Improvements to solar arch? Bifacial solar panels?

[Cyrus Safdari]

What changes or improvements would you make to your solar arch given the chance & while you have access to a skilled SS welder? Apart from fixing general fitting and minor errors.

I don't plan on having davits but will have a crane to lift outboard motors. There's a Utuber channel in which he made two slide-out solar panels under the main central solar panels gor a whopping amount of wattage. That's a bit too much for me. Another utube channel has two hinged solar panels on the sides of the arch, protecting occupants sitting under the arch.

In addition to the typical conventional solar arch structure fitting two panels fore-aft, I was thinking of hanging a "bifacial" (200 watt front panel, 100 watt backside- found online) overhead off the stern end of the arch, absorbing additional reflected light, a on removable hinges (trying to minimize overhangs.) I also want to avoid mounting anything above the panels though I suspect whip VHF antennae wont really cause a shading issue.

A friend suggested a chinup bar too. yeah

[markxengineerin]

Do you have a link to the youtube sliding/hinge arches? I thought about something similar but decided it would have been too much effort to keep it as light weight as i want it to be.

One suggestion, and some may disagree, is to permanently weld all the connectors that aren't required to be removable for reasonable removal/disassembly. A lot of the fittings hold together with just a set screw and I don't see any disadvantage to adding welds. It might make the whole thing more rigid.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by markxengineerin

Do you have a link to the youtube sliding/hinge arches? I thought about something similar but decided it would have been too much effort to keep it as light weight as i want it to be.

One suggestion, and some may disagree, is to permanently weld all the connectors that aren't required to be removable for reasonable removal/disassembly. A lot of the fittings hold together with just a set screw and I don't see any disadvantage to adding welds. It might make the whole thing more rigid.

The channel is Sail Life. Lots of oh glorious sanding

[Jammer]

Upwind sailing ability is the sine qua non of a sailing vessel. Any fool can float downwind in a bathtub with a stick and a diaper.



Windage is the enemy of upwind sailing.


Choose your solar panel installation wisely so that you get the power you need with the minimum possible windage.

[BigAl.NZ]

I would love to make our more solid, and we have this funny double arrangement where the lifelines run past the horozontal bars of the arch.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Cyrus Safdari

What changes or improvements would you make to your solar arch given the chance & while you have access to a skilled SS welder? Apart from fixing general fitting and minor errors.

I don't plan on having davits but will have a crane to lift outboard motors. There's a Utuber channel in which he made two slide-out solar panels under the main central solar panels gor a whopping amount of wattage. That's a bit too much for me. Another utube channel has two hinged solar panels on the sides of the arch, protecting occupants sitting under the arch.

In addition to the typical conventional solar arch structure fitting two panels fore-aft, I was thinking of hanging a "bifacial" (200 watt front panel, 100 watt backside- found online) overhead off the stern end of the arch, absorbing additional reflected light, a on removable hinges (trying to minimize overhangs.) I also want to avoid mounting anything above the panels though I suspect whip VHF antennae wont really cause a shading issue.

A friend suggested a chinup bar too. yeah

With access to a welder, cut it all off and get your sailboat back

[Cyrus Safdari]

Originally Posted by wingssail

With access to a welder, cut it all off and get your sailboat back

I am actually thinking of making it removable!