Solar Sailing

Solar Power for Sailboats

Solar Sailing options for self sufficient boaters. Boating and solar power are a match made in heaven. Here's what you need.

Portable Solar Power for Boats

solar sailing

Our Solar Sailing page provides information to boaters of all genres on powering boat systems with solar energy.

A sailboat equipped with solar panels is the ultimate portable solar power system. Even if you have an engine, the benefits of using solar on a boat are undeniable.

Rather than speculate on some imaginary boat in an imaginary location, we'll look at our boat, "Pacific Jade", located on Mexico's Pacific Coast. We'll add some other boats and their systems over the next few months to help you make comparisons.

Pacific Jade is a 41 foot ketch with the following equipment on board.

Auto helm
Water maker
Water and bilge pumps
CD player/radio
Lights (for reading and navigation)
SSB radio
VHF radio
Depth sounder
GPS
Numerous fans
Lap top computer

Although we have a microwave, air conditioner, toaster and electric coffee maker on board we only use them when plugged in at a marina which is as seldom as possible.

Pacific Jade's Solar Sailing System

320 watts of solar panels (2 - 85 watt Kyocera and 2 - 75 watt Siemens
3 - 12 volt batteries, Trojan deep cycle.
Charge Controller - Flexcharge NC25A/12
Inverter
Link Monitor
Assorted wire and fittings

An inverter is required only if you wish to convert the power to 110. Since the panels produce 12V power any 12V equipment can be run without conversion. The link monitor provides information regarding amps, volts, etc. that the system is making but is not entirely necessary.

Note

Expect to pay around $350.00 per 85 watts for new panels.

The refrigerator uses about 7 amps per hour and is by far the most demanding of our appliances. The darn thing works so well that we hate to change it but if it so much as burps it will promptly be replaced with the most energy efficient model available.

Also, most of our halogen bulbs have been replaced with LED clusters which use about one quarter the power while providing a better, whiter, light.

We could, of course, eliminate the need for energy all together by going hard core and ridding ourselves of energy using appliances and electronics but we have no wish to do that

A chilled cocktail and relaxing tune in the cockpit at days end are important to us and this is supposed to be fun after all. Also I need power to run my computer so that I can keep you informed.