Jason and I are pretty obsessed with having as much solar power as reasonably possible. We already have big plans for a solar farm on the rear arch like we had on Peregrine, but True North has a nice area on the cabin top that’s recessed and currently houses four 50 watt square panels. Reading online, the consensus is that no one makes a panel that will fit up there, but after an exhaustive internet search and some time with a tape measure I found a Renogy 175 watt panel that looked like it would just slide into the opening. Might as well order a pair and find out!
To start we removed the old panels from the roof and disconnected the wiring from below.
We had to trim and bend the little aluminum brackets but we were actually able to reuse them. A half a tube of sealant and some screws later and the new panels are happily bolted to the roof!
Since we’re upgrading from 200 watts in total to 350 we have to upgrade the wiring. When we bought the boat, these panels and the ones on the arch were all run to a single controller! That’s gonna get sold on the internet and each panel will have its own individual solar controller!
Also apparently the person wiring this boat is the devil because every single zip tie on this thing has a sharp end sticking out. I can’t even count the scratches on my arms anymore. I’ve been slowly working my way around trimming them properly.
All of my parts finally came in so I could finish up the wiring for the panels. According to ABYC each solar panel needs it’s own breaker regardless of any breakers downstream or by the panel. So I installed those in the little access nook for the powered winch by the steering station. (they’re also a convenient “off” switch for the panels) Unfortunately there’s nothing in the area to bolt to because it’s just thin fiberglass. I had Jason cut me a square of wood and then I used 3M 5200 (affectionately known in the marine world as “devil’s glue” or other more unsavory terms) to glue it to the bulkhead.
The roof solar panel project is officially complete!