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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Solar Panels

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Earl Landers
Navigator

Member Avatar

USA
157 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/29/2003 : 11:01:07

Greetings,
Costco has a "Deal" on a 45 watt solar charging system (links below) and mine will be here Friday. I would like opinions on mounting options, what works, what doesn't. These panels are 1'x 3' and there are 3 of them. I've been toying with mounting them over the stern pulpit* as a shade canopy for the skipper <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> Silly idea? What do you think?

* Removeable for transport

Links;
COSTCO

http://www.costco.com/frameset.asp?trg=subcat%2Easp&catid=114&subid=3241&hierid=3404&log=&NavTop=

West Marine for comparison

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SiteSearch?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&keyword=1684588

Thanks for your input

Earl Landers
83 C25 SK/SR
"Gentle Spirit"

Edited by - on

Shelby
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
155 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2003 : 11:20:37

Those are pretty big. Here is how I mounted mine..don't think it will work for you.

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3df08b3127cce944a94cfe6dd0000001410" border=0>
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3df08b3127cce944a90aa678a0000002410" border=0>

Shelby
'82 C25 "Third S", #3208, SKSR, Honda 9.9, Lake Pleasant, AZ

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2003 : 11:57:05

9 square feet of available space is hard to come by in the C25. How do you plan on using the solar panels, main or auxiliary charging? Are you at a mooring or dock? How is your boat mainly sailed(daysailing, weekendin, cruising)?

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
C25 SR/FK
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2cc32b3127cce92e981259d130000001010" border=0>
Cradled on the hard, 200ft from Lake Erie

Edited by - on

Earl Landers
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
157 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2003 : 12:11:45

Don,
For June thru Spetember the boat sits at a dock on a mountain lake with no power. We daysail 3 to 4 hours most days of the week. The discharge load with radio(s) and gps runs about 3 amps. I got tired of hauling my battery 200 yards from the boat to the truck last year. I thought I'd try a different approach. The rest of the year we go weekend coastal crusing

EDL

Edited by - on

MikeM
1st Mate

Members Avatar

72 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2003 : 12:42:01

Last year I purchase a 10W Solar Panel - Uni-Solar Flexible. I tie it around my boom and the battery stayed charged all season, and I have a CD player.

http://www.uni-solar.com/cons_products_marine.html

I would suggest that you install a charge controller to protect the battery of the over charge.

Mike M
Marblehead, MA
C25 #1212

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2003 : 13:26:51

Since they are so big, could you set them up on your dock and plug in after sailing?

Matt/Brigitte Loeffler
E.C. Rider
Cat 25 86'
FK/SR _/)

Edited by - on

Bryan Beamer
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1038 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2003 : 13:40:20

I have a C250 and my solar panel is not even close to the size you are talking about, but this is where mine is mounted.

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3df05b3127cce93a98040c8b30000001410" border=0>

Bryan Beamer
Daylight Again
C250wk #495

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2003 : 14:50:46

<b>"Since they are so big, could you set them up on your dock and plug in after sailing?"</b>

This is what I was going to suggest if Earl was a daysailer with no power at the slip. Mount the panels on the dock and simply plug in when you get back.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
C25 SR/FK
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2cc32b3127cce92e981259d130000001010" border=0>
Cradled on the hard, 200ft from Lake Erie

Edited by - on

John Mason
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
687 Posts

Response Posted - 01/29/2003 : 17:07:23

Do you have to use all three? Maybe mount just one on the stern pulpit like Shelby's. It wouldn't have as much charging power as three, but still should be sufficient to keep the batteries topped off.

John Mason - Ali Paroosa
1982 - FK/SR #3290

Edited by - on

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.