No, thank you man. We always appreciate all the feedback we get from our videos, and especially when someone finds something useful we did that they can apply to their own boat projects. Thanks again for watching!!

Whoa yeah, you got that right. Nothing is ever simple on an old sailboat, but these days with a little internet research it's not too hard to to find multiple solutions to the problem I was trying to solve. However, once I get my hands on it, it gets even less simple. Thanks for watching and thank you for the comment. for the comment, and thank you for watching.

Excellent, and happy you enjoy our videos. Thank you for watching. It makes everything we're doing to our boat that much more rewarding.

Really Doug? Got a "charge"? I just spewed coffee on my keyboard... This is the best solar mount I could come up with considering that I don't prefer arches on the stern of a Tayana 37. One of our T-Group members (Charisma) had a similar solar set up, and based on limited photos and information, this was my attempt at replicating something that wouldn't have too much shading from sails, boom, shrouds, etc. At 10:19 am Pacific time, 38 degrees north latitude on 4-8-19 we're making 250 watts with the panes pointed as close to the sun as I can get them. The sun is approximately 30 degrees to the south of top dead center, and our slip where I'm tied is facing bow-on to 165 degrees.

@@svrambleon I do hope you had a protective cover over said, key board. I did like the sliding support arrangement. Have never researched solar panel installation so it was interested in seeing your approach.

@@dougrutherford9261 nope, had to turn it off and wipe it down. The Shift key is still giving me problems... :D

@@svrambleon Oh Oh that was bad of me. Just sift the key function to another one. Lol

HI Dan, thanks for watching and commenting. I bought a couple of these 360 degree rotating brackets and also the take-apart sliding rail clamps from Bosun Supply: www.bosunsupplies.com/S3684-0000.html www.bosunsupplies.com/7-8-Inch-Stainless-Steel-Heavy-Duty-Take-Apart-Slide.html . The support poles are 7/8" rail tube from West Marine, and that's also where I got the tube-end eye fittings, but those are also available at Bosun Supply: www.bosunsupplies.com/bimini-fittings-top-caps-slides/ . I had to do a bit of grinding on the eye fittings to make them articulate correctly. The "arm lock" on the sliding lower rail clamp came with a 6mm Allen head bolt but I wanted to be able to adjust it without tools so I purchased a couple of long partial threaded bolts from McMaster-Carr, cut off the hex head, and heated them with a propane torch in order to bend them into almost a 90 degree angle for locking down the adjusting arm. We have a few pictures on Instagram showing more detail of how it's all put together: instagram.com/sv_rambleon/

Thanks for all the info. Will be adding a couple to my 2 arrays. Thanks again!

It's a bimini jaw slide. Look on Bosunsupply.com.

Hi Stephen - We responded to this same question a few months ago. Here's the info. Thanks for watching! I bought a couple of these 360-degree rotating brackets and also the take-apart sliding rail clamps from Bosun Supply: www.bosunsupplies.com/S3684-0000.html www.bosunsupplies.com/7-8-Inch-Stainless-Steel-Heavy-Duty-Take-Apart-Slide.html . The support poles are 7/8" rail tube from West Marine, and that's also where I got the tube-end eye fittings, but those are also available at Bosun Supply: www.bosunsupplies.com/bimini-fittings-top-caps-slides/ . I had to do a bit of grinding on the eye fittings to make them articulate correctly. The "arm lock" on the sliding lower rail clamp came with a 6mm Allen head bolt but I wanted to be able to adjust it without tools so I purchased a couple of long partial threaded bolts from McMaster-Carr, cut off the hex head, and heated them with a propane torch in order to bend them into almost a 90-degree angle for locking down the adjusting arm. We have a few pictures on Instagram showing more detail of how it's all put together: instagram.com/sv_rambleon/

They're all standard fitting, hinges and slide clamps. You can get them at marine hardware stores (e.g. Bosun Supply) and Amazon.

Hey Marco, I used a combination of Bimini-top hardware and tubing from Bosunsupply.com. I had to do some experimentation to make everything articulate correctly, and the shape of our stern made the mounting a little difficult.

Those are Sea Dog rail clamps. Got 'em on Amazon.

Bosun Supply

Those are Sea Dog rail clamps we found on Amazon

Thanks Erich - You can get the sliding clamp at any marine hardware store. It's a bimini slider. We got it at Bosun Supply (bosunsupply.com)

How did you attach it to the panel? My setup binds up. What’s the secret 🍻🍻

Hey Bill, I added the solar rails a few years ago when we replaced our lifelines and on our boat, the stanchions have ring welded to the top and sides of the posts. 7/8" tube fit inside those rings so we used regular Bimini hardware and s.s. tube from West Marine to construct the rail extensions. I had to do some custom bending of the tube to make it fit the curve of the canoe stern, and you can read a bit more about that on or website: svrambleon.com/new-lifelines-solar-panel-rails/ For the solar mounts I used 1/4" thick 1-1/2" wide aluminum bar stock from a local supplier, but you could get that from onlinemetals.com . The plastic clamps are Sea Dog rail clamps I got on Amazon, and some more 7/8" bar and Bimini hardware from West Marine for the articulating support arm. But here's the kick: in order to make the support arm articulate correctly, I bought a couple of these 360 degree rotating brackets from Bosun Supply: www.bosunsupplies.com/S3684-0000.html . I also had to do some custom grinding on all the other hardware to make it swivel and pivot correctly. The "arm lock" on the lower rail clamp came with a 6mm Allen head bolt. I purchased a couple of long partial threaded bolts from McMaster-Carr, cut off the hex head, and heated them with a propane torch in order to bend them into a "slightly less-than 90 degree angle for locking down the adjusting arm in virtually any position according to the sun. Sorry for the long winded answer, but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and you can see some of our thousand word pictures here on Instagram showing more detail of what I had to custom fabricate: instagram.com/sv_rambleon/

@@svrambleon Thx for the all the info. It helps

Here's what we've posted in the comments previously. I don't know if the links are any good anymore. I bought a couple of these 360 degree rotating brackets and also the take-apart sliding rail clamps from Bosun Supply: www.bosunsupplies.com/S3684-0000.html www.bosunsupplies.com/7-8-Inch-Stainless-Steel-Heavy-Duty-Take-Apart-Slide.html . The support poles are 7/8" rail tube from West Marine, and that's also where I got the tube-end eye fittings, but those are also available at Bosun Supply: www.bosunsupplies.com/bimini-fittings-top-caps-slides/ . I had to do a bit of grinding on the eye fittings to make them articulate correctly. The "arm lock" on the sliding lower rail clamp came with a 6mm Allen head bolt but I wanted to be able to adjust it without tools so I purchased a couple of long partial threaded bolts from McMaster-Carr, cut off the hex head, and heated them with a propane torch in order to bend them into almost a 90 degree angle for locking down the adjusting arm.

I just used stainless tubing and sliding end fittings for bimini tops. Check out www.bosunsupplies.com/rail-handrail-and-bimini-fittings/

I got the rail clamps on Amazon. They're made by SeaDog.

Hi Vincent. For the tubing brackets we used bimini fittings from bosunsupplies.com . They have a great selection of all kinds of stainless boat related hardware and supplies.

SV Ramble Thank You for the video and info on the brackets

I can see how that would happen, but it's either on the rail or no panels at all. We're hoping to get an arch with davits made when we get to Mexico.

We do have a wind generator a friend gave us. And we do think we will be adding it in the future.

The batteries that I have are four brand new odx AGM 31 m whatever that means the guy that installed them said I can bring them down to almost zero they're a CCA 1150 phca 2150 whatever that means the cycle charge voltage is 14 14 4 and it says 12v 100ah which I don't know what that meansanyway I've got four brand new ones installed here and maybe you can give me a little insight about these batteries there let me see they're odysseys OD y s s e y Odyssey extremes do you know anything about them anyway send me a message if you do let me know what you think

Hey Douglas, I'd leave the panels connected just in case shore power goes out for some reason. You sure don't want your bilge pumps to stop working if you're sitting in your slip. Our panels only charge when needed, or when we're unplugged so it can't hurt to leave them on.

We have LiFePo batteries and I don't know much about AGM, but I'm pretty sure with any AGM or lead-acid battery chemistry you should never take them below 50% state of charge. The deeper you discharge them the shorter the lifespan will be, and if you take them down to 0% they probably will never recover. I'd recommend picking up a copy of Nigel Calder's book The Boatowner's Mechanical & Electrical Manual for more information on your specific setup.

Cable gland

There are some links and info about the brackets in the comments on this video.