Dingy Davits and Solar Panels

[SV THIRD DAY]

I recently completed my installation of two 130W Kyocera solar panels with a BZ 250 MPPT charge controller mounted atop my new Martek 370 Dingy Davits.  Here are links to the equipment vendors:
http://www.partsonsale.com/campers2.html (DC3 Solar System)
http://www.martekdavits.com/eCart/scrip ... dproduct=3
Here are some photos of the Installation:












If anyone has any questions or would like further detail on the products or install, just let me know.

[SV THIRD DAY]

http://www.latsandatts.net/forum/viewto ... 1037#21037

A discussion of the system over on the L&A Board might have some additional information of intrest.

[aschoenberg]

Hi love the pictures - I am looking to do some cruising with my family (3 kids and the navigator).  I am also interested in setting up solar panels and have thought of one on the davits and one on the starboard side of the companionway forward of the dodger.  How did you decide on the size of panels, how many batteries do you carry, what type of cruising do you do, and do you rely on the panels for refrigeration.  Did you consider wind power also or always just solar? Your help and insight would be greatly appreciated.
Andy P365 Ketch hull 33

[SV THIRD DAY]

one on the davits and one on the starboard side of the companionway forward of the dodger

I also thought about rail mounts as well as dodger mounts and may go that route in the future if we want to add additional solar.  The davit mounting position provides the mounting location with the least amount of shading, which results in more power.

How did you decide on the size of panels

Simple...I went with the largest panels that would fit on the top of the davits...in my view, if your going to go the solar route...more IS more.

how many batteries do you carry

I have a house bank of 460AH comprised of 4-115 AH wet cell group 27 batteries from our local Costco.  Nothing fancy but it works.  I then have an additional identical battery as an isolated starting battery.  Given that you don't want to run your battery bank below 50% to preserve their life; that gives me 230AH of normal use, assuming (falsely) that my charging system will return the bank to full charge.  So taking reality into account, I figure my "everyday useable" battery capacity is 180AH (discounting 20%).  I have a link 10 battery monitor to track actual power use.

what type of cruising do you do

Right now it's day sailing and typical weekend and weeklong trips, but we are planning on a 4-5yr cruise starting in July of 2008.

and do you rely on the panels for refrigeration

Short answer...YES.  From the research I've done my ABCU200 system will use anywhere from 30-40AH/day.  And the panels are capable of producing anywhere from 33-65AH/day depending on sun location and other factors.  So if my Solar system keeps me in Ice, Cold water, and refrigeration, I will be more than happy!  I do carry a Honda EU2000i generator for battery topping with my 75AMP battery charger.  I have also upgraded my stock 55AMP Motorola alternator with a 105AMP.  I am also going to reduce the CAVE size of our ice box by foaming in the far port lower corner (under the shelf) and add insulation as Jack described in his post...so I am pretty confident that I will have ice from the sun!

I just bought the AB System and had access to low pricing, which I can pass onto you as well, if your interested.  You can read about my discount Marine pricing here:

http://www.pearson365.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10

130 ADLCU200 1 EA  620.55
 ADLER BARBOUR CU-200 AIR/WATER      
  COOLED CONDENSOR
  CU-200


140 ADLVD152 1 EA  334.39  
 ADLER BARBOUR VD-152 LARGE      
  VERTICAL EVAPORATOR
  VD-152


150 ADLE1134 1 EA  49.88
 ADLER BARBOUR E1134 MOUNTING      
  BRACKET
  E1134

.  Did you consider wind power also or always just solar

I will have no problem adding wind if I end up needing it for my power needs, but would rather add more solar to be honest...it is just easy and quite, but not cheap!  My two 130W (7.2amp) Kyocera panels and a BZ MPPT charge controller was $1400, plus $275 for mounts, plus $1500 for the damn dingy davits...so all in all it was a damn expensive way to get 260w of Solar!  But I also get the davits for the dingy...so I justified the expense.  I will add a KISS wind generator if I need the extra AH...but I'm waiting to see how my actual usage tracks before I expand the solar or go for wind.
THIRD DAY is kept on a mooring, which is why I wanted solar, knowing that in my area I have lots of sun and my batteries are always maintained in the float fully topped off mode, which makes them (and me) happy!


To answer some of your email questions:
We have the Westerbeke 40 engine and are planning on starting our 4-5yr trip in July of 2008 with our two kids (now 8&9yrs old).  Our route is tentatively: California, Mexico, Equador, Galaphagos, Panama Canal, Carib, and then over to the Med for a yr or so before heading back home.  It's an agressive plan, and who knows, we may never leave Mexico, but it is our plan nevertheless.

We are all glad you found the site and will lookforward to chatting as you get ready to cruise as well.

Regards

[Doug Ritchie]

I also mounted a Kyocera 125 watt panel on the stern rail. We do not have davits however because we opted for a wind vane, but we positioned the panel athwartship the length of the rail. You can kind of see it on the picture I posted in the Photo section.

I will also be adding a large flexible panel to the top of the dodger. Currently, the wind generator and the single panel do a good job of keeping up for us and we live on board. In the summer we live on a mooring, and are completely off grid and never run the engine to charge.

[aschoenberg]

Doug  - what is the battery bank that you have on your P365 - Where are they stored and what type of wind power system do you have - greatly appreciate this info since I am trying to figure out the size batteries to put on and if I need a fourth where to put it
Thanks

[Anonymous]

I have the cutter model of the 365, but the layout is the same.  I added three type 27 wet batteries under the floorboards.  I already had two "stock" batteries in a box in the port cockpit seat locker.  I wanted to add more house batteries but get them down low, and avoid building a box in the seat locker.

It is not "normal" to split a battery bank, but I kept one battery in the original box as a house battery, used the other as the engine battery, and ran 00 battery cable to the three others under the floorboards.  I used standard plastic battery boxes with lids and made a wood frame that I epoxied into the bilge.  A 2X4 neatly slides over the lids and under the cabin floor beams to hold the boxes and batteries down.

I made a heavy plywood lid for the battery box in the seat locker.  I did extensive rewiring of the 12 V system on the bulkhead in the port seat locker, and covered it all with a clear plastic cover.  I am not sure if the 12 V devices are installed in the same location in the ketch.

The system seems to work fine.

I also installed an Ample Power 100 A alternator and 3 stage regulator.  A Xantrex 40 A shore powered charger, a Blue Seas battery switch (with the separate switches for house and engine batteries), and a Link 10 monitor, that I installed in the place of the original voltmeter in the electrical panel area.

I found that having the temperature sensor add on for the Xantrex helped keep the water in the batteries.

This setup has been good, though you apparently have to be careful about separating batteries in the same bank due to thermal issues.

[boykin]

Richard,   Do you have any pictures of the three battery installation under the cabin sole?

[Anonymous]

Not sure how to paste them in here, but will find out.

[Anonymous]

mailto:rchrdm@earthlink.net">rchrdm@earthlink.net

I don't have time right  now to set up a URL, etc. for images.

[SailingSeaDragon]

Richard,

I still have pictures of your battery configuration and posted them on Sea Dragon's website under "Projects".

http://www.sailingseadragon.com/BatteryWaterSpirit.htm

I will add verbage over the weekend.

Garner

[Anonymous]

Thanks for putting that together!

[SV THIRD DAY]

Great Photos Richard....

Here they are here also...











I have two batteries in each battery box in the port and starboard sail lockers.  So I have my house bank split as well.  I like the idea of using the bilge area as you did for extra battery storage, as when I expand my battery bank, which I will do before I go Cruising, I will probabally add 3 more batteries as you did.  I currently have a 460AH bank.  So using only 50% of it gives me 230AH usable, in a perfect world....but in reality probabally only 180AH usable.  So adding another 345AH is on my list.

[Bev & Billy on Sta-sea-dawn]

I recently completed my installation of two 130W Kyocera solar panels with a BZ 250 MPPT charge controller mounted atop my new Martek 370 Dingy Davits.  Here are links to the equipment vendors:

If anyone has any questions or would like further detail on the products or install, just let me know.

It has been 7 years...I am looking at the Martek davits...would you still buy them...how did the solar panels and batteries work out.  I have about 900 CA in four batteries.  I have the newest CU200 water cooled frig.  I am looking at 2-140 amp panels.  I have a 50 amp alt. with a deticated cranking battery.  What advice would you give now that sometime has past...Billy