DIY SOLAR ARCH

[@andrewbrown2063]

For easier drilling onto the very round, shiny and hard tubing I suggest-1. After marking home position with a pen, carefully grind a very small area to make a flat surface using a grinder. 2. Use a spring loaded punch to make a starter hole. 3. Add a drop of cutting oil 4. Drill a little. 5. If one wants to tap it drill all the way through then apply more cutting oil and use a tapping bit correctly sized for the grub screw and the hole to add the thread. Cutting oil really makes a mess of the deck and is hard to get rid of so best done on the dock. With practice this method is fast and simple. I like your arch, I think I will follow your idea. Thanks

[@mbchudno]

in cases like that, you could rotate your boat to dock it aft in. it would be a lot easier to work on. you would not need to hang up side down while trying to drill holes in your boat :)

[@OverlandSea]

Yes very true

[@gatecrasher1970]

subbed from portsmouth in UK am trying to do something similar when finally get round to doing up the interior of my snapdragon 24

[@bryangervais6076]

Great Job, thanks for sharing your idea. I find the grub screws inadequate for the job so what I have done in the past is to drill through the fitting and tubing for a 3/16 stainless pop rivet which is much more secure as well as can be easily drilled out if disassembly is required in the future. Cheers

[@OverlandSea]

Thanks Bryan, that’s a good idea, we may end up doing the same with the rivets. Cheers

[@geofferyrobertson6608]

no welding , a winner already as that would be the biggest expense

[@andrewbrown2063]

One could have the angles at the top on one of the arches, at about 85 degrees, ie leaning in by using swivel fittings, male and female with a bolt through, this would give any angle you want. The front to back angle could still achieved just by angling those fittings at the top, and angling the feet fittings at the bottom. One could also add extra bracing to the push pit tubing afterwards if needed, using the open jaw fittings. Back to the grub screw counter sinks, actually the easiest way is to use a drill press if you possible and make sure to clamp the piece in a mobile vice, not holding in the hand.

[@jasonsweet1868]

Nice job going to do one myself want to incorporate a tender lift so will use 40mm tube thanks for the clip

[@OverlandSea]

Should be solid with 40mm

[@brownnoise357]

Heck that was good value, well done ! Just a thought for another use for the arch I've seen someone else do, is hang a couple of fresh fruit and veg nets port to starboard under the Solar Panels, using the safety netting you put round the guardrails on the side decks, apparently Chandlers sell it by the yard. You're right about the problem of trying to hang a large outboard and Davits off Rear Arches, which is why I'm going for an air deck and Keel inflatable tender that can be rolled up, with a 6hp Outboard that weighs a manageable 25 kilo ish that can go into a Cockpit locker. Off to see how you've got on with it since. Best Wishes and Fair Winds. Bob. 👍🙂

[@OverlandSea]

Thanks Bob, all the best with your project 👍🏼

[@stevenscott9750]

Nice job Glad I watched this thank you for the tips 👍

[@BethanyIvy]

Thanks for this! We're planning on building our own soon, and seeing all the parts laid out was really helpful! :)

[@OverlandSea]

Thanks for watching, glad it’s been of some help for you :)

[@stevie1463]

Looks really tidy mate

[@northernmonkey4499]

Very smart job Gav, it's good to see you and the family back where you belong on the boat, stay safe in these difficult times 🇬🇧👍

[@OverlandSea]

Thanks mate, wish were still there, we had to make a mad dash back to the UK for the kids otherwise we’d be stuck in France. And you!

[@kwsailer1]

Nicely done! I hope it works well for you. It certainly looks well made and well thought out.

[@OverlandSea]

Thank you, we will do a review on it eventually when we can set sail.

[@victoriabowers4768]

Great video!

[@OverlandSea]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Dbonesk8]

That is tidy, first video on your channel Iv watched. Keep it up. I just bought myself a project boat so I appreciate the guidance

[@carlossilvera-r9x]

Great video I had the idea but you confirm it thanks.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Looks good. You did a great job there

[@SVImpavidus]

Top video Gavin & Hannah. A good solution that is adaptable and reasonably priced. Sail Safe guys. Ant, Cid and the pooch crew.

[@OverlandSea]

Thanks guys, now to get the solar panels on when we get back to the boat, it’s all wired ready. Keep your hands clean and stay safe

[@nikolaucznaum4312]

That sir, is a class job!!...

[@OverlandSea]

Thank you

[@billcookson2919]

nice job, as a bolted framework it can be de-riged /upgraded at any time..nice one.

[@OverlandSea]

Cheers Bill, we would have loved to have had a manufactured one with radius’s and dingy davits but this will have to do for now.

[@dorwink]

I have a small 31 foot that i want to make the same. Qhat donyou then o incorporating and heavey 1 piece ar h tube that allow me to move the main sheet over head. This is critical if to put a bimini up. I can not move forward the mainsheet as it it a rolling furling boom

[@martinmccullough5788]

Great job Gavin, wish i was as handy as you Sir

[@OverlandSea]

Thanks Martin

[@pearadisevlogs7467]

Great video! Was just thinking of doing the same, and along comes your video! BTW... M12... great tools :) Perfect on the boat.

[@OverlandSea]

Fantastic timing, let us know if we missed any info you need for doing your arch. I’m a bit of a Milwaukee fan I’ve got a few M12 tools aboard and use the M18 stuff for my day job, that M12 drills seams to be bullet proof it’s ancient and still works fine. Thanks for watching the video and subscribing

[@davidsansebastian7872]

Congratulations Gav and Hannah!! Very good job!. ⛵⛵⛵⛵

[@OverlandSea]

Cheers David, much appreciated 👍🏻

[@gotdamjacob3216]

Great video

[@James-cr5qx]

Do you remember the rough orientation the materials cost? And where you got them from?

[@markthomas7235]

Looks great 👍

[@OverlandSea]

Cheers Mark

[@stevegorse9859]

Doing all that while moored up with no workshop....top job

[@OverlandSea]

Thanks Steve

[@31tresor31]

This is my first SV Compromise vidéo! Well done. No monotonous music just clear nice vidéo. PS you should plan to clean thé inside of your mouldy lockers ;)

[@OverlandSea]

Thank you very much. She's been left since September, so we've got heaps of mould to clean when we are eventually allowed back to the boat.

[@granularSodacan]

How's it holding up years later? I'm thinking of doing this for my Westerly Centaur.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

In future tie a piece of string around the handle of your drill and have a loop in the other end that goes around your wrist. As an extra safety measure, it might just save your drill one day

[@pepperbird6671]

I'm planning exact the same thing for next year, but have to find a supplier for the components in the Netherlands. What kind of boat do you have?

[@SVTapatya]

Congrats on the 4K subs, you guys :-)

[@OverlandSea]

Thank you very much, hope your well

[@Lew114]

I’ve heard of people paying 5000 euros for something similar. Thanks for showing us a more reasonably priced solution. It’s been 4 years. How is your project holding up? Any problems?

[@OverlandSea]

Sadly we had to sell up after the pandemic.

[@Lew114]

@@OverlandSea I’m very sorry to hear that.

[@snakeplisken4278]

Was it stable enough side to side? Would you change anything on the design? How many watts of panels could you mount then?

[@OverlandSea]

It was very stable, the design worked a treat 👌🏼

[@davidnichols213]

well done looking good

[@OverlandSea]

Cheers David

[@geetee50]

nice post , sailing britally was going to post his arch vid but never did, that means this is my favorite diy arch post, seriously well done looks crackin'

[@OverlandSea]

We'll take that (your favourite diy arch post) thank you! Chris is busy making a 32 episode series on the River Swale hehe, only joking he's alright is Chris, I spoke to him a few times when doing our sail drive diaphragm, he gave me some good advice.

[@geetee50]

@@OverlandSeaha ha very cheeky ;-) . What month are you setting off from brest?

[@OverlandSea]

End of May beginning of June depending on this Virus of course :)

[@pete9501]

The price of stainless widgets is astonishing, think ours cost more than the solar panels. Be interested to see how you fix the panel to the frame in a later video. I have a single 300w because they are astonishingly cheap at the moment. However, they have a double side frame to stop the pane bending obviously, but this gives little room to bolt them down. In the end I used 8mm u bolts and a series of long flat aluminium bars inside the frame to sandwich the panel frame. We don't plan to lift the dinghy either. Our arch is 10kg and the 300w panel another 18kgs, that's enough on the arch and the stern of a 31ft yacht.

[@OverlandSea]

Your not kidding Pete, they are so expensive, but still cheaper than having one manufactured, I think they look better when manufactured but this will do us fine. We have the fittings for the panels already and it's the same as you have by the sounds of it, they are a 28mm stainless pad eyes with plates inside the panels frame. Not sure I'd want to hang our dinghy from it, I'm not even sure how it would be to help lift the outboard on the pushpit, we'll have to see. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Gav

[@leefromsvpatchamie8607]

I've been thinking of doing the same on mine but want to make it a davit style one to hold my 2.3m inflatable tender. It would be alot smaller than yours as my stern is very narrow. I can get the tube from my local metal wholesalers, I was thinking of getting the fittings off ebay. Where did you get your fittings from please?

[@OverlandSea]

I think if you get your supports and bracings right you would be ok to have davits. I ordered everything from a company called SeaScrew ltd. Gav

[@davidclarke7728]

Good job , very informative, for a Yorke, lol

[@OverlandSea]

Hehe sometimes sound dafter than we are lol

[@harrisonruss99]

Nice ! Looks like a job in town 👍

[@OverlandSea]

Thank you I do love that saying, it's one I learnt as an apprentice 😁 Gav

[@harrisonruss99]

Sailing SV Compromise ye I thought you would me too ,,I think it’s a Yorkshire thing for us blokes on the tools 😄

[@harrisonruss99]

Sailing SV Compromise keep it coming btw love watching your channel 👍

[@OverlandSea]

Cheers mate 😁

[@OverlandSea]

It is a Yorkshire tradesmen thing I’m sure, that and “it’s like a job on High Street” is one my old man used to say (Retired Joiner) 😂

[@larrypinter3321]

Very neat, professional and good-looking job. Well done. You didn't appear to tap holes to take the grub screws. Did they cut their own? How does it work?

[@OverlandSea]

Hi thank you, those grub screws are only designed to hold the tube in place, by counter sinking the tube it stops them slipping. The thread is in the couplers/joints.

[@davidwarnes5158]

Cool , how about a cross cable , when you guys are sailing ,with that solar you be amazed how much pressure will go on there ,like another sail, it will hinder your bathing platform , but you keep it up right at sea , Evan removable , you've had enough bad luck,,

[@OverlandSea]

We have extra fittings and tubing to connecting it to the pushpit which should do the same job I hope, we ran out of time when we had to flee France. Thanks for the advice.

[@davidwarnes5158]

@@OverlandSea yes I understood, from the top as a x , will stop whip , like the rigging on a mast, the stress will be sideways and up,

[@OverlandSea]

I thought there'd be an upward force which is the main reason for the backing plates and like you say David the braces should stop sideways movement. I'm sure we will see how it is in a blow and see if it needs any further bracing or support.

[@johnkosowski3321]

How do you like it after all this time?

[@obiwanfisher537]

What. 800 pounds? I had the very same idea and when I look at the pipes, a couple metres are like 35 quid each and the joints are like 5-20 I thought something like 200-400. Obviously it was just roughly in my head, I didnt even measure anything out yet.

[@chrislouisson3749]

Hi there, is the little brass light atop your bookshelf behind you 12 volt? If so, where on the planet did you find it? I've been searching for something like that for the yacht for several years!

[@OverlandSea]

Hi Unfortunately it’s 230v, however it would very simple to convert to 12v to use aboard a boat.

[@R.E.HILL_]

Nice... How many tools and parts got lost in the water? ☺

[@OverlandSea]

Surprisingly none, not even a little grub screw hehe

[@AndyUK-Corrival]

Looks great, good job. What size and wattage are your solar panels? Andy UK

[@OverlandSea]

Cheers Andy We only have one 160Watt panel for now, its kept the batteries good for running everything whilst sailing in not so sunny weather, so hopefully it'll be enough for us until we can afford another one.

[@AndyUK-Corrival]

Sailing SV Compromise ok thanks. I have a flexible 150w currentOh on my spray hood but it isn’t great and mainsail shades it a lot. I think I read the monocrystaline hard panels are more efficient. My stern is very narrow in comparison to yours so an arch may look a bit odd. Might go for a panel either side like dodgers. Keep safe. Andy UK

[@OverlandSea]

The one we have is a hard panelled Mono, it was only a cheapish one from Amazon. Think they work well on the dodger, plus you can angle them how you wish. Take it easy Andy

What are the backing plates made of?

[@OverlandSea]

They are made of Corian but you can use timber if treated.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

A very similar design to the one above can be found at www.saltylass.co.uk/solar-arch-for-a-bavaria-36 The design of the one above however looks more stable because having the 60degree pipe offset to the pipe that is coming up from the transom does look like it has better rigidity. The design mentioned in this comment came to £456 + Vat = £547 and used dyneema as the extra brace between the top and the side. We have replaced the dyneema with two pipes and the brackets and pipe came to an extra £100. The pipe does look better, but if you need to save a £100 it can be done.

[@OverlandSea]

Did you use 1.2mm or 1.5mm wall tubing? I’d designed ours last year and got a price from sea screw after me and Matt from sailing Creo was discussing building our arches, he ended up getting one made and we ended up running out of funds 😤 I then spoke to Ant from Impavidus telling him I was going to build our arch now, he’d told us you had built yours and sent him a video, it was good seeing the way you had built yours using the components, it’s the only video we’ve seen like it and it helped us greatly so thanks for sharing it with us, we learnt a lot from it.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

@@OverlandSea - our tubing was 1.2mm. We always intended to use lightweight panels. So far, the installation has survived 4 named storms....

[@OverlandSea]

No doubt 1.2mm will be strong enough for lightweight panels, we only went for 1.5mm because we hope to incorporate a hoist for the outboard.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

@@OverlandSea Regardless of what Beverley says we bought the 1.5mm diameter for all the uprights, but I did buy the 1.2mm for the 3meter lengths, as these were the ones high up. I have updated the price in the initial comment as I realised that I had not included VAT. With regard to the hoist for the dinghy motor, I thing your design will be more that adequate for that. its not like you have the weight suspended from from the frame all the time

[@johncataroche7091]

where have you gone

[@OverlandSea]

Hi John we are hoping to do a video soon explaining where we’ve been, unfortunately the Covid Pandemic hit us hard, in terms of financially and family.

[@theonerealelvis7823]

Very disappointing that there not a follow up video. Was wanting to see how you mounted the panels.

[@OverlandSea]

Unfortunately we never got to make a follow up video.

[@sailingdev]

how did you attach the panels to the tubbing?

[@OverlandSea]

We used some stainless steel, U shaped clamps from the chandeliers

[@sailingdev]

@@OverlandSea just finished mine, putting everything up was very hard, instead of U clamps I went with sea-dog railmount clamps, will see if this all last, thanks for sharing!