adding solar panels

[Evan DeLucia]

I'm a bit embarrassed to start this conversation, as I do not have most of the basic information needed to plan an addition of solar panels, but I'd like to know what experience others have with this project.

I'm planning to cruise the Maine coast this summer and would like to minimize time in marinas and would therefore like to add solar to Balmoral - 2012 Catalina 355.

I was thinking of adding at least two flexible panels to the bimini. Now the embarrassing part; I've not yet done a power inventory for my boat; can't, she's 2000 miles away! But, I'd like start planning anyway. She's outfitted with two flooded lead acid batteries and has all of the standard electrical stuff - nothing fancy.

What have others done?

[bill pittore]

Hi Evan,

 I added solar to my (new to me) boat last spring. I converted my boat to Lithium batteries which the solar was a big part of. I found a simple spreadsheet online which I tweaked for my own usage that helped me get a handle on energy usage. Here’s a link to the original google doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BE_hu57SqJjZY3dBntXhs7m0-E0ETkmCfHOFNpR5Zmk/edit?usp=sharing 

The power consumption numbers in the spreadsheet are reasonable values to get you going.  I ended up with 700W of solar which for the most part supplied all my energy when not at the marina. It’s a long story, but for the whole summer I did not even have my alternator hooked up to charge the lithium battery bank. The alternator just kept the separate AGM starter battery topped up. This year I will finally get the alternator connected properly. 

Bill

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[Jon Vez]

Evan,

To get you started I would suggest contacting Bruce Schwab at Ocean Planet Systems in Maine (start on his web site for some good info).

My advice is not to skimp on quality and consider only Mono crystalline with the highest efficiency rating you can afford (for northern sailing). As you probably know, plugging in anywhere north of Portland is not really an option other than maybe Boothbay.

Using an energy spreadsheet as suggested is really where you need to start and I would suggest that 400W is probably the minimum.

Having said that we have cruised many seasons in Maine on this and other boats with no solar and it’s very doable with good (great) fridge management...

This is next on my to do list...

Sent from my iPad

On Mar 28, 2021, at 2:16 PM, Evan DeLucia <deluc...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm a bit embarrassed to start this conversation, as I do not have most of the basic information needed to plan an addition of solar panels, but I'd like to know what experience others have with this project.

I'm planning to cruise the Maine coast this summer and would like to minimize time in marinas and would therefore like to add solar to Balmoral - 2012 Catalina 355.

I was thinking of adding at least two flexible panels to the bimini. Now the embarrassing part; I've not yet done a power inventory for my boat; can't, she's 2000 miles away! But, I'd like start planning anyway. She's outfitted with two flooded lead acid batteries and has all of the standard electrical stuff - nothing fancy.

What have others done?

--

[Zach Smith]

You cant go wrong with Victron charge controllers. If you can, get one per each panel so that you get optimum charge when one panel is shaded.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/catalina355/42B4D404-CBDF-4EE4-9EED-6773F34867AE%40gmail.com.

[ken magida]

Evan

All of the responses so far contain sound advice.

I will  add my personal experience to the mix.  I purchased Forever Young #46 new at the end of the 2012 season and she was splashed in spring 2013.  Most of the summers since then we have lived on the boat for July and August and have 2 trips to Maine on her.  We found the original electrical system inadequate and added a Balmar Smart Guage, 160 amp Balmar alternator and smart regulator. The last addition was 2 100w rigid solar panels mounted on davits with one Victron controller.  Since there is little time when there is any shade on the panels we felt one controller would be adequate.  I originally intended to add a third panel but the 2 panels work so well that I have not done it.  The panels were installed in 2019 just before we left for Maine.  In the 57 days we were out we were only at docks on 5 nights and did not hook up to shore power except the one time we were at a dock for 3 nights.  We still have our original factory installed batteries and see no problems with them which amazes me.  The panels work all winter since they are not under the winter cover and the batteries are always at 100% charge when I get on the boat.  During the winter I leave all lights and the stereo on so that when I turn on the main battery switch everything works while I am on the boat.  During the summer, most days at anchor we run the engine 20 - 30 minutes while doing dishes after dinner to get hot water for the dishes and showers.  The rest of the power for the day comes from the panels and the Smart Guage generally stays above 60-70%. Obviously, rainy days and more than 2 consecutive days sometimes require more charging time from the alternator.  Several years ago I anticipated having to buy new batteries and investigated the options but now feel that the added expense of increasing the amp-hour capacity is not necessary.  I therefore expect that when I have to replace the batteries I will stick with wet cells. 

We have no a/c, generator, tv or microwave.  The only substantial user of power I added to the usual list of options was a washdown pump last year but since it runs so infrequently and only with the engine running, it does not seem to have an impact.  This year I intend to add a portable freezer which might have more of an impact but I will wait to see before considering any other changes.

We plan to spend this summer on Long Island Sound and Narraganset Bay so let us know if you are in the area on the way to Maine.  You can find us on AIS.

Ken

 

Ken Magida

Forever Young #46

North Shore Yacht Club

Port Washington, New York 11050

Kensa...@outlook.com

cell:      (516) 428-4577

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From: catal...@googlegroups.com <catal...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Evan DeLucia <deluc...@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2021 14:15
To: Catalina355 <catal...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Catalina 355:3998] adding solar panels

 

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[Evan DeLucia]

I'm inspired! Thanks for all of your excellent guidance. Working with Tom at CustomMarineProducts.com, we've designed a system of really high quality flex panels that will give me just a tad under 400W and hopefully won't be too heavy on my bimini. I'd love your some of your collective advice about where to mount the two controllers. And, I'm assuming you (all) just zip tied the wires to the bimini structure, then ran through the topside by installing a gland. Thoughts here? Cheers, Evan

[ken magida]

I mounted the controller in the cabinet where the windlass breaker is located.  Correct, the cables were zip tied to the davits and passed through a gland.  

Please share the details of your installation.

Ken

 

Ken Magida

Forever Young, C355, #46

Port Washington, New York 11050

Kensa...@outlook.com

cell:      (516) 428-4577

From: catal...@googlegroups.com <catal...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Evan DeLucia <deluc...@gmail.com>

Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 17:18
To: Catalina355 <catal...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Catalina 355:4113] adding solar panels

 

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[Chris McDonnell]

I did the entire installation in the port lazarette. Ran the solar cables down the Bimini and to a gland aft of the port winch and into the lazarette.  I mounted the controller next to the breakers in the lazarette and routed the wires directly to the charging posts on the shore power battery charger, which was mounted by Catalina port aft. Since the battery charger was already directly wired to the batteries, I didn't have to run separate solar cables to the batteries.

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[Pierre Perrenoud]

Can you post pictures of the “gland” and hook up to the battery charger?

Pierre Perrenoud

Sent from my iPad

On May 20, 2021, at 8:36 AM, Chris McDonnell <chris.mcd...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Chris McDonnell]

Pierre, here's a picture of the gland I used purchased from West Marine.  Sorry, I only have pictures of the battery charger before the solar installation. But I attached the solar wires to the red and yellow wire  posts below that run to the house battery bank.  I sold the boat a couple of years ago.

[Pierre Perrenoud]

Thank you Chris

Pierre

Sent from my iPad

On May 20, 2021, at 4:44 PM, Chris McDonnell <chris.mcd...@gmail.com> wrote:



Pierre, here's a picture of the gland I used purchased from West Marine.  Sorry, I only have pictures of the battery charger before the solar installation. But I attached the solar wires to the red and yellow wire  posts below that run to the house battery bank.  I sold the boat a couple of years ago.

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[Evan DeLucia]

What I'm thinking...

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=7181607

[bill pittore]

The one I used was a rectangular one from Scanstrut I believe.

Bill

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[Jonathon Truwit]

Chris 

this is a very neat idea. 

I am planning on using 10 AWP wiring from solar, which maxes out at 40amps.  I am curious what size wiring you used, as I am not sure of the shore power battery charger fuse amperage.   I will have 400 Watts so expect at best to have 28-33 amps - that of course assumes I am getting 400W.

thanks 

Jonathon 

SV Spiritus (breath of life) #129

[bill pittore]

If you have a “normal” solar panel i.e. not a 12V output panel then you need to check the short circuit current rating of the panel. For a typical 400W panel this might be 8 or 10A. So for the higher voltage wire run from the panel to the MPPT controller you don’t need heavy cable, 12 AWG will do fine. I placed my MPPT controllers under the nav desk so the low voltage high current wire to the batteries is short. I used 8 AWG wire for that, not so much for current capacity but to make the voltage drop as low as possible. 

On my 340W Panasonic panels the max power current is < 6A @ ~60V. 

Bill

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[Chris McDonnell]

Jonathan.  I matched the same guage wire from the outputs on the solar controller to the battery charger as Catalina used from the battery charger to the batteries. I  thought that best since I was jumping onto the same posts.  Mine was a Charles battery charger and I spoke to one of their engineers before doing this which greatly eliminates most of the wiring procedure.  He said no problem doing so and it worked flawlessly for many trips to the Bahamas and the Northeast.

Chris McDonnell

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[Jonathon Truwit]

Thanks Bill

I was planning on placing under nav panel before but was intrigued with the shore power solution.  But that will be pretty far away.  Below is what I had planned, using a hole saw to make an opening for passage of wires.  

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[Jonathon Truwit]

Thanks Chris, I will look at that. 

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[bill pittore]

Basically what I did.  If you remove the switch panel it’s fairly easy to fish the wires over to the batteries. Be sure to fuse the wires from the MPPT to the battery on the battery end. I used 40A circuit breakers from Blue Sea in my setup but any type of fuse should work.

Bill

On Jul 21, 2025, at 4:09 PM, Jonathon Truwit <jonatho...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks Bill

I was planning on placing under nav panel before but was intrigued with the shore power solution.  But that will be pretty far away.  Below is what I had planned, using a hole saw to make an opening for passage of wires.  

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/catalina355/A06B4D97-B75F-4D40-A9A7-FDF217858E40%40gmail.com.

[Jonathon Truwit]

Thanks Bill

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[Jonathon Truwit]

Bill, 

I assume it was also pretty easy to feed from lazaretto to nav station. 

thanks

Jonathon

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[bill pittore]

It’s fairly easy to fish a wire through. You go over the top of the waste tank which directly abuts the large cabinet in the head. There is a soffit at the top of the large cabinet in the head which you can remove via the two screws on the bottom. Then you have pretty good access to run the fish tape or the wires themselves. In the small cabinet in the head you can see where all the wires go through a space in the fiberglass wall and then into the electrical area behind the breaker panel. Should be enough room to put another wire through. 

Bill

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[Jonathon Truwit]

Bill

Thanks again

Jonathon

[Kenneth Oates]

Just to chime in, I added solar to my 355 (hull #151) last winter.

10 G AWP wiring throughout (except for the battery monitor). 3 X 120 W “shade tolerant” panels from CMP on the hard dodger.  Each panel individually fused with 10 Amp fuse before joining with triple connector. Ran + and - wires down the aft, port dodger support and through a gland into the port cockpit locker, fished the wires from there through the head to behind the breaker panel. + lead to a 30 amp breaker added to the panel.  100/30 MPPT from Victron installed behind the panel to the right of the breaker panel, + wire back to panel for second 30 amp breaker added to panel.  Wires fished from there down behind nav table (take the drawer out of the nav table where wires should be visible).  Fished from there to compartment behind battery compartment (accessed through new hole created with a multi tool) and from there to the battery.  In the newly accessible triangular compartment behind the batteries I added a shunt for a battery monitor and fished the wires from that back up to the panel to the right of the breaker compartment where I added the gauge for the monitor so I didn’t need to always use Bluetooth to check the batteries.  I would add that I could not fish the wires from behind the nav table into the battery compartment without cutting the hole in the hull liner despite many, many attempts.  The fish rod just got caught in the other wires and never made it all the way, so I am surprised so many people are saying this was, “relatively easy”.

Since the installation, I have never been below 75% charge on the batteries and we have not been the least bit careful with energy use while on the hook here in the San Juans and Gulf Islands out West.

I found the folks at CMP very helpful in choosing the right components and one of their engineers double checked my plan over the phone for free to make sure I wouldn’t set fire to the boat or buy the wrong stuff.

Ken Oates

oat...@gmail.com

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[Kenneth Oates]

Couple of corrections:  AWG, not AWP.  Also not the horizontal nav table drawer, the lower cabinet drawer with the Pendaflex folder set up.

Ken Oates

oat...@gmail.com

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[Jonathon Truwit]

Thanks Ken.  

I suspect it won’t be easy for me either…that made Chris’ approach attractive,   

I now need to decide - using bimini for sure. 

Thanks again 

Jonathon

[Jonathon Truwit]

Got it. 

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[bill pittore]

I too have cut a hole to access the space behind the battery compartment, thank you Jon Vez. As to fishing the wires, if you unscrew the battery switch panel and fold it down out of the way you can fish the wire through the same gap that the battery wires are going through. When I installed my wash down pump under the v-berth bed area I had my head in the little storage space port side in the v-berth. If you look aft you can see where the battery wires go through this space. I ran a lot of wires through that space when I upgraded to LiFePo batteries. 

Bill

On Jul 21, 2025, at 5:34 PM, Kenneth Oates <oat...@gmail.com> wrote:

Just to chime in, I added solar to my 355 (hull #151) last winter.

10 G AWP wiring throughout (except for the battery monitor). 3 X 120 W “shade tolerant” panels from CMP on the hard dodger.  Each panel individually fused with 10 Amp fuse before joining with triple connector. Ran + and - wires down the aft, port dodger support and through a gland into the port cockpit locker, fished the wires from there through the head to behind the breaker panel. + lead to a 30 amp breaker added to the panel.  100/30 MPPT from Victron installed behind the panel to the right of the breaker panel, + wire back to panel for second 30 amp breaker added to panel.  Wires fished from there down behind nav table (take the drawer out of the nav table where wires should be visible).  Fished from there to compartment behind battery compartment (accessed through new hole created with a multi tool) and from there to the battery.  In the newly accessible triangular compartment behind the batteries I added a shunt for a battery monitor and fished the wires from that back up to the panel to the right of the breaker compartment where I added the gauge for the monitor so I didn’t need to always use Bluetooth to check the batteries.  I would add that I could not fish the wires from behind the nav table into the battery compartment without cutting the hole in the hull liner despite many, many attempts.  The fish rod just got caught in the other wires and never made it all the way, so I am surprised so many people are saying this was, “relatively easy”.

Since the installation, I have never been below 75% charge on the batteries and we have not been the least bit careful with energy use while on the hook here in the San Juans and Gulf Islands out West.

I found the folks at CMP very helpful in choosing the right components and one of their engineers double checked my plan over the phone for free to make sure I wouldn’t set fire to the boat or buy the wrong stuff.

Ken Oates

oat...@gmail.com

<IMG_0948.jpeg>

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[Jon Vez]

I believe I posted the photos of that project way back when…it really is a huge amount of valuable space for all things electrical!

Sent from my iPad

On Jul 21, 2025, at 7:32 PM, bill pittore <bill.p...@gmail.com> wrote:

I too have cut a hole to access the space behind the battery compartment, thank you Jon Vez. As to fishing the wires, if you unscrew the battery switch panel and fold it down out of the way you can fish the wire through the same gap that the battery wires are going through. When I installed my wash down pump under the v-berth bed area I had my head in the little storage space port side in the v-berth. If you look aft you can see where the battery wires go through this space. I ran a lot of wires through that space when I upgraded to LiFePo batteries. 

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[Jonathon Truwit]

Ok I just finished stage 1.  My renology unit is so large, it won't fit below captain's desk as the inverter is there.  So I ran the wire as Bill said (lazarette-bathroom (needed to unscrew wood in middle section, fed from section above toilet to behind circuit cabinet and down to space behind battery panel.  I was unable to feed to battery after accessing battery panel so here is my helpful hint.  Feeding a coaxial cable (cable or satellite TV days) from batteries to space behind battery panel and then uniting both solar wires to coaxial cable with electrical tape and it pulled through smoothly.   Cable was stiff enough to allow me to spin to get to space behind battery box, not on first try but less than 5 attempts.