Peter s/v Raven

[Greg]

Hey Peter,I was out on the water yesterday... you missed a good sailing day...Anyway, I noticed you have a solar panel on your sailboat... how does that work out for you? Does it keep the battery fully charged? I was looking at getting one for mine but was unsure of how many amps i would need.Also, did you order your bimini top or did it come with the boat. I need to get one-- i am feeling the effects of yesterday today I should be moving my boat down to the marina your in within the next month or so... i had to wait 45min for the bridge going out and 30mins coming back...plus the travel time out to the middle of the lake. It will be alot easier to get out and sail from where your at.Greg.... s/v Passin Wind

 

[Wanderer138]

I know...don't rub it in!

I had a couple of commitments that I couldn't get out of. That was probably the best sailing day of the summer and with my luck we won't see weather like that again until late September. *sigh*The solar panel is a 10W unit from UniSolar. I got it at the BoatUS store in Altamonte Springs, but West Marine in Winter Park should stock them as well. If you have trouble finding one, you can order online or by phone from just about anywhere. They cost about $150.This panel has worked very well and keeps the battery charged, even though often I sail at night and use a tiller pilot. The one drawback with the panel is that it is SLOW, so it needs time to work its magic.A 10W panel generates about 6-7W in real-world conditions. If you drew a 72 Ah battery down to half its capacity (the lowest level recommended by the 12V gurus), it would take the panel 72 continuous hours to recharge it. Figuring 8 hours of sunshine a day (the 2-3 hours around dawn and sunset don't count) means you are looking at NINE DAYS to restore your battery to full charge. This is important because during periods of reduced charge, the battery is prone to sulfating. This process destroys cell plates, reduces battery life and is irreversible.I try to watch my power usage VERY carefully and I also keep a conventional charger at home so that I can take the battery home and recharge it quickly if I overuse it. If you plan to get a solar panel, make sure you know your electrical load so you can know when to stop using the battery. Don't wait for your stereo to quit.You should be able to get a slip at Monroe Harbour without too much hassle because lots of people haul their boats for the summer. Good luck.PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Frank]

Sulfation

I understand that battery sulfation should not occur while the system is charging. So if your solar panel it putting out any current at all it should be preventing sulfation on the battery plates. I used to replace my batteries yearly, but it appears the the solar panel is helping them stay strong.