As mentioned in an earlier post we have a need for a means of charging the batteries that isn’t running the engine as we only have a diesel tank of some 30 litres and even though we are going to add to that with portable cans we just can’t carry enough to make it possible.

This was known and to “The Box” arrived with two 50 watt solar panels a solar controller and cables which in the Mediterranean should give us more than enough to keep our small electrical systems going.

This said I didn’t get things totally right with my workings out as I couldn’t connect the two panels together and actually even if I could have we would have seriously struggled to find somewhere for them both to go so we are down to just one which in fairness my sums seem to think should be enough but I’ve always been told that more is better than not enough with solar power.

The single panel I have to say sits perfectly above the companion way hatch the only issue I had today was I was too frightened to put holes in my new boat without knowing things were going to stay where I’d put them but nothing a good amount of “bodge” tape can’t deal with until we are sure where everything will end up in the end!

The controller is high up on the inside of the heads which is basically directly above the batteries and we seem to be charging the house battery really well with just the one running – let’s hope we are okay for the trip, this issue is I know we will have more than enough power for all the day racing we will be doing once we are home but this trip is obviously very different because it is 24/7 for maybe 3 weeks. Fingers crossed!