[C320-list] Solar bimini

[Arthur Miller]

Scott,
The below installation is what a friend of mine installed last summer on his Beneteau 37.
He has been cruising the ICW since and as far as I know is 120% happy with the system's performance. I have fwd. your E-mail to him, he may be able to comment. 
Where is your boat located??
Art. # 680
Sent from my iPad

On Apr 29, 2015, at 4:09 PM, Scott Thompson <surprise at thompson87.com> wrote:

> I'm tired of having to replace batteries every few years due to poor charging, primarily because Surprise spends most of her time off the grid (on a mooring (when idle), anchored (when cruising), or in the boatyard (winter) and so rarely gets a full recovery charge. I'm thinking of modifying my ancient bimini or buying a new one so that I can have some of the newer types of solar panels built in or attached to the fabric. Is anyone on the list experienced with this kind of setup? An example (and one recommended by a local canvas shop) is here: http://www.bruceschwab.com/solar-power/solbian-flex-high/
> 
> A related question: What's the best way for bringing wiring down the backstay and into the boat? I need something that is weatherproof, not highly vulnerable to UV degradation, and removable at the end of the season when the bimini comes off. (Ideally I would have some kind of connector arrangment that would let me replace the bimini solar panel with a smaller one for battery maintenance over the winter.
> 
> Scott Thompson
> Surprise, #653
>