David Webb
Aug 5, 2023, 11:47:40 AM
how many watts of solar panels do you have on your Nonsuch? Please include your boat size. I’m wondering if I can get by with a 26.
Sam Lawson
I have 200w on mu 30u
Ron Weber
David,
There are many variables to consider such as power requirement, storage capacity and intended use of your boat, as well as your location. I have a single rigid 50 watt panel mounted on top of my bimini and a second 50 watt panel that can be mounted on the lifelines. I have two Master Volt 90AH AMG batteries for storage. I created this setup for our cruising needs which included an Engel fridge. I no longer use the fridge as most of our sailing is local so I don’t even bother with the second panel. The single panel keeps the batteries topped up and is plenty to provide for day sailing.
Ron Weber
N22 Magic Time
Punta Gorda Florida
Paul Miller
Aug 5, 2023, 6:53:04 PM
Two rigid mounted 100W panels, port and starboard on 30U. I never plug in anymore and my batteries seldom go below 80% when the days are sunny. My fridge runs all the time and drops the batteries to ~88% overnight. I’m back at 100% by noon if there is sun.
Paul M
NS30U #211, Sandpiper
Cowichan Bay, B.C.
JohnS
Aug 5, 2023, 7:07:18 PM
David; half way there.
I have two 40W solid panels, from a decade or so ago. These are portable, and are stored in the starboard lazarette locker in one of the original cardboard shipping boxes.
I have wired in a Victron 7515 MPPT controller, and when I use the panels, the connector resides behind the panel in the rear of the cockpit, the one for the rudder post access. They fit “somewhere”, on the cabin top, or beside the mast, depends on where the sun is best. Yes, a bit of a pain; see below.
On anchor, with our New!! Novakool refrigeration, seems more than adequate. The Chief Accountant seems estatic with the expenditure. The insulation has been well upgraded, thanks to Mark Powers help, and others in the Nonsuch world.
The goal is to mount some panels somewhere; Paul Miller has been kind to answer some questions, but as he says, a 30 is a bit larger than the 26 so his setup will not quite go on the 26. I’m thinking of just mounting the current panels on the lifelines as a test, but we’ll see.
We don’t have AC, nor a TV, nor satellite antennas or anything like that. Just LED lights, refrigerator, and navigation. Oh, and a Victron battery monitor helps me see what’s happening.
All fun stuff; tell us what you end up doing please.
JohnS
NS26C 046 lying Bath, ON.
Steve Mueller
Aug 5, 2023, 7:13:15 PM
We have 350w (2 flexible 175w panels) on Southpaw, our 30 ultra. One panel on the dodger and one panel on the Bimini. They are held on with very strong rare earth magnets and have served us well.
Steve Mueller
Southpaw
1985 30U #300
Wareham, MA
Southpaw in Indiantown, FL
Ernie Abugov N22 - #56 “Moustaches” Toronto
Aug 5, 2023, 7:54:14 PM
Steve -
Do the magnets bother the compass ?
Ernie A. in Toronto
deborah sabo
Aug 6, 2023, 12:49:31 PM
Sam, I think I have a total of 200w, 4 soft or flexible panels bolted to the bimini. Absolutely no need for rigid. So unnautical and hard cornered. The bolting system for the bimini is fabulous. Installed the bolts and washers with 5200, then the panels just screw on and off with nuts and lock washers. A wonderful set up with excess power. I have three batteries and never use all the juice. But my favorite new thing is the Victron Connect battery readers. These are about $45 on amazon. I got three. They attach to the battery and you read the current voltage with bluetooth on the phone. No more guessing.
Deborah Sabo
Essence nonsuch 324 #103
wickford. RI
steve mueller
Aug 7, 2023, 7:46:27 AM
Ernie, the magnets seem to have no effect on the compass
Steve Mueller
Southpaw
1985 30U #300
Wareham, MA
Southpaw in Indiantown, FL
Mike Darlington
Aug 7, 2023, 11:36:18 AM
I have two rigid 50 watt panels. One on fixed on the companionway slider cover, another hinging off the stern. it can be adjusted to face the sun. The second was added to accommodate an Engel fridge/freezer. (Excellent) I have two 110 amp batteries and a Victron battery monitor. (very useful). It works but on cloudy days I sometimes plug my fridge in to shore power if docked. When not on board for several days I empty and turn off the fridge.
I will probably add another panel, possibly on the stern. There is room for a large soft panel on the dodger but I worry about negative effects on the dodger. I hope to learn more about fabric and panels.
Mike Darlington
Tiroc 26C
Whitby, ON
Rob Powers
Aug 7, 2023, 5:55:01 PM
Hi,
We have 2 50 W panels on our bimini and a 100w panel on the hard dodger. Victron smart controller for the 100 w. separate Genasun controller for the 50W panels.
@ 100 AH Oasis firefly carbon foam batteries and a orbital AGM for the back up.
Works extremely well keeping the batteries up inspire of the refrigeration.
Rob Powers
Respite 26C #50
Sidney BC
Eric Larsen
150W on Felix in three 50W rigid panels attached to the hard dodger. I don’t yet have any cruising experience with this setup but the previous owner said that it kept things charged quite nicely while cruising in the summer in BC with a 400A AGM bank. This, with a fridge but no other heavy draws. I have converted said AGM bank to a 300A LiFePo4 bank in a lead/Lithium hybrid arrangement that I think will work nicely with this.
Eric Larsen
S/V Felix 30C #115
Olympia, WA
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Tom Schoenhofer 26C#28 North Star Penetanguishene
Aug 8, 2023, 10:10:26 PM
2 old semi flexible 100W solar panels. Not mounted permanently but placed on the port side of the cabin top with the boom held over on the sbd side. At anchor port side is usually the sunny side here in Georgian Bay Ontario.
Renogy 20A mppt controller.
2 100Ah group31 Wallmart deep cycle batteries. Identical, in parallel, but one is 14 years old and the other 5.
55l fridge, LED lights, TV, solenoid for the propane, CPAP machine.
This summer on the clearest day at high noon these panels never put out more than 177 W (what the charge controller says comes directly from the panels) which translated to ~13V and over 10 amps to the batteries. They are old and scratched up second hand panels though. However this sunny day power often has the batteries at 100% SOC well before noon. Cloudy day with the fridge running (very cold drinks are nice) the batteries may not quite make it to 100% but the real test is how much they are drained at night. This depends largely on how many TV shows are watched and buckets of popcorn are made in the evening and how cold you need the fridge. The battery SOC, state-of-charge, on the renogy I have seen down to 40% with a load (fridge running, up to 6 A) but with no load it then goes up to 55%. So this SOC “gauge” has a lot of wiggle.
The crew is very happy now that we are weaned off of the ice box.
One thing I would change is to buy the Victron controller. The Renogy works very well for the basic mppt solar charging function, and was inexpensive, but there are some micky mouse things in the software and the way it’s built. It also never really charges to 100% like the shore power charger but maybe that’s how all solar chargers work. This is my first experience with any solar chargers.
Tom
26C #28 North Star
Penetang
Rick Merullo
Aug 16, 2023, 2:05:49 PM
I have a 30U with a 140 watt, 24 volt panel mounted on davits. I have also replaced my house batteries with Trojan -105, 6 volt batteries in series. This is the sixth year of using this arrangement. We cruise to Maine for 5 weeks each summer not relying on shore power. I am so impressed with the advantages it affords. I can run my electric refrig 24 hours a day, unless I get 2 or more days with overcast skies.
Rick Merullo
NS 30U 471
Moonbeam
Manchester, MA