As Beth says, we do not have the amounts of sunshine in the
Pacific Northwest that other locations have.
I read you Valhalla - sometimes the extra effort is just not worth the hassle. Yes, the trailer roof is easier to use - however, it is much harder to find a spot even on my 38 ft by 25 ft tri acreage that will not be in the way. I have no
dodger at this time, but I am sure that I will mount solar panels on that when it is built.
Like a lot of things in life, compromise is needed on numerous fronts. Along with the lack of sunshine for much of the year, there is the inclination of the sun up here near the 49th parallel, so that has a serious impact in reducing the rays hitting the area presented by the panels.
The trailer remains stable in direction when parked, of course, and the boat is likewise if tied at a
dock. Sometimes we can get
shore power, sometimes not. If at
anchor there will be movement and one can only hope for a somewhat general setting of the panels, but even that general setting, maybe adjusted only a couple of times a day, should have a major impact. One way of maintaining direction is using a stern
anchor, which will help, but is not perfect either. And it all depends on the
weather and sea conditions and a dozen other factors. It is hard to keep it simple but get maximum effectiveness for power generation.
The more years that pass, I think how lucky we are to be able to
experiment with this sort of thing. How lucky we are in general....
Fair winds to all,
RR.