Last weekend I finally got time to install the flexible solar panels. It went smoothly. I am still considering adding a pole for my wind generator, and running all the cables through that.
I still have some tidy up work to do on the cables (I prefer to lay them out and see how it works before committing to a final decision.
2 x 200w flexible solar from ebay
1 x MMPT controller
Panels in series
I also ran extra cables for the wind generator and cockpit lights at the same times - just seemed to be the best thing to do. 
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Cat375 - Rock The Boat - Hull 54
Lake Macquarie - NSW - Australia
Good work, Simon. One issue that I'm sure you already know about: the temporary wrapping on stranded wire around the screws on the DC bus bar (lower right corner). You'll properly terminate those once you validate the functioning of the array.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
Thanks Larry, Yes, I have a list of jobs to do, and one of those is to terminate the cables in the panel cupboard. Now, my dad would be disappointed for not finishing the job at the time, but - hey! He would be more disappointed if had not gone sailing!.
So, I will get this done before I head off for the winter sailing in the Whitsunday Islands.
Cat375 - Rock The Boat - Hull 54
Lake Macquarie - NSW - Australia
Rockman
Can you report what output you are seeing from your solar setup?
Bill Matley
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan, Michigan
Lakes Huron, Michigan,
Canadian North Channel
"Spirit of Aloha" Hull #1252
Great neat job!! It looks like you bolted the panels through the canvas to the Bimini stainless steal supports. I've been thinking doing the same. It looks like your panels were sized to end on the middle Bimini support. I'm not sure mine are. Do you get leaks through these holes? Don't they rip up the canvas as it moves?
Enrique
Talisman
1998 36 MK2 Hull #1673
Tall Rig Wing Keel
M35BC engine
Old Saybrook, CT Summer
South Glastonbury, CT Winter
Well, its now been two full weekends out on the boat.
Staying on the pick overnight, with normal use of electrical power.
The next morning - the batteries were fully charged by mid morning.
The result - I am not rushing to install any windpower for a while (I will install a post - that I can use to finalise the running of the cables).
The panels are just stock standard from Ebay - I selected ones that would fit onto the bimini between the supports. These panels are only light!.
The attachments are only on the sunbrella, not to the stainless tubes themselves. I cut the holes using the hole punch supplied, but I heated it up with my soldering iron, so it sealed the hole as it cut it (check youtube for examples of this - it really works well).
Once I get the pole installed, I will trim up the cables and make the job look really neat!
Cat375 - Rock The Boat - Hull 54
Lake Macquarie - NSW - Australia
Wow, really cool setup! After seeing what you have so elegantly accomplished, I'm now steering toward solar again (instead of generator). I was thinking generator because I didn't want a permanently unfurled bimini. But your system looks to have taken care of that. In other words, can you fold up your bimini and get some sun when you want to?
Joel Schwartz
s/v Get-A-Grip
1993 Catalina 36 Hull #1259
Newport Beach, California
The panels disconnect easily. I don't usually have the bimini folded back, but I think I could probably engineer something that would allow leaving the panels to still be useful if I needed .
They are much quieter than a generator.
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Cat375 - Rock The Boat - Hull 54
Lake Macquarie - NSW - Australia
The install is all finished, with an engraved control panel added today.
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Cat375 - Rock The Boat - Hull 54
Lake Macquarie - NSW - Australia
Simon -- Curious how you wired up your system so that -- apparently, from your photos -- you can switch out the solar (or wind) from the charging circuit (and why you felt a need to do that, other than if you needed to cut out all charging sources for some reason).
I just finished installing a similar system on our boat this past weekend. Attached are a few photos. We have 3 Solbian flexible panels: 2 64W units wired in parallel (feeding 1 controller), and 1 145W unit (feeding another controller), for a total of 273W, They are attached to the bimini with zippers (I found a canvas shop that could sew the zippers right onto the panel edges). The GV-10-Pb controllers know to just "float" once the batteries at at 100%. I could yank out the 30amp inline fuse if I needed to stop them from putting any power into the system....
(Also curious how well that Profile tank monitor works for you. I installed one a few years back and find its been problematic to keep it calibrated and accurate.)
(and to Joel's earlier query: In theory, we could unzip the panels and fold the bimini if we wanted to "get some sun", but it would be a hassle, and we never folded the bimini [except for the winter or an incoming hurricane] even when we didn't have the panels, so its not gonna happen.)
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