Solar Panels

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       Solar panel mounted on the stern pulpit.


           The port solar panel folded down.


SolMate's off the grid! At the height of a hazy California day our brand new Kyocera solar panels produce over 10 amp/hrs of power. Even folded down, they'll produce a couple of amps. Propped up with high-tech adjustable poles (paint brush extension arms) and tilted toward the sun, two panels have kept the house batteries fully charged during the day. We're experimenting with all day/all night use by turning off the AC charger (although MJ still plugs in an AC heater in the AM).


The control box is wired and mounted in the locker next to the auto pilot computer and above the AC switches.


Safety lanyards were added in two places as backup for the attachments. Float test is not in the plan. An aluminum track for the extension pole was attached at the bottom. It'll prevent punching a hole through the panel with the pole.

             Solar panel deployed, port.

Painter's adjustable extension rod stuck into an aluminum channel from McMaster Carr.

Solar panels' control box mounted in the "wet" locker and the control box on the back of the panel itself


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