Morning
I’ve purchased my solar panels and MPPT solar charge controllers, so it is time to begin the installation process. The previous panel wasn’t mounted in a fixed position, and I wanted a more permanent and professional look this time around.
There isn’t a lot of room available for the controllers that is close to the battery bank (to minimize voltage drop), so I once again used an old kitchen cutting board for mounting and put together my controller panel. Once it is complete. that will get affixed into the compartment which also holds my inverter and charger. This took hours, plus a trip to Electec shortly before closing to get the final MPPT controller and some mounting hardware.
It took all day to complete the wiring and then I unboxed the solar panels and wired them together. The two panels should provide 300+ Watts of power, but it was approaching sunset and somewhat cloudy when I finished so I’ll have to await tomorrow to see if they perform as expected.
Ashore
I completed my work after 5PM and showered prior to heading ashore. I met up with some fellow cruisers and we decided to head to the Tap and Still for dinner. The place was hopping and busy and instead of sitting the warm inside room, we chose to sit at a table outside by the street.
The burgers were, as always, excellent. And the service was quick despite the busy kitchen, too!
Jump-Up
There was a “Jump-Up” street party planned, and after our meal we headed to the Simpson Bay bridge and waited for the procession to come by. It came, somewhat delayed, with great volume and energy.