The biggest challenge facing us on the voyage to St Helena (once we get past the financial hurdle- anyone want to buy my marina mooring?) will not be wind, weather or high seas.
It will be electricity, or energy, to use the words of the politicians. Energy, both the generating thereof and limiting the consumption of it.
Well, Banjo is going green.
We are relying solely on solar energy during our passage.
I have taken advice from the Mini Transat Class boats and from their website to see what they do, because our needs and our general minimalist approach is the same as theirs.
These guys use (and their class rules dictate) two separate solar panels of at least 45 watt each, charging two batteries if at least 100 amp each. And that is exactly what we are fitting.
The two solar panels are being mounted aft on each stern quarter. They are fitted onto two aluminium posts which are bolted onto the stern pushpit. The solar panels in turn are mounted on fully adjustable brackets so that they can at all times be facing the sun at the optimum angle.
All the bits and pieces have now been made and bolted together. This weekend I can fit it onto the boat. But only after first spray painting the posts. Nothing is ever that quick and easy!
To complete the whole GREEN thing. The aluminium posts are recycled. It is from a broken boom that once, long ago, 1976/1978 thereabout, belonged to my Laser. I knew that broken boom was gonna come in handy one day.
And the two posts are resting on two marine ply pads on the aft deck. And where does the marine ply come from? I cut it from a spare rudder blade that once belonged to Jamie's Mirror dinghy (the Mirror has been passed on some time ago). Nothing gave me more joy than cutting up that old Mirror rudder blade. Those boats rank right up there with Optimists as the biggest crap I have ever sailed.
Just a pity we are giving part of it a ride across the ocean.
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