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PSC 37 Solar array solutions

8K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  deluxe68 
#1 ·
How have 37 owners addressed the placement of solar panels on their boats. I currently have two 80 watt panels that mount on a bar that goes from the stanchion just forward of the boarding gates, to the next stanchion towards the bow. One on each side. These fold up and provide about 5 amps combined which barely compensates for my refrigerator during the daytime. I am considering attempting to fabricate an addition to my bimini which is quite sturdy and is mounted on a solid rail pushpit structure, however there are only about 26 inches of clearance from the back of the boom to the back-stay and there is a radar-less radar pole that I use to hoist my 10 horse outboard. I will clarify with a couple of pictures if I can figure out how to post them. I would like to at least double my solar panel wattage and am interested in any and all solutions to this engineering feat. Many thanks for any advice.
 
#2 ·
Solar array

On our C37 we have an arch off the stern which holds a 130watt panel and our radome on a forward and upward offset.The offset places the radome over the cockpit high enough to avoid radiating ourselves.The arch also serves as an outboard motor hoist with a block and tackle arrangement.The arch is made from marine grade aluminium tubing and weighs approx 50lbs without the solar panel or radome.

Dianne and Chuck Burke S/V NiftyNickers C37 #139
 
#9 ·
On our C37 we have an arch off the stern which holds a 130watt panel and our radome on a forward and upward offset.The offset places the radome over the cockpit high enough to avoid radiating ourselves.The arch also serves as an outboard motor hoist with a block and tackle arrangement.The arch is made from marine grade aluminium tubing and weighs approx 50lbs without the solar panel or radome.

Dianne and Chuck Burke S/V NiftyNickers C37 #139
I've always said that I wouldn't mount an arch on my Crealock 37, but yours looks great. What I really like about it is that it looks like I can install my radar dome on it and still have room for a monitor self steering vane beneath the solar panels.
Looks like just what I need. I read that you had yous made at a VoTech school but wonder if you have any drawings or dimensions of it.
 
#3 ·
I have continued to brainstorm this solar panel placement problem and have tentatively decided to replace the old 75watt seimans panels that fit between two stanchions with 135 watt kyocera. My concern is that the 135s are about 15 pounds heavier and they will stick up over the top of lifelines. Do you think the stanchions will be able to withstand supporting a 30lb panel? Has anyone tried this with larger panels like this? Ive seen plenty with 80 watts or so on the stanchion but never noticed a 135 in that space.

NiftyNickers, do you have a picture of your arch that you could post? I am interested in having something fabricated here in the states that I could take down and install myself on my boat in mexico. Thanks for your response.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Thanks for the picture Jay. That arch is nifty. I could probably live with something like that. Ive got a radar pole in about the same spot as the wind generator mast on Nifty Nickers im actually interested in putting a wind generator on my radar pole. How do you like the one that you have there NN? How much noise comes out of that thing? Ive also got a monitor selfsteering vane on my stern so I would need to make sure that the arch is high enough not to interfere with the wind vane. I like how that arch sticks way out over the water so you cant knock your block on it. Did you make that yourself or where did you have it made?

grant
s/v viandante
 
#8 ·
The arch on NiftyNickers was a class project in a metal working shop at a Vocational High School.The project was designed by and built by the class of course I purchased all the materials.The wind gen is a Ampair Pacific 100 and is very quiet but only produces about 6-7 amps on average.There are newer more efficient wind gens available now and in a do-over I would opt for D400 from eclectic energy a very quiet 40 amp unit.
Dianne and Chuck Burke S/V NiftyNickers C37 #139
 
#10 ·
Hi Grant,
Here is a picture of Cloud Messengers solar setup. Two bows made out of 1" stainless. The aft bow is attached to the stern rail and the forward bow is attached to the bimini frame. ( I can still fold my bimini back since the solar bow is attached to the bimini frame at a point that doesn't articulate. It's very light and unobtrusive. I don't think this will work for the 135's (space) but you could put your 85's above your bimini and still go ahead with your plan to install the 135's on the stanchions...... or you could go back to your plan to put smaller panels on the stanchions that wouldn't stick up above the lifelines.
I'll take some better pictures if you're interested in seeing the details.

Hope all is well, I heard fall hit you guys hard a few days ago.
Have you had a chance to use the sextant yet?

David Schachter
Cloud Messenger
PSC 37 #293
San Francisco, CA
currently in Oriental, NC
 

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#11 ·
Hi David.

Fall is here. Lots of rain at the moment has me looking forward to the tropics. Thank you for the picture. My 135s fit perfectly on the rail but I am still looking to build exactly what you have pictured there. I would be very interested in seeing any other pictures of how that is set up.

I have not had time to use the sextant. I took it down there this winter but was only on the boat for a few weeks, mostly just doing work. Im hoping to generate a larger window of time this winter though.

I hope your season has gone well and that you are sailing in warm waters. :)

grant
 
#12 ·
Hi Grant,
I'll take some pictures now, but probably won't be able to post them until later... maybe tonight. I'm headed to the Pacific Seacraft factory today to pick up my new Bowmar Series 100 hatches. I didn't buy the hatches from them, but as usual PSC was there for me when I needed help. The hatches arrived defective (for the second time)! Steve and Thumper arranged for their crew to "refinish" (read touch-up) the finish on both hatches.
I'm planning on starting a new thread about my experience with Bomar but right now I'm in scramble mode trying to get the last things done before we (hopefully) shove off next week. Not in the warm yet!
David
 
#14 ·
Solar set-up on Cloud Messenger part 1

Grant,
Here are some pictures and hopefully a decent explanation of what you're looking at.
1) pic is an overview of the entire system, hopefully this will allow you to orient the pics to follow.
2) is to show you the attachment points of the "bows". They are the two vertical pieces of pipe and are parallel with the radar pole. The forward bow is attached to the frame of the bimini, the aft bow is attached to the stern rail. Notice the two bracing pieces of pipe too. the forward one stiffens the bimini and the aft brace stiffens the aft bow. Both the port and starboard sides are the same.
3) the radius of the bend
4)Height above the bimini to bottom of horizontal pipe is approx. 6" at center, but because my bimini has a crown to it in the center it is approx 12" measured from the outboard edges of the fabric to the bottom of the pipe. The most important thing is to make sure you make it high enough so you can lay your bimini frame back if you want to, or in your case when you leave the boat. I assume you take the canvas down???
5) good pic of all attachments at the rail. The brace with the rod holder is the one that connects to the stern bow and helps TONS to quiet the squeaking that we encountered before we installed them.
I've reached the limit to the attachments I can send so stand by and I'll send some pics of the attachment points that hold the bows together and attachment points for the panels themselves.

David Schachter
Cloud Messenger
PSC 37 #293
San Francisco, CA.
currently in Oriental NC
 

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#15 ·
Solar set-up part 2

1) there is a 1" pipe running fore and aft, those in the picture are 15" long. Also notice the welded tabs for attaching the outboard side of the panels.
2) inboard tabs forward.
3) tabs inboard stern (one on starboard side is partially hidden by the backstay)
4)Last is a pic of orientation to the backstay ( hidden in that plastic pipe).....
Suffice to say.. it's very close.
I realized that I didn't take a photo of the boom end and its proximity to the panels.... but I can tell you they don't overlap.
I hope this helps, I'll be happy to provide more info if you want.
David Schachter
Cloud Messenger
PSC 37 #293
San Francisco, CA
Currently in Oriental NC
 

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#17 ·
I hate my Bomar hatches and portlights, I think the quality is poor. The welds break on the portlights and the paint on the hatch is bubbling. I would go with a portlight that didn't have welds (maybe New Found Metals) and not sure about the hatch.
Tom
 
#20 ·
Solar system and battery bank

Hello.

I want to develop a system on solar that the load is 250 watt continous. the battery bank should support it to 2 day. can anyone guide me in it like the solar panel should i have it's ratting and about battery bank.

regards;
taqi abrar
 
#22 ·
Pictures of Crazy Fish's arch are displayed in an earlier post to this thread.
Canvas covers up some of it. The arch is integrated with the stern pulpit.

The work was done by a shop in Long Beach, CA a number of years ago.
We pulled the stern pulpit and the shop modified the stern pulpit and integrated the arch into it. It was delivered to the boat and we mounted it.

Marc Hall
Crazy Fish, Crealock 37, Hull 207
 
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