Solar Panel Mounting: Part 1

There is a lot to say about the mounting and wiring of the solar panels and I'll save that post to write on a rainy day at anchor...or a sunny day where I feel like sitting in the cockpit and being bloggie I suppose.

What I thought you might find interesting is something one might not think about when working with solar. They are hot/live as soon as they are in the sun. In order to work with the connections without getting zapped you have to cover them.

We, of course, decided to do this right as the wind was picking up. We started with two blankets as Carol was wiring the middle panel.



My favorite shoes got involved in the act (notice the tag line)



And then out came a robe and a towel and with the wind picking up, foul weather boots to keep things from flying off.



Despite that, both blankets blew off in a gust, were rescued out of the salt water by Carol (still at the dock and they blew in between the boat and dock), and taken to the laundry before we cast off.

This is the kind of thing that I don't think of in advance that slows down the project. Also the kind of thing that makes it amusing.

Overcast morning in June, the day after the install as I write this, and we have more than 3 amps coming in. We'll be keeping track of that more as we go.

- Livia