3450W of Solar Power on Our Off-Grid Catamaran Episode 70 #sailboatrefit
After two years of planning, fabricating, redesigning, and chasing down welders, our sailboat finally has a massive new solar arch—and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.
In this episode of our catamaran refit, we install a custom stainless steel solar arch capable of supporting 4 x 575W bifacial solar panels, plus an additional two panels mounted on the coach roof for a total of 3,450 watts of solar power onboard.
Getting to this point was anything but easy.
We had three different welders flake out on us before finally finding someone willing to take on the project for a reasonable price. By the end, we were deeply involved in the build ourselves—designing the arch, cutting and fitting the stainless supports, and acting as the welder’s extra hands throughout the fabrication process.
This wasn’t a simple bolt-on project. We handled all the heavy lifting ourselves and completed the installation without any help from the boatyard.
Along the way, we also:
Reused and integrated the original safety rails
Added a cockpit shower and foot wash
Built a strong, clean structure capable of supporting serious off-grid power generation
The final result completely transformed the back of the boat. Not only does the arch look incredible, but it’s also a huge step toward our goal of building a fully self-sufficient cruising catamaran capable of running comfortably without relying on marinas or a generator.
This project has been nearly two years in the making, and finally seeing the solar array mounted and complete feels like a massive milestone in our sailboat refit journey.
If you’re into:
Sailboat refits
DIY boat projects
Off-grid solar systems
Catamaran upgrades
Liveaboard cruising preparation
Marine electrical systems
…this episode is packed with real-world fabrication, problem-solving, and major progress.
⛵ One step closer to sailing.
00:00 Recap countdown
00:31 The plan
00:43 Channel intro
01:01 Coach roof panels
01:35 Measure for new arch supports
05:13 Cutting stainless
07:40 Cleaning up
08:34 Yep, still cutting stainless
10:09 Polish and reuse safety rails
11:33 Welding Day(s)
12:33 Pulling wires
12:59 Raise the panels
13:54 Shower box
14:01 Wrap up
15:03 Like and subscribe
15:25 End card
☝More about us, our adventures, and how we do all this on our website.More about Roam here
⛵️https://sailingroam.com/our-sailboat/
📲 Keep up with us on social
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/sgsailingroam
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/sailing_roam
-----------------------------------------------------------
WE'RE GERI AND SHAWN. A couple travelers out chasing the horizon, meeting the people, and capturing it to share with you.
We’ve chosen to Roam the world by boat because, let’s face it, the most interesting path is rarely a straight line.
#SailboatRefit #SolarPower #OffGridLiving #Catamaran #DIYBoat #MarineSolar #BoatProjects #LiveaboardLife #Victron #SailingLife
Sailing Roam
👋 Hi, we’re Geri 👩🏻⚕️(a retired nurse) and Shawn 🤓 (a not retired technologist). We’ve gone on the greatest adventure of our lives instead of living the comfortable and predictable suburban world we left behind. Living aboard Roam, our cruising catamaran, we explore and immerse ourselves in new cultures, do boat repairs in exotic places, and get up to all kinds of shenanigans. Roam isn’t just the name of our boat, it’s kind of a philosophy. We’re not taking the shortest routes or using a formula to sail around the world. We’re not in a hurry either. We’re meeting the people, seeing the places and getting distracted by things we find interesting along the way. We’re unconventional and we’re living the best life we can imagine! Join us as we turn our 11-year old catamaran into our perfect adventure platform and see what’s over the next horizon. We can’t wait to meet you wherever you are! Clamptite Tools link: https://clamptitetools.com/?sld=syroam 10% discount: gerischaffer10
Channel Information:
Social Media Links:
Support Sailing Roam
At WeBoating.com, we profoundly acknowledge the unwavering dedication that Sailing Roam invests in crafting each and every video or voyage. Their passion for delivering exceptional ocean content shines through every frame, and it's a labor of love that deserves your attention.
We invite you to watch their captivating videos here and actively engage with their content, including their social media links above. Liking, commenting, and sharing their work goes a long way in fueling their creative fire.
We're also inviting you to explore the gear, sponsorships, and boat partnerships highlighted in the "3450W of Solar Power on Our Off-Grid Catamaran Episode 70 #sailboatrefit" video description, or directly on YouTube. By engaging with these offerings or purchasing services and items, you directly support Sailing Roam, their collaborators, and the brands they're associated with.
To ensure you never miss an offshore update, consider visiting their official YouTube Channel to subscribe, like, and join their community directly.
If you have any feedback, corrections, or additional information about Sailing Roam or their videos, please use the comment form below to share your thoughts with us.
Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the creators we cherish. Your time and support truly matter!
Latest Episodes from Sailing Roam
Explore the most recent voyages. Subscribe to the channel to never miss an update!
We Bought $150,000 of Boat Gear for $50,000. Ep.76 #sailingcatamaran
How much can you really save by importing boat equipment directly from China? For our refit of ROAM, we decided to look beyond traditional marine suppliers and source a number of major components directly from Chinese manufacturers. The results were far more significant than we expected. For the s...
The Realities of Living at Anchor | Solving Everyday Boat Problems Ep. 75 #boatlife
Life at anchor isn't always about sailing. Sometimes it's about solving the everyday challenges that come with living aboard full-time. In this episode, we've settled into one of our favorite anchorages in Spa Creek, Annapolis, and we're tackling three very different problems—ea...
Everything Started Breaking… Welcome to Our Shakedown Cruise
We knew the first few months after leaving the boatyard would be a shakedown cruise. After rebuilding nearly every major system aboard ROAM over the last two years, we fully expected to find bugs, experience a little "infant mortality" with new components, and spend time fine-tuning every...
We Finally Left the Boatyard… Here’s What 2 Years Taught Us. Ep. 73
After two years on the hard, countless projects, and more than a few unexpected setbacks, ROAM finally leaves the boatyard. This is the moment we've been working toward since the day we hauled out what we thought would be a simple six-month refit. Two years later, we're motoring—and saili...
2 Years Later… ROAM Is Finally Back in the Water Ep. 72 #sailboatrefit
Two years ago, we hauled ROAM out of the water expecting a six-month refit. This week, we finally put her back where she belongs. Getting to splash day wasn't nearly as straightforward as we'd hoped. In fact, we were supposed to relaunch two weeks earlier—until we discovered a critical mi...