F/W
Foster Wills Alternative Energy
Solar and Wind Energy Products
for
Marine Craft and Recreational Vehicles
www.foster-wills.com
Bruce and Anne Arthur of Okaga - Ontario, Canada
DIY 90W Pole Mount System
Jack and Celene Salyer, Hylas 42
Solar/Wind Installation for Circumnavigation
Foster Wills Alternative Energy, 4020 Leary Way NW #335, Seattle, WA. 98107 206-251-7613
Lauren Buchholz who writes Toward the Pacific sailing blog says:
After searching around, we found a local place, well local to Seattle anyway, that does solar and renewable energy work and one of them is a sailor as well! Foster Wills Alternative Energy (http://www.foster-wills.com/) made up some custom wires for us to replace the faulty wiring on the boat. Our panels use a specialized connecter called an MC4, which you need specialized tooling to create. Their connector wire combination has an IP67 rating, so it should work on the boat okay and uses higher quality wire than most of the pigtails I have seen from more traditional residential solar providers. Just replacing the wiring increased our solar energy creation by 10%, which when you have limited space for panels is huge!
Lauren Bucholtz
Toward the Pacific
Special Advisors
We went out on the anchor for a day this weekend, and I played with the solar panel most of the day. Every good sailor is a "type A" and needs to be fiddling, adjusting, resetting something and I am no exception. Anyway as to results, much better than expected. We left the dock fully charged, of course, with the panel connected and producing, under a clear sky. I can adjust the pole setting from the helm as needed according to boat angle. We ran fridge, lights etc over night while on the anchor. The day on the anchor was a bright, full sun day in which I regularly adjusted tilt and angle for max output. The panel charged at 20.2V; I clocked between 5.5- 5.9 A most of the day. By 15:00 hours, the batteries were fully charged and the amps had dropped to 1.5A. I am a well satisfied customer and I took the attached photos for you.
Hylas 42 Project Beginning
Addition of Tanner Radar Arch with swing davit and mounts for solar/wind generator.
Fabrication of solar panel mounting frames.
Panels and Radar Installed
End view of slide out panel mount.
Nylon tension block and quick release clevis pin.
Wire management and installation of quick
release and waterproof MC4 connectors
S600 Wind Generator installed.
Project Completed.
"The solar panel's performance exceeded my expectations."
August 19, 2011 by Tom of Melusina an Aloha 32 - Bemus Point, New York
Tom, Just returned from our three week cruise to the North Channel. We got as far as Little Current after several nights at Baie Fine. It took us a bit longer to find our way up than I anticipated but great sailing none the less. The solar panel's performance exceeded my expectations. It was out of the way and didn't interfere with sailing in 30kt+ on Lake Huron. We sailed in those squalls that hit Goderich on our way to Sarinia. Thanks again for all the info on the North Channel. The GLCC membership was money well spent for the cruising guides.
Attached is a picture of Melusina in Baie Fine.
Melusina, Aloha 32 in Baie Fine, North Channel, Lake Huron (90 Watt Solar Panel)
"Panel mounts work GREAT!"
August 28, 2011 by Brian of Cat2Fold - Tetonia, Idaho
Hey Tom,
Panel mounts work GREAT! So do the 90 watt panels!
Check out these pics I got sailing this week in Jackson Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Last Sunday I reached 15 knots peaking at 15.8!
Fastest this not so experienced sailor has ever gone under sails!
Thanks,
Brian
Recent Installs and Reviews
"I am very pleased with the panel and mast."
July 5, 2011 by Mark C - Hollywood, Florida
Jim and Sue Glenn
Installation of 1st. Solbianflex 100W Panel
w/ >22.5% eff. Solar Power Black Crystals
and Dodger/Bimini Mounting Zippers.
Zippers attached by Ballard Sails
1.Panel >22.5% efficient. Highest output per sq. ft. of any panel.
2.Flexibility up to 25%.
3.Light weight. Under 4 lbs.
4.Zippers eliminate costly structural additions.
5.Quick and simple panel removal.
6.Panel uses waterproof top mounted junction and MC4 wiring.
7.Also avalible in 50W square and 50W long sizes.
8.>16.5% panels avalible in 125W, 80W, 40W square and 40W long at lower cost.
