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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Ultimate solar panel location

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zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1314 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/28/2012 : 18:30:07

On a C250, starting from scratch where would you consider the best location to be for the installation of a solar panel...

What type of panel would you recommend for a single or two battery application. Any new type of panels around the corner?

Suggestions for mounting hardware, controls, etc...

Approximate budget...

Henk & Johanna
"Floating", a few off your "barnacles".
"Someday Lady" '95 C250WB #151 ('03 - 2016)
"Sea ya" 30ft Bayliner (04-2018 - 09-2018)
"Mariah" '96 C250WB #191 (05-2019 - 15-05-2023)
"Lady J" '00 C250WK #499 (05-2021 - 09-2022)

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 12/28/2012 : 19:21:07

On a gimballed mount at the masthead? Since that's probably not very realistic, on the back of the catbirds would be my choice. Maybe on top of a bimini?

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Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2012 : 07:18:35

I don't have a C250, but I will refer you to my solar panel install here:

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=22843& SearchTerms=new,toy

I think you could mount it this way on any boat that has a stern pulpit. Having the ability to adjust the panel towards the sun improves output considerably.

Edit to add: that I looked at some of your photos and see that you already have quite a bit of stuff mounted back there!

Edited by - Davy J on 12/29/2012 07:28:02

DavidCrosby
Navigator

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USA
240 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2012 : 09:56:13

See this link for what I did on my C250.

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23934& SearchTerms=solar

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 12/31/2012 : 16:45:36

On JD, I mounted an 18w Solar Panel on a frame mounted on a swivel attached to a SS tube. The tube is inserted into another tube that is attached to the Stbd Catbird seat rails.

the inner tube allows for the upper tube to rotate 360degrees, the swivel on the top tube allows the panel to swivel 300degrees. The two rotations together allow the panel to always be pointed towards the sun from Sun up till Sun down. The raised panel is almost never in the sail shadow. Today we had 1.6Amps from the panel as we sailed across Biscayne bay. That and our fully charged batteries from having the genny run a couple of hours last night, allowed our Dometic Freezer to stay down at 22degrees. Helped cope with the warmer day today after the storms of the past few days.

Paul

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 01/01/2013 : 07:12:47

Hey Henk... hope all is well with you and JoAnna (hope I remember her name correctly).

A solar panel was one of my greatest wrestles. I needed a 32 watt model and the flexible versions were too pricey so obtained a rigid.

The first realization is that the aluminum frame was not friendly as are no sharp corners on a sailboat. The solution to them was tennis balls installed on the corners.

The second and more formidable challenge was finding a home for it on the boat. A lot of thought was given and sadly no great revelations came. The settled on location was slung from the life line between the mid ship stanchions.

The sling was in the form of two arms that had slots and gravity doors that when held open allowed hooking the slot onto the life line so that the panel was portable to and from the boat so as to use only when the addition charging would be needed as in extended cruising.

On the frame of the panel were installed axles midway on the shorter sides. The arms had holes that mounted to the axles and wing nuts tightened the axles to the arms so as to allow the panel to be held vertical when not in use so that it was as out of the way as life line netting.

When charging was needed, the panel was rotated to provide sun exposure. In some instances, the panel was quickly removed from the life line via the keeper hangers and bungeed to the mast to provide sun exposure.

I never considered it a wonderful solution, but it worked well and sometimes such is the settled solution. It did fit well under the life line with proper rotational clearances if one is careful in the design and fitting of the hangers (mine were made of 1x1 hardwood with the latch gravity closures made of 1/8 aluminum.

Again... the tennis ball corners were a must and are easy to do and installed with pop rivets.

Additionally: There were also times when the panel was simply moved to the opposite side of boat. The power lead pigtail from the panel was equipped with a male cig litter plug and plugged into the female outlet near the power panel.

Edited by - Arlyn Stewart on 01/01/2013 07:25:29

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 01/01/2013 : 09:56:43

<center>[url="https://www.catalina-capri-25s.net/cgi-local/MBR_gallery.cgi?Album+1000+79"]

<b>Solar Panel Mount</b> (Click here for the rest of the pics)[/url]
My goal was to build a solar panel mount that would allow the panel to be pointed sunward at any point of sail. This shows the various components installed.

</center>

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5369 Posts

Response Posted - 01/01/2013 : 16:30:16

Holy cow! Your solutions are quite inventive! I've seen quite a few panels mounted aft of the stern pulpit. I've padded the corners and added some sticky rubber feet to my 20W panel. I generally lay it flat on the seats when I'm not on the boat, and sometimes will place it on the cabintop and tie it to the grab rails when I'm underway.

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zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1314 Posts

Response Posted - 01/01/2013 : 19:12:54

Happy New Year Arlyn, Paul and all our forum people. Johanna sends her New Year greetings as well.

We appreciate your valued input and...love the quality of your work Paul!!

After absorbing your detailed panel, installation and photo descriptions, we still seem to do a little fence sitting. Although nicely done and very workable, solar panels seem to, from where we sit, remain a little less than desirable on our petit cruisers.

So far we've cruised without. Should we continue to do so and use the 1000 watt gen set, stored in tight plastic storage bin and stowed below in the aft berth, and/or replenish the battery from the 8hp Honda outboard while motoring. Both have some good and bad.

Mmmmm... with your input we'll sleep on it for a night or two or perhaps someone bright will come-up with a solar panel embedded in the foredeck or turns the entire boat into solar collector.

The present Vendee Globe racers apparently are successfully using this type of hydro-generators... simple version cost approx. $3,500 a little too rich for us...

Edited by - zeil on 01/01/2013 19:32:48

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 01/01/2013 : 20:31:48

And then... this past weekend I was seriously considering a small wind turbine! I would like 50Watts power.

Still working on the project.

Paul

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