Something I made at the weekend. May be of interest to some.

[Doodlebug]

Hi all,

 

I've had loads of help from the forum and feel I should be giving back as much as I can. You'll see from the picture how small our boat is (Its work in progress) but to give some extra storage space (I'd hate storing coal on the roof, it looks messy) and to find a better way of attaching down the solar panels I made this, using the solar panels as the lid. All padlocked down, and filled up with coal and other things I used to store on the roof.

 

Not the best photo in the world, But it is two tongue and groove floorboards, plywood with canvass stapled around it, and the panels on top.

 

Thought it may help anyone who is thinking of getting panels.

 

[DeanS]

Lovely boat.

Do the horns play a tune?

[Doodlebug]

Lovely boat.

Do the horns play a tune?

 

Thank you No, we had to go on the thames. I wanted something as loud as, if not louder than the clippers. So got those from ebay. All three together are like a fog horn. Great fun going round blind bends and honking them!

[DeanS]

Thank you No, we had to go on the thames. I wanted something as loud as, if not louder than the clippers. So got those from ebay. All three together are like a fog horn. Great fun going round blind bends and honking them!

 

I need one to give the geese the same earful they give me.

[BargeeSpud]

A brilliant piece of lateral thinking there Doodlebug, multifunctional storage. Perfect.

 

[smileypete]

Look great, good job!

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[Doodlebug]

Thanks I had been trying to work out how I was going to attach the (flat) solar panels to the (curved) roof for ages. And all our coal had been stored inside. In a boat that small i'm sure you can see how problematic that was!

 

At one point we had half a ton of fuel under the bed!

 

(Just to add, there isnt half a ton on the roof, we'd be overturned!)

[coventrylad]

Yes well done very neat and tidy looking, may I ask what wattage the two solar panels are please ?

[Chagall]

Love the shaped planter box too!

[Doodlebug]

Thanks, there are 4 panels, the front two are 80w and the back two are 100 making a total of 360w.

 

The planters are actually to stop water going inside the cratch. The cratch is a solid object, from the inside out it is:

 

Cement board

Rockwool insulation

Exterior ply

Damp proof membrane

Canvas.

 

Because of the design of the cratch, water could still enter under the membrane so the planters were made so that they are sealed against it, so water is diverted away.

 

Its nice having the extra internal space (for the stove)

[Doodlebug]

Hi again,

 

Please could I have some feedback on this idea:

 

I'm a student at uni, so I have most of the summer off, when I will go off further up the system. Someone has asked me if I could make them a top box with solar panels.

 

Do you think there would be much demand for these? I'd be quite happy this summer to make and sell them. I'm not bothered with making loads of money, something diy based to pass the time, plus a little bit of income to go towards food would suit me down to the ground.

 

In terms of how much they would cost, the two 100w panels plus materials comes to around 300ish. So I think about 350 would be the price. Would people pay this much? I know the top box manufacturer advertising in the towpath telegraph charges 150 per box. So for a box plus solar panels its not a bad price.

 

What do people think? Any feedback would be great.