Has anyone out there installed an electric water pump for their water system? If so, any insights?
Lance Jones Cruising Captain, Barefoot Sailing Club Catalina 27TR SN 5455 Gaelforce! Capri 25 SN 411 Scottish Rebel! ----- Original Message ----- From: Phil Agur To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 6:16 PM Subject: RE: catalina27-talk: Quesdtion about solar pannels Joe, Solar goes from a little flexible pad that is the equivalent of a wall wart trickle charger to a multi-panel system capable of running all of cruising boat's systems with no other power. Both ends of the scale are well defined but the middle ground is buyer beware. I think we got 6 panels on my brother's boat for a total of 840 watts. We went with a Morningstar regulator I flush mounted in a replacement teak panel above the navigation station. http://www.morningstarcorp.com/products/ProStar/index.shtml Certainly if a 60 watt occasionally run alternator is keeping her charged now then you may not need anything more than 60 watts. The occasional use may become the tricky part. The solar is only going to output it's rated wattage in the tropics (the angle of the sun's ray impacts the total available energy) during midday. We have a 60 watt system (two thirty 30 watt - frameless) with a non-temperature compensated regulator and it's too much to leave connected all the time. Letting it winter here will fry the batteries in a few months. The cure would be to go to the Morningstar regulator, which is a temperature regulated smart charger, instead of the simple voltage regulator I have now. Know you can have some reserve power without overcharging. The other approach is a simple flexible low power solar trickle charger. It won't have the capacity to fight the batteries being run down by a running bilge pump but it shines in ease of use. The best folks to ask are the ones around you geologically. Boat US would also recommend you change any above water through-hull fittings to brass. Their insurance records are full of cases where freezing water cracked an above water fitting and a temporary snow load pushed it below the waterline. Phil Agur s/v Wing Tip Secretary/Treasurer Call Sign WCW3485 IC27/270A MMSI 366901790 www.catalina27.org Vessel Doc# 1039809 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe McCary Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 6:06 AM To: [email protected] Subject: catalina27-talk: Quesdtion about solar pannels My boat, new to me this past spring, has an outboard (9.9 Honda) and charges batteries just fine. But I am worried about what happens over the winter. I plan to keep her in the water (private slip, no electricity). She will not get the use she has had over the warm months and I am worried about the batteries (2) draining and the bilge pump not working. I have considered a wind generator but think a solar panel would do just fine. The boat point almost due North so the stern will have a nice southerly exposure. I would like to get a solar panel that I could mount on the lazuratte hatch. I know that there are electronic devices to put in line that will prevent over charge and I plan to get one of these also. My question is, can anyone recommend what size solar panel to buy and maybe what brands or models I should look at. I should note that the winters here on the Bay are mild and while we do get snow, it is nothing like our friends in Alaska. I could also mount the panel on the cabin top as well if the thought is that would be better. Also, any thoughts on having the panel connected to both batteries instead of just one. Joe McCary Aeolus II # 4795 West River, MD [EMAIL PROTECTED]
