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Changing from Wind to Solar Energy

When I moved my new Nicholson 32 sloop, Alibi of Bridham, from a marina to a mooring this summer I also had to rethink my power requirements, since the change meant severing my umbilical to the grid. Although I had a powerful (read: noisy) wind generator as an alternative power source, along with a small photovoltaic (PV) solar array to keep the engine’s cranking battery topped up when the wind dies, I’ve since decided to lose the noisy windmill and go wholly solar.

Installing a Pole Mounted Solar Panel

I had to find a way to charge the batteries in my absence, which meant wind or solar power. I toyed with the idea of installing a wind generator, but it seemed like too much expense and hassle; and, lacking a bimini, there was nowhere convenient to place a solar panel where it wouldn’t be either in the shadow of the rig or in the way of the crew…

Flexible Solar Panels

Maintenance-free and weatherproof, Ganz Eco-energy semi-flexible solar panels provide clean, quiet, reliable power offshore

Gear: GOST Kasper

From the security experts at GOST (Global Ocean Security Technologies) comes a new security tracker for small boats and dinghies.  You can think of Kasper

From the Editor: Here We Go Again

I’m about to set out on what could be my greatest adventure yet: My first transatlantic crossing. A group of young climate advocates are trying

Blue Water Medal Awarded to Pete Hill

The Cruising Club of America has announced its 2025 awardees. The highest honor, the Blue Water Medal for “exceptional seamanship and adventure by amateur sailors,”

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