Frankieboy

Right, it's decided, I've made some chunky brackets out of aluminium angle and I'm going to bond them to the roof with stixall. At a later date I can always fasten the panels to something heady if the wind looks too bad. Also, I'm going to chain them to the mushroom vent anyway for more security. I figured if I at least get them on the roof and into operation, I can always fettle a bit as time goes on. Besides, the wife is going mad, she wants them out of the shower area

Sadly I don't have a hand rail, just the square edge of the cabin side that runs and inch or two higher than the roof. Yeah I thought of that, the only down side being that the panel only covers the right hand half of the vent. It's a shame as it would also have made something nice and easy to bolt it to

Yeah I thought of that, the only down side being that the panel only covers the right hand half of the vent. It's a shame as it would also have made something nice and easy to bolt it to

I have 2 panels and was hoping to have them flush to the roof on one side of the boat but annoyingly one of the mushroom vents just gets in the way so will have to have at least one end raised. Also, there is a chance I may want to rearrange in the distant future so bonding is definitely the better option. So far I've made an angle bracket to go in each corner, just need to bond then and job done, although the ones on one side of the panels will have to sit on blocks so the panels clear the mushroom vents, or have a short arm from the bracket to the panel

Thanks. Yep, it looks like they're getting glued for the time being then. I was looking to put a small block under each corner, glued and siliconed round the edges The basic A frame I made can be then just screwed to that. I was in a quandry originally as ideally I'd like them secured permanently flat but am aware that being able to tilt them will make them more effiicient, so at least the A frame will compact if needed.

Evening all, Do I've got the panels etc and have made up an A frame out of angle. Thing is, I'm not going to drill any holes in the roof so was wondering what alternatives there are. My current thought is to bond,/glue some blocks of wood to the roof and screw the frame to that. I figured if I dont secure them, they'll become a victim to the wind at some point. Just wondering what other people have done with theirs.

Thanks all for the help, I ended up switching the order about a bit and managed to get a better shipping deal with bimble Solar. Nice guys to speak to. very helpful. A few of the other suggested places had since good deals that I seriously considered but bimble had the more ideal panels for my roof.

Thanks all for the info, that's given me something to go on.

Thanks, all. I looked at midsummer energy and they could be a viable option. And thanks malp, I'll check out photonic universe too. From bimble I'd be looking at £55 + vat just to get the panels shipped, then another shipping cost with a different courier for all the other bits. As much as I want to buy there, it just seems a bit steep.

Hi, can anyone recommend anywhere to buy sensible priced but half decent solar panels please? Currently based in Skipton. Tried Bimble Solar but their shipping costs are a bit steep. Thanks for any recommendations P.s. sorry if this is in the wrong section

HI all, Guy did come up and do it in the end, he combined it with another job in Hebden Bridge on the way back. Always had good service from him so like to try put the business back his way.

In the end I did a brief search but renewed again with CraftInsure. They've always been easy to sort out, and when I read all the smallprint, they do cover me for £950 (I think it was, or somewhere roundabout that) for personal belongings, and their price still remains consistently low - £106.

Morning all, Our boat insurance is up for renewal, and we have always just re-insured with CraftInsure as it's easy and only £106 for the year. In figured though that for once I should shop around. Can anyone recommend an insurer? I don't know how feasible it is with boat insurance but we were thinking it might actually be nice to have a policy that tags on some level of cover for personal belongings too (theft from the boat or such). Any advice is always welcome.

Thanks all, I tried Guy but he's on holiday until tomorrow. Will try him first as I've always used him in the past. If no luck then I'll try Richard Fee. Thanks again.

Morning all, Can anyone recommend me a sensible boat safety examiner i the Skipton Gargrave area please? Always used Guy Holding but I'm guessing he won't want to traipse all the way up here. Thanks Frank

Yep, was made aware of the regional pronunciation by a local last time I was in Barlick. Thanks Richard, I'll look out for that.

Thanks all for your replies, there is some very helpful info there. I'll let you know how I get on. Only down side is that once I've managed to find the paint, I actually have to do some painting.

I dont think Puffer Parts is still going but may be wrong. Will call the other two to find out. Was initially looking at chandlers as they would have the "boaty" type primer but I guess any other zinc phosphate would probably be ok and half the price without the boat title.

Hi, Time to buy paint & start painting but am struggling to find a chandlers nearby. Ordering online seems to incur high postage cost due to the size and weight so was wondering if there was anywhere nearby to drive to? Thanks Frank

Thanks for all replies. I too have had dubious experiences with paint stripper hence am not that keen to go down that route. The spot blaster from Aldi sounds like a great idea as I could probably do the big flat areas with a big sander. With regards to the heat gun, I kinda like the idea of it but will it have any effect on the sprayfoam which is stuck to the other side of the metal?

Hi All, Looking at stripping back to the metal on the cabin for a repaint and a good sander on the flat surfaces is fine, but what about the awkward corners etc where the sander cant get? Thought about blasting but cant find anywhere to get it done at even a remotely sensible price. Cant think of a simple mechanical means of stripping back in those awkward places. Thanks Frank

Hi, yes I thought about this but as it would have to pass the kitchen worktops and stove, it would be pretty difficult to conceal unfortunately. Interesting idea. Our main reason for going through a mushroom vent is that there is one in line with the tv and some trim passes on the inside that I can pretty much disguise the cable with. Just thought it may use less cable and be a bit neater than cable hanging over the roof and going through a window. Granted though I don't really want to start putting holes in the roof unless absolutely necessary, but just want it neater than it is.

Hi, thanks for the advice, typically, the aerial is generally about mid-length along the boat, as is the tv on the inside. The darling wife would have a fit if I ran the cable along inside of the boat to the tv. An almost ideal option is to shove it in through the mushroom vent, although I suspect that that will create issues regarding boat safety etc. Failing the mushroom vent, the only viable option is in through the roof.

Hi, Can anyone recommend a neat fitting / method of putting the aerial cable through the roof into the cabin. At the moment it goes down the side and through a window but this isn't very neat. Obviously it would have to be water tight and maybe even so I could connect / disconnect it at the roof. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks Frank

That's great thanks. Will keep you updated on the progress of the paintjob, and results of the products used.