SOLAR PANEL MOUNTING TO LIFERAIL

Larry DeMers · Post by **Larry DeMers** » Jul 31st, '08, 17:29

Hey all,

I have used solar power (just 80W) for about 6 years now, and have always kept the panel on the top deck, in front of the dodger. It was effective, but some shadows would happen occasionally, decreasing the output.

This method has proven to be more monkeying around than we want to do after getting to an anchorage. So I started looking at alternative mounting ideas. One idea that kept coming back to me was to mount the panel to the lifeline railing, tipping the panel outwards to use it.

So, I just built a kind of neat device to allow the panel to be stored inside the lifeline railing. To use it, you pull it upwards, and then tip it outboard to get the angle you desire, then lock it down. I used two stainless steel heavy duty drawer slides (with s.s.bearings -from Rockler) to allow the panel to be moved vertically.

The whole assembly is held in place with two rail brackets (White plastic devices with a black knob and internal friction band), mounted on a 1" s.s. pipe that runs between two stanchions.

My panel is 26" x 42" in size, and I am here to tell you that it produced about 5-5.7A all day Tuesday, while anchored in 20-30 knotts of wind. The panel was stable in all gusts, while mounted on the railing. No stray shadows, just clean output all day long.

I found the trick to this is to slide the panel so that it is balanced over the 1" s.s. pipe I ran between the two stanchions. This is where the slides come in.

Sorry for the long explanation..even after editing it. Let me know if I can explain the device better.

Cheers,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30c Lake Superior

Warren Kaplan · Post by **Warren Kaplan** » Jul 31st, '08, 19:06

Hey Larry,

Good to hear from you again!!!! Your adaption sounds very interesting. Any chance of you posting a few pictures of it? I know that would help me quite a bit in (obviously) visualizing it.

Bill Cochrane · Post by **Bill Cochrane** » Aug 1st, '08, 10:04

Sounds like a super idea! More info, please!

Pictures would be great, along with make/model of the brackets and slides.

How do you secure the panel/drawer slides from sliding, once elevated into position "balanced" on the rail (e.g., while tilting toward the sun?)

Paul D. · Post by **Paul D.** » Aug 1st, '08, 23:16

Hey Larry, Good to hear from you.

I want to chime in here that my panel has kept my house bank of two 6 volts in great shape and can even power my old fridge (On northern Lake Superior mind you) for a while.

I tip it up and back on the stern rail too but use the Ferris provided mounting brackets. I leave it up all the time and though it does come into the cockpit some I have not had an issue with it in any seaway or passage.

My brother has mounted his panels on his side life lines, replacing the top one with stainless tubes, he tips them over and verticl to the outside of the weather cloth when sailing and then up while at anchor. He likes it too. Larry, your idea sounds like a really nice refinement that can keep the beloved things more out of the way and easily adjusted. Would love a photo or two as I could re mount mine.

All the best,
Paul

Larry DeMers · Post by **Larry DeMers** » Aug 2nd, '08, 14:44

Hi Warren, Phil and Paul,

I am leaving for the boat in a couple hours, and will try to remember to get some photos.

Phil, the way I am going to control the movement of the drawer slides once the panel is in place, is to use a couple wing screws tapped into the s.s. slider frame, bearing on the inner rails in the slide. This will stop it from sliding freely. Alternatively, a guy could use a slide bolt that locks the slider into one of several positions, or perhaps a "Quick-Pin" on a lanyard.

Paul, Johns system is the same as mine, except for these slides, and that he has 4 separate smaller panels, and I have one large one for now.

Cheers,

Larry

Larry DeMers · Post by **Larry DeMers** » Aug 27th, '08, 18:07

Bill Cochrane · Post by **Bill Cochrane** » Aug 27th, '08, 18:39

Thanks, Larry. Good looking installation, and creative use of the drawer slides.

Warren Kaplan · Post by **Warren Kaplan** » Aug 27th, '08, 19:24

Larry,

I'm just wondering if its removal when you have to sail in that famous Great Lakes chop that may bring much water over the bow and generally make for a wet sail.

Can you leave that panel deployed in heavy spray or rough seas??

Larry DeMers · Post by **Larry DeMers** » Aug 27th, '08, 21:30

Hi Warren,
So far, deployment is only at anchor. The panels could be used while motoring, but your alternator would get jealous, so that would be of little use.

While sailing on a crossing, and once sails are set on the opposite side, the panel would do well setup in those conditions. Tacking, one would need to stow the panel (which we stow on the inside of the lifeline, and at the beamiest portion of the boat), which takes maybe 1 - 2 sec, plus the time to physically get to the array.

I will be adding an identical s.s. railing to the port side, so that the panel can be moved back and forth (simply loosen two large thumb screws), depending on sun direction. That would make charging while underway very possible.

Should the way become extreme, the panel dismounts in perhaps 20 sec., and stows easily on the vberth until conditions relent. That idea appeals to one when theft prone anchorages and such are considered.

Neatest of all, it is inexpensive, it makes No modifications to the boat that cannot be undone in 15 minutes.

Cheers and Beers,

Larry
Even in the stowed position, we were getting 3.1 Amps at times..when there were no shadows falling across the panel.

We have been using this new deployment for a few weeks now, amounting to about 20 days use, and have found that using both wind and solar, I can generate 40-60 AH on the average sunny day, with some popcorn cumulus clouds out, and a 10-15 kt wind.

This lets us sit for a week at a time, without starting the diesel, should that be needed or wanted. Solar works-in absolute silence. That makes it very fitting for our sailboats, don't you think?

Cheers,

Larry

Warren Kaplan wrote:Larry,

I'm just wondering if its removal when you have to sail in that famous Great Lakes chop that may bring much water over the bow and generally make for a wet sail.

Can you leave that panel deployed in heavy spray or rough seas??

Larry DeMers · Post by **Larry DeMers** » Aug 27th, '08, 21:30

Hi Warren,
So far, deployment is only at anchor. The panels could be used while motoring, but your alternator would get jealous, so that would be of little use.

While sailing on a crossing, and once sails are set on the opposite side, the panel would do well setup in those conditions. Tacking, one would need to stow the panel (which we stow on the inside of the lifeline, and at the beamiest portion of the boat), which takes maybe 1 - 2 sec, plus the time to physically get to the array.

I will be adding an identical s.s. railing to the port side, so that the panel can be moved back and forth (simply loosen two large thumb screws), depending on sun direction. That would make charging while underway very possible.

Should the way become extreme, the panel dismounts in perhaps 20 sec., and stows easily on the vberth until conditions relent. That idea appeals to one when theft prone anchorages and such are considered.

Neatest of all, it is inexpensive, it makes No modifications to the boat that cannot be undone in 15 minutes.

Cheers and Beers,

Larry
Even in the stowed position, we were getting 3.1 Amps at times..when there were no shadows falling across the panel.

We have been using this new deployment for a few weeks now, amounting to about 20 days use, and have found that using both wind and solar, I can generate 40-60 AH on the average sunny day, with some popcorn cumulus clouds out, and a 10-15 kt wind.

This lets us sit for a week at a time, without starting the diesel, should that be needed or wanted. Solar works-in absolute silence. That makes it very fitting for our sailboats, don't you think?

Cheers,

Larry

Warren Kaplan wrote:Larry,

I'm just wondering if its removal when you have to sail in that famous Great Lakes chop that may bring much water over the bow and generally make for a wet sail.

Can you leave that panel deployed in heavy spray or rough seas??

Warren Kaplan · Post by **Warren Kaplan** » Aug 28th, '08, 05:55

Very VERY nice!!! This is something my brain will chew on over the long winter months for perhaps a project for next year!!!

lubeckmaine · Post by **lubeckmaine** » Aug 29th, '08, 17:59

Larry, where did you obtain the ss drawer slides? Really like your installation. Jimmy

Larry DeMers · Post by **Larry DeMers** » Aug 30th, '08, 15:11

Thanks..works nice. The slides came from Rockler Woodworking, the rail mount blocks came from Defender, and the aluminum from the hardware store.
Size the drawer slides to ~1/2 of the vertical height of the array, in this case they were 12 inch slides.

Larry

lubeckmaine wrote:Larry, where did you obtain the ss drawer slides? Really like your installation. Jimmy

The Cape Dory Board

SOLAR PANEL MOUNTING TO LIFERAIL

SOLAR PANEL MOUNTING TO LIFERAIL

second that...

Photos of mount

Re: SOLAR PANEL MOUNTING TO LIFERAIL - PICTURES ..finally

Panel Deployment

Panel Deployment

S.S. Drawer Slide Source