Hey folks, I'm in the final stages of my solar upgrade. I am waffling on how I am going to attach the panels to the top of the bimini. I have purchased two 110w panels that will occupy the space across the font half of the bimini. I know some folks suggest velcro, some feel the snaps (Loxx Snaps) are the way to go. There is also sewing in zippers to the panels. I was leaning toward the Loxx Snaps being set through 6 reinforced points on the fabric, where I would sew in Sunbrella patches to thicken up the 6 attachment points. Being able to take the panels down and retract the bimini before a storm is my goal.
What are everyone's thoughts on this?
Mike
Jackfish Girl, 1999, C36 MKII, Tall Rig, Wing Keel, In-mast furling, Monument Beach, Bourne, MA
I have two 160 watt panels mounted on the bimini. I used heavy duty Velcro that I stuck to the underside of the panels and then preceeded to sew in the other half onto the bimini. It is as strong and secure as can be. In fact, so secure that is very difficult to remove the panels once stuck on. My panels did not have a lot of free space around the whole panel so using the fasteners was not an easy option. Being how difficult it is to remove, I wish I found a way to use the fasteners you are suggesting.
My vote for easy removal, fasteners. My vote for super difficult removal, heavy duty velcro.
Good luck with your project!
Bill
Bill Iwanski
1995 Catalina 36 MKII
Hull #1480
"JenAly"
Home Port- Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC
Hey Bill, thanks for the reply. Have a pic of your panels? Brand? 160w x2 is a ton of juice! - Mike
Jackfish Girl, 1999, C36 MKII, Tall Rig, Wing Keel, In-mast furling, Monument Beach, Bourne, MA
They are from Renogy. Here's the link:
https://www.renogy.com/160-watt-12-volt-flexible-monocrystalline-solar-p...
I have a picture of the boat not specifically the panels. In the picture, if you look on top of the bimini, you can see one panel. The other is attached the same way on the other side of the backstay.
Bill Iwanski
1995 Catalina 36 MKII
Hull #1480
"JenAly"
Home Port- Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC
If I went with just the Snaps (and there seems to be a couple brands, Tenax and Loxx, not sure if they're one and the same) doesn't that mean you will NOT have a lapel coming up and over all 4 sides like you would with Velcro? Wondering if there is a middle ground.....I think I like the idea of the "lapel" that velcro provides, as it seems like it would prevent the panel from flopping around. Wondering if anyone has a "blended" solution?
Mike
Jackfish Girl, 1999, C36 MKII, Tall Rig, Wing Keel, In-mast furling, Monument Beach, Bourne, MA
McFly -
You had an earlier thread on the solar panel issue back in 2018, and I posted pictures and details of our installation there. Here's the link:
https://www.catalina36.org/comment/62714#comment-62714
Our three panels ( one 145 W panel and a pair of 64W panels, totalling 273 watts) are held on with zippers that were sewn on to the panel edges and the bimini (I wanted to go with velco but was advised by our canvas guy that velcro wouldn't be strong enough, and that he'd had less than glowing success with the snaps -- both because they put too much stress on the bimini cloth at the attachment locations and did not secure the panels firmly enough). My understanding (not with any personal knowledge, mind you, just from reading and consults with those who seem to know more than I on the subject) is that if you want "flexible" panels to last you really want to
1) Make sure the bimini is as ridgid as possible, and
2) Make sure the panels are firmly attached to the bimini as possilbe
the reason that too much flexing of "flexible" panels greatly shortens their life.
JenAly's finding that velcro is so strong that its hard to remove them, of course, contradicts what I was told -- and one can't argue with first hand experience! In fact, if they are that hard to remove once on with velcro, that might be a argument for zippers (you don't want to bend them too much when removing).
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
UPDATE: Ended up going with the zipper attachment for the solar panels, glad I did. Thanks for the advice once again Chachere. I laid out the design for the apolstery lady, in her shop, and she came up with some great ideas. First, and most importantly, she sewed in a reinforcement panel, of the same color sunbrella that I already had. She even matched up existing stitching so as not to add additional stitch lines. Then she sewed on half a zipper to each long edge of each panel, and the other half to a lapel sewed to the bimini. Additionally, she sewed a lapel running the entire length of each long edge with velcro on the underside and velcor on the panel, just inboard of the zipper. This made a cover for the zippers. The wires emanate from holes in the center where they enter a velcro "tunnel" that angles back to the stbd back-stay, down and through the transom, etc.
This was tested this week as we are preparing for a high winds associated with TS Isiahas. My goal was always to have the ability to take down the solar and fold up the bimini to ride out a storm. Seemed to work as planned. My only regret is the flexible panels are a bit "too" flexible, so there is some sag. I may add fore-aft battens under them to promote an upward arch to the panels.
Mike
Jackfish Girl, 1999, C36 MKII, Tall Rig, Wing Keel, In-mast furling, Monument Beach, Bourne, MA
Maybe instead of batterns (which could create hard spots, which causes other stresses on the panels) you could slide in a sheet of twin-wall polycarbonate under the panels (cut to the right size). This was one of the suggestions from the retailer of the Solbian flexible panels (Oceanplanet) that we installed, in the event the bimini was not sufficiently rigid.
I'm actually thinking of retrofitting to do this, I've noticed some micro-cracks on our panels after 3 years.
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
That's probably a better idea, improves cooling too. Here's a panel that's only 4mm thick, so I'm wondering if it would stiffen the panel well enough.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0876CWKZT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6TFkFbDQY0H7W
Jackfish Girl, 1999, C36 MKII, Tall Rig, Wing Keel, In-mast furling, Monument Beach, Bourne, MA