Winterizing a Boat - Solar options

[Barold]

In the northern hemisphere, it's time to prep the boat for haulout and a winter. I am going to take my LiFePO4 house battery off the boat over the winter (would like to do some testing so see how the capacity has changed over the course of one season. I will put my old AGMs back on board and though my flexible solar panels will be put away for the winter, I am considering running the solar charger off a small, fixed (i.e. non-flexible) panel that would charge the batteries over the winter and maybe run a few fans on board for air circulation?

Has anyone tried this? Any recommended panels? I can only find the Renogy 100W fixed panel now on Amazon.

 

[Opie91]

I just leave my regular panels on, no issues. A good solar controller will take care of it. 400W of Renogy 100W panels with a Victron 100/30

 

[Barold]

Thanks. I have the semiflexible panels on my Bimini (which I take down for the winter) I'm looking to mount a smallish rigid panel (used to be 50w panels but only see 100W now)

 

[Opie91]

12 Volt Flexible Monocrystalline Solar Panel

All kinds of options here.

 

[Barold]

So if I hook up the fans to the LOAD output of my MPPT, the Solar panels would run the fans during the day and shut of once the sun goes away? Assuming everything is fused appropriately am I missing something? (The reason for the fans is to keep air moving to avoid mold...)

 

[MrNatural22]

So if I hook up the fans to the LOAD output of my MPPT, the Solar panels would run the fans during the day and shut of once the sun goes away? Assuming everything is fused appropriately am I missing something? (The reason for the fans is to keep air moving to avoid mold...)

That scenario might work if the fans were connected directly to a small solar panel. Depending on what the fan/fans draw, a 15A panel would work. I did this in an RV absorption fridge compartment for air circulation during the day Using a couple of computer fans... Sun up fans operated/ Sun down they stopped. I used a single 15a panel from an old harbor freight three panel kit I had gathering dust.
No need for a battery.
Fridge performance improved a lot. Just remember to fuse the solar panel appropriately to be safe✌

 

[Opie91]

So if I hook up the fans to the LOAD output of my MPPT, the Solar panels would run the fans during the day and shut of once the sun goes away? Assuming everything is fused appropriately am I missing something? (The reason for the fans is to keep air moving to avoid mold...)

This will be much easier: DampRid 4 lbs. Fragrance Free Hi-Capacity Moisture Absorber

 

[MrNatural22]

So if I hook up the fans to the LOAD output of my MPPT, the Solar panels would run the fans during the day and shut of once the sun goes away? Assuming everything is fused appropriately am I missing something? (The reason for the fans is to keep air moving to avoid mold...)

@Barold Most CC have a menu setting for the load terminals. If you select the dusk to dawn option then YES that is exactly what would happen.

 

[Opusdei]

I guess you need something like this? You don't need a battery for this

 

[SV Angel]

To prevent mold fans do help, but since you won't be on the boat for the winter you can do something very simple. Make sure your boat is sealed up, you don't want airflow from inside to outside and vice versa. Leave bowls of vinegar (I think standard white vinegar is ok, also cheap but as I understand it, apple cider vinegar is better) on counters in each cabin, and also in storage areas. The vinegar fumes mess with mold spores and prevent them from growing. When winter is over open the boat up and let it air out for a day or so to get rid of the pickle smell.
I'm in southern Florida, we don't just have mold here, we have aggressive mold, some of it is quite toxic and vinegar works very well if the boat is sealed up.
If for whatever reason you can't seal the boat, fans could help, but will actually do more to spread spores around. In this case you want some form of dehumidification, and there are a lot of options for that, though none of them (in my experience) are ideal and require some attention where vinegar is totally passive and does not require any attention.
The only drawback is the pickle smell, which is no big deal and goes away quickly, the smell of mold does not go away, and can be pretty bad for your health depending on what type it is.