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