Solar Panel Sailing Lifestyle Choices

[Bolo]

I know, the title of the posting, "Solar Panel Sailing Lifestyle Choices", sounds like something you'd see in social media rather than a sailing web site but the title sort of fits my recent thoughts about solar panel use on a sailboat. More then 90% of my sailing take place on the Chesapeake Bay with the occasional sailing done on someone else's boat when I visit the Tampa Bay area. For the most part my wife and I and the occasional guests leave from our marina, where we've been plugged into shore power, for a day sail. Other times my "1st mate" and I sail to other marinas on the bay and when there plug into their shore power. We have also sailed to places where we anchor or find a mooring ball and then, of course, there is no shore power. We want to do more of the latter, anchor more rather then find a marina and to that end we recently purchased a new inflatable dinghy and Torqeedo to get us ashore. In the past being at anchor for more than two days in a row meant starting the engine to charge the batteries which is not the best way of charging, IMO, and it's noisy. Something else you don't want in a peaceful anchorage. We even tried using a Honda generator (that I purchased for my business) a few times but found even that noise level objectionable along with storing the generator and fuel.

Solar panels are the next logical step but they to present their own problems. First off, on a boat the size of an E32-3 setting up a permanent installation is (again IMO) difficult and can ruin the look of the boat. Remember, I'm not doing ocean cruising where I'd be off grid for weeks at a time, I just need something to help keep the lights on at night, keep the beer cool in the frig and help out with the charging. It's all a matter of how and where you sail. So in considering my situation, which I think is close to describing the majority of not only Ericson sailors but others, I think the best solar option would be a "temporary and portable" solar panel system. The one I've been looking at is the 100 Watt Xantrex Solar Portable Flex Kit. Here a link for them on the Defender web site: https://www.defender.com/search.html?q=xantrex portable flexible solar panel kit

I'm not expecting the 100 watt panel (rated as such but never really deliver that much) will not meet all of my electrical needs but considering the kind of "sailing lifestyle" I lead I think that a portable solar panel would work well. When in use at anchor I could lay the unfolded panel on the deck, selecting the best full sun position or even lay it on top of my bimini. It would work there even under sail because the panels are flexible and have grommets that can be used to tie them to the bimini frame. I could even purchase a second panel to help out. When not needed the panels fold up to a size of 17.7 x 20.5 x .8 inches making them very storable. The biggest electrical load is my refrigerator and under sail the Raymarine auto helm only when it's being used. So I'm considering the purchase to help with the recharging not to replace the usual methods of shore power and engine generator.

Anyone ever use portable solar panels on board or consider using them? Your thoughts would be helpful and I think interesting to this conversation. Thanks.

 

[goldenstate]

I think you need some sort of a controller between the panel and the battery. Will you controller install be permanent and if so in what location?

Are there quick disconnects that facilitate the deployment and storage of the panel from the wiring?

I have seen YouTubers do this (pull panels out into the cockpit). It’s certainly possible.

 

[Marlin Prowell]

I’ve also been considering adding solar panels. Our boat came with a hard top dodger and so that is the obvious place for us to install solar panels. There are a couple of very informative videos interviewing Nigel Calder about solar power here.

Do you have a battery monitor? It will give you a good idea of your power usage in a typical day and you can figure out how much of your daily power usage a solar system can provide.

Solar power is a pretty big rabbit hole to go down. There is a lot more information on the Pacific Yacht Systems site about solar power.

Ocean Planet Technology (mentioned in the videos) also sells a portable solar panel array by Merlin Solar. This array is a little more expensive and requires an additional separate controller. But there are different solar panel technologies (as the videos point out) and this Merlin Solar portable system sounds more robust. For a panel system that will get handled a lot, this may be worth considering.

 

[Alan Gomes]

One of the best things I added to my boat is a 100W flexible solar panel. It is not permanently mounted, and I store it below when not in use. It fits nicely behind my starboard settee.

When deployed, I can lay it on top of the turtle with bungees run to the grab rails holding it in place, or I can hoist it using a halyard for achieving a more favorable angle to the sun. It works very well.

My main need for it is to keep my electronics running on my week-long trips to Catalina Island. I'm a university professor and go on regular writing retreats, where I use my laptop for many hours at a time. I also have an iPad and cell phone that doubles as a wifi hotspot. Additionally, I use a CPAP machine in the evenings when sleeping. I do not have refrigeration, and my interior lights are LED, which have negligible current draw.

In sunny Southern California the 100W panel easily keeps up with my power needs. Before, I'd need to run my engine every few days (or less), but no longer. In fact, I get so much power that I no longer worry about reorienting the panel throughout the day to get optimum output from the panel, since it puts out more than I can consume. I just hoist it with a bungee so that it would be aimed in a direction that is ideal for the noon-day sun and it gives me all I need.

Proper orientation, by the way, makes a huge difference, as well as keeping an unobstructed exposure of the panel to the sun. I can just keep it laying flat and attached to the turtle, but then the boom partially blocks the panel unless I let it out and secure it with a line running to the bow. On a sunny day it might be good enough just strapping it to the turtle, but since it's easy enough to hoist it with a halyard I just do it that way to make sure I get enough power.

It takes me about 5 minutes to set it up with the halyard and the bungees, now that I've figured out which bungees go where.

 

[Alan Gomes]

By the way: I did this in 2019 and the cost, with controller and wiring, was only about $200. Oh, and maybe another $30 or so for the bulkhead connector.

(I used a cheap ~$20 PWM controller. It seems to work just fine.)

 

[Bolo]

I think you need some sort of a controller between the panel and the battery. Will you controller install be permanent and if so in what location?

Are there quick disconnects that facilitate the deployment and storage of the panel from the wiring?

I have seen YouTubers do this (pull panels out into the cockpit). It’s certainly possible.

Yes I would have a controlled installed, probably close to the house batteries, and the Xantex panel does come with one. There are also quick disconnect outlets that can be mounted wherever on the boat to facilitate easy setup and positioning.

 

[Bolo]

I’ve also been considering adding solar panels. Our boat came with a hard top dodger and so that is the obvious place for us to install solar panels. There are a couple of very informative videos interviewing Nigel Calder about solar power here.

Do you have a battery monitor? It will give you a good idea of your power usage in a typical day and you can figure out how much of your daily power usage a solar system can provide.

Solar power is a pretty big rabbit hole to go down. There is a lot more information on the Pacific Yacht Systems site about solar power.

Ocean Planet Technology (mentioned in the videos) also sells a portable solar panel array by Merlin Solar. This array is a little more expensive and requires an additional separate controller. But there are different solar panel technologies (as the videos point out) and this Merlin Solar portable system sounds more robust. For a panel system that will get handled a lot, this may be worth considering.

Yes, I know solar can be a "big rabbit hole" and it's one of the reasons I'm considering a portable panel system. I won't be doing anything "permanent" as far as mounting brackets, solar arches, etc. and if doesn't work out for me then there isn't anything that would need to be torn down aside from a controller and some wiring but I don't think that will happen because I fairly confident this will work for my situation.

 

[Bolo]

One of the best things I added to my boat is a 100W flexible solar panel. It is not permanently mounted, and I store it below when not in use. It fits nicely behind my starboard settee.

When deployed, I can lay it on top of the turtle with bungees run to the grab rails holding it in place, or I can hoist it using a halyard for achieving a more favorable angle to the sun. It works very well.

My main need for it is to keep my electronics running on my week-long trips to Catalina Island. I'm a university professor and go on regular writing retreats, where I use my laptop for many hours at a time. I also have an iPad and cell phone that doubles as a wifi hotspot. Additionally, I use a CPAP machine in the evenings when sleeping. I do not have refrigeration, and my interior lights are LED, which have negligible current draw.

In sunny Southern California the 100W panel easily keeps up with my power needs. Before, I'd need to run my engine every few days (or less), but no longer. In fact, I get so much power that I no longer worry about reorienting the panel throughout the day to get optimum output from the panel, since it puts out more than I can consume. I just hoist it with a bungee so that it would be aimed in a direction that is ideal for the noon-day sun and it gives me all I need.

Proper orientation, by the way, makes a huge difference, as well as keeping an unobstructed exposure of the panel to the sun. I can just keep it laying flat and attached to the turtle, but then the boom partially blocks the panel unless I let it out and secure it with a line running to the bow. On a sunny day it might be good enough just strapping it to the turtle, but since it's easy enough to hoist it with a halyard I just do it that way to make sure I get enough power.

It takes me about 5 minutes to set it up with the halyard and the bungees, now that I've figured out which bungees go where.

View attachment 41664

Nice layout and this sort of story fills me with confidence in my perceptions about solar. No frig but I'm sure the CPAP machine draws a decent amount of power. All of my lights on board are LED, including the anchor light, except for the Weems & Plath's Brass Yacht Lamp which I use at night in the cockpit and sometimes in a crowded anchorage. Boats Captian's that close don't usually look up for a mast anchor light so I hang mine from the boom. Before daylight Chesapeake waterman going out for work can see me in the pre-dawn darkness.

 

[dhill]

Hi @Bolo,

The previous owner of my boat (Ericson 35-3) put two 175w flexible solar panels on the bimini, which provides a good amount of power away from shore. My batteries are almost always topped off.

 

[Alan Gomes]

Nice layout and this sort of story fills me with confidence in my perceptions about solar. No frig but I'm sure the CPAP machine draws a decent amount of power. All of my lights on board are LED, including the anchor light, except for the Weems & Plath's Brass Yacht Lamp which I use at night in the cockpit and sometimes in a crowded anchorage. Boats Captian's that close don't usually look up for a mast anchor light so I hang mine from the boom. Before daylight Chesapeake waterman going out for work can see me in the pre-dawn darkness.

I’m not quite sure how much power the CPAP machine draws; I don’t think it is a huge amount. I should point out that when I run it on the boat, I turn off the humidifier. I think the humidifier, being a heating device, would greatly increase the amount of power the unit draws. I don’t find the humidifier essential anyway, and even sometimes at home I choose to leave it off. I definitely do on the boat. I could try running it just for fun when I’m a board next time and see what happens.

 

[Tin Kicker]

Bob -

You're going at it backwards and in my experience I doubt a single 100W panel will be enough for a fridge plus the other loads you mentioned.

You need to start by adding up your daily energy usage, which sounds like it will be the fridge, autopilot, and lights. Probably need to add the radio(s) and usually a laptop or iPad too. Get the amperage for each and then multiply those by the number of hours that each will be used per day, so you end up with a total number of amp-hours. (Multiple that total amperage times 12 volts to get the number of watt-hours needed if calculating in Wh.)

The basic Adler Barbour ColdMachine instructions state: "When in the starting mode, the ColdMachine may momentarily draw nearly 10 amps, even though the continuous running current is between 3 and 5 amps." (ref. https://epi.dometic.com/externalass...2-24v-dc-_9108777973_62743.pdf?ref=1172954146) Before we get to the heat of summer, let's say the fridge alone uses 5A for a third of a day, so 8 hours X 5A = 40 Ah. A small laptop is 80-100W so 6-8A and iPads are about 3A/hr to add in.

The next step is to see how much battery bank you will need to fill that need. For a basic Adler Barbour ColdMachine they recommend at least 300 Amp-hours, then say 200 Ah battery is enough for occasional overnighters. My 32-3 fits two Group 24 batteries which are about 75-85 Ah each and lead-acid and AGM are only good for about half of their rating, so I have 75-85 Ah TOTAL in the two batteries, including what will be needed to start the engine the next day. Obviously not enough. Three Group 27 batteries in good shape (66-110 Ah each) are a rough minimum.

Then you calculate for the amount of solar needed to refill the batteries. A real rough thumb rule for our latitude is about a third of the rated watts per sunny day, so 200Wh/3=66Wh (66Wh/12V=5.5Ah) is about the minimum for the fridge alone.

I'm in the neighborhood & have put in several systems so let me know if you want help. I do have two spare brand new 100W panels that are still in the boxes since I was going to put them on the van then tripped across a steal on 130W panels.
fwiw - In the Ford Transit van for kayaking weekends I run a stereo, LED lights, iPad, and a Setpower TC35 freezer that have been running on the two 130W solar panels and two 100Ah Weize AGM batteries. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DFC7MWH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1)

Bob
tel/txt: two quatro null 5730

 

[Loren Beach]

Data Point: We have a house bank of two Trojan T-145+ batteries. About 260 AH, depending on who is writing the specs for the flyer.
Fully charged, we can anchor out 48 hours and still start the diesel easily. Full time refrigeration, and all lighting is LED.
Typical volt reading when we do this is about 12.3.
No solar panels, tho. A few friends have panels, and they like them, but they also have larger regenerators and freezers, too.

 

[jtsai]

My experience is similar to Loran's. With the refrigeration running (4.5 amp x 10 hrs. during our east coast summer), the house bank will need to be deep-charged at the marina on the third night.

On my return trip from the Chesapeake Bay to North Carolina last fall, I experimented not using refrigeration. With the usual combination of sailing and motoring of a typical east coast cruising ground, the house bank stayed happy for the week-long trip without visiting the marina.

A few sailing friends visiting the Bahamas use 12V portable refrigerator/freezer to store meat. From what I heard, the amp draw is similar to the boat refrigerator but it cycles less due to its size and insulation, thus less power consumption. I have no experience with it but have wondered if it is more practical if all I need is a small unit for storing lunch meat, left over spaghetti sauce and a couple cans of drink. With that setup, I wonder a portable solar panel combined with the usual sailing/motoring involved would be sufficient.

 

[toddster]

Similar - with a 200 AH bank, the boat can "sit quietly" and run the refrigeration and minor lighting for about five or six days without recharging. (When I had some windfall income events, I bought a newer more efficient refrigeration system and LiFePO4 batteries.) However, if I want to "run hot" with the lights, sailing instruments, chart plotter, radar, sonar, radios, and autopilot blazing away all day, that would deplete the batteries in two days, unless recharged. Whether one really wants/needs to do that is a separate question. If you have the power, why not?

I like the idea of bolt-on extra power that you can put on board for an extended cruise and easily take off again the rest of the time. But I've flip-flopped back and forth on the best way to do that several times. And yes, there are standard waterproof connectors for plugging in solar components. Some panels come with them.

I've got all the parts for my system in storage, but still locked up in analysis paralysis. And other projects.

 

[Bolo]

Bob -

You're going at it backwards and in my experience I doubt a single 100W panel will be enough for a fridge plus the other loads you mentioned.

You need to start by adding up your daily energy usage, which sounds like it will be the fridge, autopilot, and lights. Probably need to add the radio(s) and usually a laptop or iPad too. Get the amperage for each and then multiply those by the number of hours that each will be used per day, so you end up with a total number of amp-hours. (Multiple that total amperage times 12 volts to get the number of watt-hours needed if calculating in Wh.)

The basic Adler Barbour ColdMachine instructions state: "When in the starting mode, the ColdMachine may momentarily draw nearly 10 amps, even though the continuous running current is between 3 and 5 amps." (ref. https://epi.dometic.com/externalass...2-24v-dc-_9108777973_62743.pdf?ref=1172954146) Before we get to the heat of summer, let's say the fridge alone uses 5A for a third of a day, so 8 hours X 5A = 40 Ah. A small laptop is 80-100W so 6-8A and iPads are about 3A/hr to add in.

The next step is to see how much battery bank you will need to fill that need. For a basic Adler Barbour ColdMachine they recommend at least 300 Amp-hours, then say 200 Ah battery is enough for occasional overnighters. My 32-3 fits two Group 24 batteries which are about 75-85 Ah each and lead-acid and AGM are only good for about half of their rating, so I have 75-85 Ah TOTAL in the two batteries, including what will be needed to start the engine the next day. Obviously not enough. Three Group 27 batteries in good shape (66-110 Ah each) are a rough minimum.

Then you calculate for the amount of solar needed to refill the batteries. A real rough thumb rule for our latitude is about a third of the rated watts per sunny day, so 200Wh/3=66Wh (66Wh/12V=5.5Ah) is about the minimum for the fridge alone.

I'm in the neighborhood & have put in several systems so let me know if you want help. I do have two spare brand new 100W panels that are still in the boxes since I was going to put them on the van then tripped across a steal on 130W panels.
fwiw - In the Ford Transit van for kayaking weekends I run a stereo, LED lights, iPad, and a Setpower TC35 freezer that have been running on the two 130W solar panels and two 100Ah Weize AGM batteries. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DFC7MWH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1)

Bob
tel/txt: two quatro null 5730

TK, Yes…I realize that one 100 watt panel will probably not meet all of my needs but that is not really my intent. I want to supplement charging by shore power/engine power to extend my time at anchor. I don’t want to replace shore power/engine power. To do that I’d need at two or more 100 watt panels that would need to be permanently mounted and that’s something I’d like to avoid because that what I don’t need. Most of the time I day sail. The rest I go out for about a week or more stopping at marinas and anchoring. I’d like to anchor a bit more. I’m leaning more now towards buying one 100 watt flexible panel that can be easily stored below when not in use. Then I might buy a second one and deploy them around different parts of the boat as the sun direction changes. I suppose I could even add a third or more as long as the controller can handle it. So the two big issues for me are flexibility and storage of the panels. As for battery power I have, or had, two large group 24 “house” batteries that were 7 years old and are being replaced this spring. Then there is a third smaller starter battery under that Nav station seat used solely to start the engine. The house and starter batteries each have their own 120 volt chargers. All three batteries are control with two large battery switches which, depending on how they’re set, can deliver power to the boat or engine from all three, from just one of the batteries or a combination of either one of them. The system was designed and built by the previous owner and it works well. The other purpose for having temporary solar panels is for use in the winter months when the boat is on the hard. Every other year I have the boat pulled that have the bottom inspected and painted, along with any other required maintenance. While On the hard the boat cannot be plugged in the keep the batteries charged. The temporary panel(s) can then be laid out on the deck, bimini or hung to take advantage of the sun’s angle depending on where the boat is placed.

 

[Tin Kicker]

TK, Yes…I realize that one 100 watt panel will probably not meet all of my needs but that is not really my intent. I want to supplement charging by shore power/engine power to extend my time at anchor. I don’t want to replace shore power/engine power. To do that I’d need at two or more 100 watt panels that would need to be permanently mounted and that’s something I’d like to avoid because that what I don’t need. Most of the time I day sail. The rest I go out for about a week or more stopping at marinas and anchoring. I’d like to anchor a bit more. I’m leaning more now towards buying one 100 watt flexible panel that can be easily stored below when not in use. Then I might buy a second one and deploy them around different parts of the boat as the sun direction changes. I suppose I could even add a third or more as long as the controller can handle it. So the two big issues for me are flexibility and storage of the panels. As for battery power I have, or had, two large group 24 “house” batteries that were 7 years old and are being replaced this spring. Then there is a third smaller starter battery under that Nav station seat used solely to start the engine. The house and starter batteries each have their own 120 volt chargers. All three batteries are control with two large battery switches which, depending on how they’re set, can deliver power to the boat or engine from all three, from just one of the batteries or a combination of either one of them. The system was designed and built by the previous owner and it works well. The other purpose for having temporary solar panels is for use in the winter months when the boat is on the hard. Every other year I have the boat pulled that have the bottom inspected and painted, along with any other required maintenance. While On the hard the boat cannot be plugged in the keep the batteries charged. The temporary panel(s) can then be laid out on the deck, bimini or hung to take advantage of the sun’s angle depending on where the boat is placed.

All good.
I found on my 32-3 that a 50W fits perfectly on the companionway hood, held in place with industrial velcro. Being on the hood means having to watch your step when working with the main sail so I'd not recommend a panel here.
But I bring this up because . . .
. . . For you, velcro could keep your 100W panel from blowing off the foredeck on anchor or even temporarily hung from the rear pulpit, while staying easy to stow.

 

[Mr. Scarlett]

Data Point: We have a house bank of two Trojan T-145+ batteries. About 260 AH, depending on who is writing the specs for the flyer.
Fully charged, we can anchor out 48 hours and still start the diesel easily. Full time refrigeration, and all lighting is LED.
Typical volt reading when we do this is about 12.3.
No solar panels, tho. A few friends have panels, and they like them, but they also have larger regenerators and freezers, too.

Loren, do you have a separate start bank? It sounds like you start the engine on the same bank that powers your lights and refrigeration.

 

[Loren Beach]

Loren, do you have a separate start bank? It sounds like you start the engine on the same bank that powers your lights and refrigeration.

Yes I do. A long time ago a trusted mechanic told me that our little diesels have no need for a different starting battery. They can be started by almost any common 12 volt battery.
Our house bank does everything. We have a separate AGM 12 volt battery for emergencies. I charge it several times a year, and test it once a year. A few years ago I used it in earnest when we were out for the weekend and our (former) house bank suddenly lost most of its voltage. That bank was 9 years old at the time. Good quality, so I replaced it with two more identical GC batteries.

 

[Mr. Scarlett]

I'm with you on that. I think nowadays boats have a house bank and a reserve.
We have the same setup on the 35-2 we bought last year. We're in the middle of relocating the 6V to just aft of the mast. A pair of moveable 50W panels and adding insulation to the icebox will be a noticeable improvement.

 

[p.gazibara]

The middle boat is Cinderella (35-2) the two panels aft of the boom are 345w each, mounted on a hard dodger. They are 6 years old now, for that footprint you can get even more watts with the new panels. I got them at Platt electric (commercial electrician’s supply) in Seattle for $250 each.
The dodger also has a 100w flexi. The flexi I got off Amazon for $175, it failed in 3 years.

One of the rigid ones blew off the deck when I was redoing the bimini and spent two nights 12’ down on the sea floor. When recovered, it still worked.

There is nothing quite like rigid monocrystaline panels paired to a quailty MPPT controller (I prefer the Midnite Kid). That setup powered everything aboard on our 3 year voyage including the propulsion drive.

If you could fit one of those aft of your boom on an arch/bimini you could stay on anchors for weeks.

-p