Since we hope to be sailing in a lot of sunshine, we have added a new solar panel to Lulu which has increased her ability to capture solar energy from 100 watts to 400 watts. The new panel is double-sided, which hopefully will make it more efficient and better able to catch more energy. The battery bank still needs to be upgraded, and we have purchased additional lithium batteries which are on a very slow freight trip. Hopefully, between the new solar and our hydrogenerator, we will have plenty of power for our needs.
The panel is a leftover panel from a contractor who installs panels on houses, and we were able to fit it in the back of our minivan when we bought it. However, Magnus added some support beams to keep the shape when on the boat, and they extended out just far enough that we couldn’t get it into the car. Thankfully, Magnus friends were willing to lend us their car to drive the panel to the boat.
Getting the panel up onto the boat was also a challenge, fortunately one of the kids was available to help so there were at least three of us to lift and maneuver. Magnus also remembered that the dirk could be used to lift the panel up, which saved a lot of sweat and tears. The panel is up and generating electricity now, but the poles holding it up need additional support so they don’t break under the motion of the panel and the sea. We are taking a look at all our favorite you-tubers and other boats to see how they have supported their panels. Right now we are most inspired by Sea Wind, and are looking to create a similar solution. If you haven’t read about Sea Wind and their Fantasi 37, check them out!
