Fiat lux redux

Those wires will be tidied up when I can get the right connectors. All will likely go down the starboard "helm pipe".

I took advantage of some clement weather (well, clement enough for February in Toronto) to do a reinstallation of our to date benighted solar panels. I say "benighted" because until the recent fabrication to put a bracing set of pipes on the leading edge of the solar arch, these four 135W panels haven't popped a single electron into the batteries.

In addition, fabricator/welder Andrew B. also put out supports to take the outboard pair of panels...well, slightly further outboard. Now the gap necessary for the two backstays (which I stupidly failed to consider in the original design) can be seen. What remains to be seen is how or even if I will bridge the gap. The original plan was for these largish panels to act as a solid bimini to protect the aft deck from sun and rain; I'll need snap-on Sunbrella panels or even rainwater-troughs to do that now. Still, the beefed-up solar arch is easily strong enough to support that weight.

The part you can't see is the slushy hummocks on the deck.

As for getting the light to do useful work, the wires on the outboard and inboard panels on either side will be "Y" connected and dropped down below decks to a junction box below, and then to an MPPT and hence to charge the house bank. That will wait until launch, I think, because I have a lot of work to do in the aft cabin to route it properly as we redo the berths to athwartships and put in the AP. I want a free hand with that process.

An unknown is the state of the port outbound panel. While I was moving on deck to take it below in a gale, it blew out of my hands and was damaged on contact with the ground. I was only moving it because Mrs. Alchemy had expressed concern about it blowing off the pilothouse roof. If it no longer outputs, this model of panel is still made (or, at least, its form factor is made) and, as is the way of things (and why I now buy some gear as late as possible), it is considerably less expensive than when I first bought them.

The next three days, paying work permitting, are going to be both warm (again, for February) and rainy, so it's "indoor work" for me. Which is fine: I get to listen to podcasts and can swear freely.