240v off grid power available whilst cruising and cook via induction, have a 240v 800w hot water service and both a fridge and separate freezer along with an electric dingy/auxiliary torqeedo outboard that these also charge along with a number of other occasional use 240v appliances.
Further to these a 12-24v vitron voltage increaser assists boosting charging to these at 350w when occasionally using my main outboard.
I have seen other with side rail swing out solar panels and various other solutions for panel mounting on smaller yachts.
Four thin frame hard panels three of which exactly fit over my dodger and one is tiltable mounted hanging off the rear of my targa bar.
I have a further 160w thin frame hard panel between the handrails over my cabin roof which is sail shaded but at anchor can tilt port or starboard by releasing one side.
Further to these hard panels I have a couple of semi flexibles one of which is mounted on my dodger but moves up on top of my bagged mainsail at anchor and another which mounts over my (bagged when sailing) central Bimini used at anchor to provide total cockpit cover.
Total available of just over 1000w on a trailerable mono hull yacht.
All the panels are easily removable to stow below on a berth with the hard panels being attached by plastic thumb screw type clamp mounts but to date have not found the need to do this despite some 35knot plus days.
They also remain in place whilst towing between cruising grounds withstanding both 50knots plus windspeeds and road shock from potholes.
The forward tension straps shown here have been replaced with stainless tubes running up to the leading edge of the structure giving much greater support and load sharing. The whole structure tilts forward to allow the mast to sit on top whilst towing.
Combined with two lithium power packs I now have 240v off grid power available whilst cruising and cook via induction, have a 240v 800w hot water service and both a fridge and separate freezer along with an electric dingy/auxiliary torqeedo outboard that these also charge along with a number of other occasional use 240v appliances.
Further to these a 12-24v vitron voltage increaser assists boosting charging to these at 350w when occasionally using my main outboard.
I have seen other with side rail swing out solar panels and various other solutions for panel mounting on smaller yachts.
I used to have a Sunfabric dodger just like that on my sail boat…it made goin upwind 10 times better… havent seen one like that in a long time… cool…I have gradually increased my panel coverage and now have 720w of unshaded solar on the stern of my 28 foot semi liveaboard cruising trailer sailer.
Four thin frame hard panels three of which exactly fit over my dodger and one is tiltable mounted hanging off the rear of my targa bar.
I have a further 160w thin frame hard panel between the handrails over my cabin roof which is sail shaded but at anchor can tilt port or starboard by releasing one side.
Further to these hard panels I have a couple of semi flexibles one of which is mounted on my dodger but moves up on top of my bagged mainsail at anchor and another which mounts over my (bagged when sailing) central Bimini used at anchor to provide total cockpit cover.
Total available of just over 1000w on a trailerable mono hull yacht.
All the panels are easily removable to stow below on a berth with the hard panels being attached by plastic thumb screw type clamp mounts but to date have not found the need to do this despite some 35knot plus days.
They also remain in place whilst towing between cruising grounds withstanding both 50knots plus windspeeds and road shock from potholes.
View attachment 153458
The forward tension straps shown here have been replaced with stainless tubes running up to the leading edge of the structure giving much greater support and load sharing. The whole structure tilts forward to allow the mast to sit on top whilst towing.
View attachment 153459
Combined with two lithium power packs I now have 240v off grid power available whilst cruising and cook via induction, have a 240v 800w hot water service and both a fridge and separate freezer along with an electric dingy/auxiliary torqeedo outboard that these also charge along with a number of other occasional use 240v appliances.
Further to these a 12-24v vitron voltage increaser assists boosting charging to these at 350w when occasionally using my main outboard.
I have seen other with side rail swing out solar panels and various other solutions for panel mounting on smaller yachts.
Grith
New Member
I wouldn’t cruise without our dodger it makes life onboard so much more pleasant with the ability to hide from chill winds and spray.
Someone also commented on air conditioning whilst on solar. I have even managed that though only need it on a fairly occasional basis.
Using 240wh on maximum and 100wh on overnight gentle mode our portable zero breeze is enough to cool our double bed all night or blow cold air over the dining table during the day connected to the solar panels but not to cool the whole yacht.
It packs away neatly out of the way in an old Ryobi padded tool bag when not in use and sits under an upturned modified plastic box in tropical downpour conditions.
Sailing in mid winter behind the dodger.
Someone also commented on air conditioning whilst on solar. I have even managed that though only need it on a fairly occasional basis.
Using 240wh on maximum and 100wh on overnight gentle mode our portable zero breeze is enough to cool our double bed all night or blow cold air over the dining table during the day connected to the solar panels but not to cool the whole yacht.
It packs away neatly out of the way in an old Ryobi padded tool bag when not in use and sits under an upturned modified plastic box in tropical downpour conditions.
Sailing in mid winter behind the dodger.
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