-=> Quoting Sandy Whetherholt to Laurence Charlot <=-
 SW> Depends on your needs.  Personally, I like the 45 or better watt
 SW> panels that  are solidly build.  I have a rack built between my split
Hello, thanks for your reply.  Your message didn't mention what brand
your panels are, except they are "rigid frame".  This sounds like the
Siemens panels that West Marine sells.
I have mounted my old Solarex 30W panel (the one that I used to have
on my Cat 22), to the foredeck hatch.  This panel is starting to delaminate
as I mentioned in my previous message, but it should last for maybe one 
or two more years.  This is just a stopgap, until I decide on what
brand of panel to install permanently, but I had to get some kind
of solar panel in place. The marina here in Folsom Lake does not have
shorepower, so no way to hook up a battery charger.  I had to cart the
battery home after every weekend on the boat to charge it, and this was
simply impractical (the battery is a size 27, and weighs almost as much 
as a Honda 5hp outboard motor). Just getting the battery in and out of the
boat was a major ordeal, as the cockpit coaming is more than 7 feet
off the ground with the boat on it's trailer.
I considered mounting my solar panels to the stern pulpit with
rail clamps, but I am afraid they would be too easy to detach and
steal.  Mounting them to the backstay bridle as per your
setup would not work well for me as my boat is a trailerable, and
in fact I put the rig up and down several times a year to trailer
the boat to cruises in San Francisco Bay and Lake Tahoe.
For my boat, the foredeck hatch works pretty good as a mount point
for a solar panel or vent fan, since it is on a steeply sloping
surface, so there is less chance of it being damaged by someone stepping
on it. 
I placed the order for a Cruising  Design FF4 furler, and bought
a 100% jib for it.  The furler should have been here a week ago,
I hope it isn't back-ordered...The sail was delivered yesterday,
but without the furler, it isn't much good, eh?  I got this jib
from Sail Exchange in Newport Beach for $299 (plus tax and shipping),
and it is a brand-new one still in the manufacturer's packaging.
It was built at "Doyle Sails", does anyone know where this loft
is located?  I've never heard of them. The sail is 5 oz dacron
with leech and foot cords, and Sail Exchange has 30 of them,
purchased from a sailboat dealer in the Pacific Northwest that
went out of business.
Next big project is reupholstering the interior.  The boat is 17
years old, and the original upholstery, a sort of rough, fuzzy fabric
that reminds me of burlap potato sacks, is starting to tear on the most
heavily used cushions.  I have picked out a white marine grade
vinyl to use.  The decision to use vinyl for the reupholstery has been
dictated by the fact that we will be swimming and scuba diving from
this boat a lot, and therefore the cushions will frequently have wet
people sitting on them.  
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