While no where near as much as I wanted, I did manage to spend more time this past week giving Mr. Gee, our Gardner 6LXB diesel engine, more of the TLC he needs and deserves.  After a LOT of disassembly and seemingly endless cleaning and reconditioning of parts it felt GREAT to finally begin putting all the pieces back together again and see some light at the end of this tunnel. 

However Mr. Gee is not the only source of our Gee Whiz! reactions this past week as we also experiencing a similarly gratifying change aboard Möbius as more and more of the cabinetry which the Cabinetry Teams have been building the past few months, emerge from the Finishing Department with their lustrous polyurethane surfaces gleaming as they are moved aboard Möbius.  All the while more new equipment arrived at Naval Yachts this week and keep feeding Cihan and Hilmi’s productive plumbing and electrical teams as they continue installing all the systems. 

LOTS to show you so settle into a comfy chair with a large beverage and let’s jump right in with this week’s Show & Tell of all the progress accomplished by Team Möbius this past week of February 17-21, 2020.

Mr. Gee; 1975 Gardner 6LXB diesel engine

IMG_20200211_182821

This is where we left off last week with the gleaming chrome molly crankshaft with all its freshly cleaned and polished surfaces covered in new oil, being lowered into the new bearing shells in the massive solid cast aluminium crankcase.  The other half bearing shells are lined up in order along with their matching main bearing cap nuts.

**Note:  Mr. Gee is upside down in these pictures and the cast aluminium oil pan will bolt to the flat surfaces you see here.
IMG_20200210_165044These are the freshly scrubbed crankshaft main bearing caps that fit over those large vertical studs you see in the photo above and then the cast steel bolting blocks span the whole surface to help distribute the loads as the bearing cap studs are fully tightened. 
The machined flat flanges with the small hole and two bolts on either side are for the all important oil distribution pipework that pumps fresh oil into the tiny gap between the crankshaft main bearing surfaces and the bearing shell to ensure these surfaces never touch and spin freely on the microscopic film of oil.
IMG_20200217_163853The center main bearing in the middle of this photo is the first one I installed as it also holds two thrust bearings to keep the crankshaft centered lengthwise in the crankcase and prevent it from moving back and forth as it rotates. 

Caps # 3, 5 and 6 are waiting their turn to be carefully pressed down on their respective studs.
IMG_20200217_165048I got to use my new Milwaukee Fuel 12V 3/8” ratchet which made quick work of running all the cap nuts down until they just touched the cast cap blocks.
IMG_20200217_181137It is critical that these main bearing blocks be torqued down in the right sequence as per the Gardner manuals and to the correct torque as shown in the page below, the nuts are torqued down in seven different stages each one with a higher torque than the last until I got to their final tightness of 24,0Kgm / 2100 lb.in. 
Gardner Main Brg Tightening sequence & torquesThis is quite tight and was more than I could pull on the end of my torque wrench so I had to use a length of aluminium pipe to extend the handle length.  I also had to get two others to hole the crankcase in place to keep it from rotating as I torqued down each nut.  But all went well and the crankshaft was home at last and ready for the final test; did it spin freely?

Yes!  With one finger I was able to have the crank spinning freely and put on the first of what will likely be hundreds of thousands of rotations in Mr. Gee’s newest life.
IMG_20200217_170358These are all eXtremely critical parts and must be installed to precise tolerances so there are checks all along the way to make sure the “new” engine conforms to the Gardner specifications.  This page of my Gardner LXB Overhaul manual specifies the tolerance for the endwise clearance of the crankshaft to be between 0.006 – 0.009 in.  To put this in perspective, a human hair is about 0.001 or “one one thousands of an inch”.
IMG_20200217_165915Using my trusty old dial indicator clamped to the crankcase with its indicator end pressed against the flywheel flange on the end of the crankshaft I carefully tap the crankshaft all the way to one end and then back to the other to measure the total distance it moves. 

As you can see on the dial indicator it was spot on at 0.007 inch so I made a note of this in my manual page above.
IMG_20200218_171459The newly rebuilt Oil Pump went in next and was quickly torqued down tight with a bit of silicone gasket material to seal its cast iron machines faces to the AL surface of the crankcase.  The vertical pipe sits down inside the sump of the oil pan (remember the engine is upside down here) and pumps the oil under about 45psi throughout the engine starting with the main bearings.
IMG_20200219_131415Which is what these cast iron fittings and steel pipes accomplish by creating an external pipeline to carry the oil from bearing to bearing.  The hole you can see in the connecting rod bearing surface at the bottom of this photo is where the pressurised oil is routed from the main bearing cap and then the oil flows out and drains into the sump as the engine spins.
IMG_20200219_131431If you look inside the upper hole at the top of the fitting (click to enlarge any photo) I’m holding at right angle to the cap surface where it will be mounted, you can see I’ve inserted a new rubber O-ring which seals the steel distribution pipe when it is pushed in place.  Another rubber O-ring fits into the groove on the bottom of the fitting to seal it against the cast cap block and keep this whole oil distribution pipeline fully sealed and pressurised. 
IMG_20200219_171753Crankshaft Oil distribution system all ready for another lifetime of trouble free service keeping Mr. G’s crank spinning freely as he uses all his torque and power to move Möbius around the world.
IMG_20200220_170542After flipping Mr. Gee back right side up, I move on to the next part of the assembly.

And a chance to give a quick quiz for my mechanically minded followers;

??? What is this shaft I have started to insert into the crankcase?

IMG_20200220_163601The answer might surprise many of you because believe it or not this is the Camshaft. 

Huh?  I hear you say, where are all the cams?  And here’s your answer.


IMG_20200220_163605On most engines the camshaft is a single part with each of the egg shaped lobes or cams machined into the camshaft.  However on a Gardner each cylinder’s cams, one Intake and one Exhaust is a separate part which slides onto the actual camshaft and is held in place with that square headed setscrew you see here and the photos above and below.


IMG_20200220_163618These cam lobes cause the Intake and Exhaust valves to open and close at eXactly the right time and amount using a series of pushrods and valve lifters which we’ll see in the next few weeks.  Each cam is carefully marked for this LXB engine model and as you see in the photo above I also engraved each cam when I was first disassembling Mr. Gee.
IMG_20200220_170625It’s a straightforward process of holding each pair of cams in order inside the crankcase as I slide the camshaft towards the rear of the engine.  First four cams are in place here and #5 and 6 are waiting their turn at the far end.

We will pick up here next week so stay tuned for more of Mr. Gee’s assembly.

ELECTRICAL

IMG_20200221_122453Hilmi, our head Sparkie, was unfortunately sick the last few days but he was able to get a few things done such as installing more of the Maretron bilge water sensors and also testing out these cool LED lights for the Basement and Forepeak.
IMG_20200221_122505He also showed me some other versions and some that used fluorescent tubes but we liked the white light intensity of these 24V LED overhead fixtures as they provide great light for working so we’ll go with them for working spaces such as the Basement, Forepeak, Engine Room and Workshop.

PLUMBING:

IMG_20200217_173413_MP

This shining Stainless Steel beauty showed up this past week and Cihan got to work installing it in the Workshop.  We chose this Isotemp Basic 75L model from Indel Webasto for several reasons including good experiences with one on our previous boat.  This is a Calorifier rather than a “water heater” as it would otherwise be called because
Kabola KB45 Combi on Elling E6our primary water heater will be a Kabola KB45 Combi diesel fired water heater or “boiler” such as this example in another boat.

This eXtremely efficient diesel boiler heats up a special fluid which is run through a heat exchanger loop inside like ……..
IMG_20200125_102226_MP……. this one you can see inside this nice cutaway model of an Isotemp Calorifier and all those ribbed fins quickly transfers the heat to our Domestic Hot Water stored inside the Calorifier. 

In the center is a traditional electrical heating element that runs on 240 Volt AC but we will rarely use this because ……..
IMG_20200217_102534…… our model has two of these heat exchangers inside; one that transfers heat from the diesel fired Kabola and a second one that will have hot coolant from the Gardner engine when it is running to take advantage of that additional heat source. 

The heat exchangers connect to the four In/Out fittings labeled in Red, cold domestic water flows in through the bottom Blue fitting and then our DHW Domestic Hot Water comes out the white capped threaded fitting on the bronze mixing valve with the black adjuster knob.  The mixing valves allows us to set the temperature we want to actually have at the taps and showers by mixing in some cold with the hot water.

This setup gives us a very reliable, very efficient and unlimited supply of hot water.

IMG_20200218_183203Cihan soon had this newest arrival bolted in place in the Workshop hanging underneath the Webasto BlueCool Chiller and Delfin Watermaker above.
IMG_20200221_122747Cihan also finished mounting the two Deck Wash Pumps up in the Forepeak; one for Fresh and one for Salt water.  In addition to providing pressurized water for washing down our forward decks the Salt Water pump provides an easy way to clean the anchor and chain as it comes aboard and then wash down the anchor deck once we’re done.

MASTER CABIN:

Sevki installing CK bed shelf 2Omur, Selim and Şevki were busy applying their impressive skills to crafting all the Ro$ewood and Beach cabinetry in the Main Cabin again this week and Şevki is installing the newest feature, Christine’s bedside shelf.
IMG_20200220_125204We are very happy with the way this “floating” shelf has worked out.  Top of this shelf is at the same level as the top of our mattress so makes it easy to reach your phone or glasses and see a clock there,
IMG_20200217_103301The aluminium L-brackets you saw last week were installed to keep this dropped ceiling over our bed solidly in place.  A nice feature in the Master Cabin and then also provides voluminous storage underneath the Main Helm in the SuperSalon above as you’ll see a bit later.
IMG_20200217_130104The stairwell leading up to the SuperSalon is coming along nicely and you can see how that angled wall at the Main Helm becomes part of this stairwell and keeps it very safely closed in on all sides.
IMG_20200217_151507Şevki continued to finish installing the FastMount fittings on all the wall and ceiling panels in the Master Cabin which allow us to snap each panel in and out as needed to access what’s behind or to change the leather coverings in the years ahead.
IMG_20200218_174723This FastMount system intrigued many of you you so a few more details on how this is installed.  The White female fittings which you see on the Left here are installed first by threading them into holes drilled in the underlying marine plywood. 
IMG_20200218_174731Then these Red center markers are snapped into the White fittings ….
IMG_20200218_174520_MP…… and the outer panel is positioned just right and then you give a good “thump” with your hand where each Red center marker is located…….
IMG_20200218_174749……. which puts a perfect little dent for you to place the center of the drill to put in the matching hole for ……………….
IMG_20200219_095951…………………. the Black Male FastMount fittings and your panel now snaps into eXactly the same spot you had carefully aligned when you thumped it in place.  Quick, Easy, Strong, what’s not to like?  OK, a bit pricey but WELL worth it compared to alternatives such as strips of hook & loop strips and these panels come off and go back on the same way for many years.  A no-brainer decision for me.

MAIN BATHROOM & SHOWER:

Plastic sheeting in Master HeadWe have a new team onboard now that is looking after all the “composite” work such as fiberglass, epoxy and plastics for interior areas we want to be fully sealed and waterproof such as inside our showers and heads/bathrooms. 
IMG_20200219_120405They have taped off the nearby furnishings in the Master Cabin to keep them fully protected and masked off the interior areas where the fiberglass transitions to the finished Rosewood and start applying the initial coat of resin.
IMG_20200217_130123Earlier they had applied a coat of white epoxy to all the internal surfaces of the marine plywood panels that form the initial substrate of the walls and ceiling.  This protects all the plywood surfaces facing the interior EPDM insulation and prevents moisture and smells from seeping into the plywood.

The two White panels here are about to be fastened ……
IMG_20200217_130159……. to the ceiling of the Shower and …..
IMG_20200217_130204……. the Head.
IMG_20200219_120417With the surfaces all prepped they glass in a layer of cloth ……….
IMG_20200219_120236_MP…… to provide the initial sealing of all these surfaces ……
IMG_20200219_120343……and their corners which will provide the ideal surface for applying the finished fiberglass flat panels.
IMG_20200219_120348Once dry openings such as these two for the VacuFlush toilet’s fresh water inlet and Black Water outlet pipes …….
IMG_20200220_112317…….. will be cut away with a sharp knife.
IMG_20200221_103944_MPUsing an age old technique of creating quick templates out of thin plywood strips Osma builds a set for each area of the walls and ceiling.
IMG_20200221_172621Using a hot glue gun to hold the plywood strips together the eXact shape of each panel can be quickly captured and then these templates are taken over to the Composite Shop where the flat and prefinished fiberglass panels which they make in-house can be cut to size and then brought back to be glassed into the Shower and Head.

SuperSalon & MAIN HELM:

MOBIUS_SALOON_RENDER (5)Moving upstairs to the SuperSalon, Omur and Selim have also been making great progress on the cabinetry for the Main Helm area and this early rendering will give you a sense of the layout of the Main Helm at the very front of the SuperSalon.
MOBIUS_SALOON_RENDER (4)And this overhead shot shows the overall layout of the whole SuperSalon with the Galley in the Upper Right corner and then working clockwise; stairs down from the Aft Deck and then around and down to the Corridor and Guest Cabin, twin Fridge cabinet, Eames lounge chairs, Helm Chair, stairs down to Master Cabin and then the L-shaped Dinette eating area.


IMG_20200218_112317Here, Omur is fitting the Rosewood panel that spans the front half wall of the Main Helm. 

The rectangular opening is for an access door to all the wiring that ……
IMG_20200219_120554…… is coming up through these penetrations into the Basement below.
IMG_20200219_120559Similar penetration for wiring running up into the AC/DC electric distribution circuit breaker panel inside the angled half wall on the far Right of the Helm,

IMG_20200219_120509

which you can see here. 

50” SmarTV/monitor on the Left, Helm Dashboard in the center and AC/DC Distribution Panel inside the angled cabinet on the Right and another 43” monitor just out of sight on the far Right on the other side of the stairwell which can be seen easily from the Helm Chair which mounts in the center of the Helm area.
IMG_20200221_172425_MPOmur then turned his skills to building up the triangular desktop on the Port/Left side of the Helm.  The triangular desktop will be hinged to provide access to …….
IMG_20200221_172536….. this hugey storage area underneath. 

There will be a false bottom where those two White epoxied strips are that will create a good sized storage space under the desktop for log books, maps, dividers, binoculars and such things we typically want at hand when at the Helm.
IMG_20200221_172538You can now see just how voluminous the storage areas are under the Main Helm and see how this was created by the dropped ceiling above the Master Cabin bed you saw earlier.  We will take advantage of these well protected yet easily accessible areas underneath the Helm dashboard and desktops on either side for electronic goodies such as network switches, hubs, routers, device chargers, etc..

GUEST CABIN/AFT OFFICE CORRIDOR

IMG_20200217_151338_MPI am never quite sure what to best call this multi-function area made up of the Corridor between the Guest Cabin Shower & Head and the WT Workshop door with my Office along the Port/Left hull, ……..
IMG_20200217_103007…… but whatever its name, Omer and Muhammed have been very busy installing the recently varnished cabinetry and the whole area is coming to life very well.

The tall cabinet on the bottom Right is for the main AC/DC Electrical Distribution panel with most of our DIN circuit breakers, meters and other electrical equipment.  My office desk minus its Corian top running Aft and the door into the Workshop on the top Left.
IMG_20200217_102935Here is a shot in the opposite direction taken standing in front of the WT Workshop door looking forward at the stairs leading up from the Corridor to the SuperSalon
IMG_20200218_182920Components of my Office now being installed with handy storage cupboards above and drawers below.  White grid is about to be mounted to create the support structure for the wall behind my desk.
IMG_20200219_100426Like this.
IMG_20200221_123405Completing the Port side wall up the sides of staircase is this final Rosewood covered wall panel with one more very large storage area underneath the side decks running up above.  . 
IMG_20200221_123423Here is what this wall looked like by end of the week yesterday.

We are thinking of using this area for more of our electronic gear such as network hubs and switches, the computer for the SkyBridge Helm which is right above the staircase on the Right.

The interior wall of this storage cupboard is removable to provide me access to the equally large area behind the two Fridges in that large cabinet in the upper center.
IMG_20200220_112634There was lots of action and progress on the opposite side of the Corridor as well this past week as Omer and Muhammed brought our now beautifully varnished “Swiss”, as in Swiss Army Knife practicality, double acting door up from the Finishing Shop and hung it on the outer wall of the Guest Head.

In this position this door will close off the entrance into the Guest Cabin once the Shower walls go up.
IMG_20200220_112642_MPThen when swung the other way it now closes off the Guest Head. 

These double acting Swiss doors as I’ve taken to calling them, are fabulous taking up so much less space and eliminating multiple doors all competing for swing room, hitting each other and a myriad of other problems.
IMG_20200220_113005Last item to complete this door frame is the header which Omer is setting in place here.
IMG_20200220_124846Which produces this latest work of art from Omer and the Cabinetry Team.  A Grey/Green leather panel will be mounted in the open rectangle.
IMG_20200220_184341Zooming in on the outer edge of this Swiss Door for one example of the attention to detail and a quick quiz; can you see anything hiding in this picture?

Click to enlarge for a closer inspection.
IMG_20200220_124907_MPFind it?

If you looked REAL closely in the photo above, you might have been able to just make out the edges of these absolutely awemazing hidden hinges we are using on all our interior doors and some cupboards.  These are mortised a long ways into the door and frame and are unbelievably strong.  I can literally hang off the other corner of these doors and swing back and forth with nary a change in their smooth open/close action. 
IMG_20200220_184325And yet, when the door is closed these hinges just disappear!
IMG_20200220_112648It is difficult to capture this other side of the stairwell but you can see how the Rosewood angles up the stairs at an angle with my infamous Blue Horizon Line and handrail making the transition to the Green/Gray leather upper wall panels.

Next week they should be installing the Shower that goes across from the Head so stay tuned for that.

NEW ARRIVALS:

LOTS of new equipment arrived this past week and I won’t go into too much detail on each of them here as I will cover them more when they are being installed but here is a quick overview of this week’s new arrivals:

ANCHOR CHAIN:

IMG_20200217_152029This pallet with 100 meters/328ft of 13mm/ 1/2” DIN766 / G43 chain showed up at the beginning of the week.
Anchor Chain Zintas DIN766 G40We were able to get this chain from Zintas, a very large industrial chain manufacturing company in Istanbul and they made this run of 100 meters of DIN766/G40 chain for us and had it tested so it came with this class society rating certificate.

WLL Working Load Limit = 25,000Kg / 55,115 lbs

Breaking Force = 106kN / 23m829 lbf

Weight = 3.8Kg/m / 2.55 lb/ft

Total 100m chain weight = 380Kg/838 Lbs


IMG_20200217_152024As per the shipping label, this is 100m/328ft of chain which will attach to our 110kg/242lb Rocna anchor when that arrives in a few weeks. Even at with a long scope of 5:1 this length allows to have an eXtremely strong anchor in depths up to 20m/65ft and with such an oversized Rocna we can easily go to 3:1 scope for depths up to 33m/110ft.  We also carry another 50m/165ft of 1/2” Dyneema line that we can use to extend the rode length for really deep anchorages.  We also carry long lengths of Dyneema line for shore ties when in narrow anchorages such as fjords.

WATERTIGHT EXTERIOR DOORS!

IMG_20200218_161035This is one of the crates we have been waiting a LONG time to receive.  If you know your marine suppliers you know what’s inside……
IMG_20200218_161508Yup!  Our three Watertight exterior doors!  Yigit (standing middle) has been working with us for months on getting these doors just right for Möbius and Omer and Muhammed lent a hand to unbox them and check them out.
IMG_20200218_161512Bofor, a Turkish manufacturer in Istanbul makes all custom built doors and hatches for superyachts and industrial ships around the world and are regarded as one of the best. 

This WT door is internal as it goes between the Workshop and the Corridor into the Guest Cabin area so we had Bofor finish it in white powder coat to provide a nice look and contrast with all the Rosewood and leather wall panels.
IMG_20200218_162325Yigit is checking the seals around the full length glass window in this WT door where you enter the boat from the Aft Deck down into the SuperSalon.  Six beefy “dogs” and specially built glass creates a WT door to eXceed the forces it might experience in the unlikely event of a full 360 degree roll over and will bring even more light and visibility into the SuperSalon.
IMG_20200218_162354Captain Christine gave all three doors her official stamp of approval and we are absolutely delighted with the quality of these Bofor doors.  These two exterior doors are finished in brushed raw aluminium same as the rest of the boat so they will blend right in with the patina and low maintenance which is one of our four top priorities.

FRIDGES:

3617_n_c130lxNEWchiuso_big_OCX2Our two 130 liter/ 4.6 cu.ft. Vitrifrigo C130LX stainless steel side by side fridges arrived this week. 


Vitrifrigo DRW70 catalogue photoThe two matching drawer style DRW7070 liter/ 2.5cu.ft. should be here in the next few weeks as they are brand new models just being released and will take a bit longer to arrive.
3618_n_c130lxNEW_big_OCX2As we have done with all our previous boats, we go with externally mounted air cooled Danfoss compressors which you can see in these photos from Vitrifrigo.
IMG_20200218_172955Sea water or keel cooled models are prone to much more maintenance and failure and the difference in performance is relatively minor and will be even more so in Möbius as the four compressors will be mounted below the fridges and freezers in the Basement which has very stable temperatures and lots of ventilation to keep these compressors happy for many years.

STRAINERS & DORADE COWLS:

IMG_20200218_172223We also received our dual sea water strainers which mount on the two outlet pipes on the Intake Sea Chest in the Engine Room and filter out any debris, kelp, fish, etc. from getting through.  We like these Vetus Type 1900 strainers because they require no tools to remove the clear lids to check and clean the strainers inside.  With two strainers we always have a clean one ready for action if the one in use ever clogs.
Vetus Chiook Dorade CowlsWe also received two of the four Vetus Dorade Cowls we need for the Foredeck and the other two should be here soon.  These silicone cowls are eXtremely durable and can be rotated in any direction. 
IMG_20200218_173706We like these Vetus cowls because they can be easily removed by turning the grey base ring and putting in a solid disc to replace the cowl and completely seal off the Dorade Vent boxes.


Most of the time we keep these Cowls pointing forward to capture the most amount of breezes blowing over the bow at anchor and keeping our Master Cabin well ventilated when it is raining and we can’t keep all the big glass hatches open.  Dorade vents also keep the Master Cabin with a healthy supply of fresh air when we are underway as they are built to prevent any water from getting through in anything less than severe weather. 

Dorade Vent Lid drawingAnd then if we want to fully close off the Dorade Vents when we leave the boat for long periods of time or in eXtremely severe seas when we might have a lot of green water on the foredeck, I designed this simple screw Up/Down aluminium lids which we can completely close and seal all the vent pipes in the boat by reaching up inside and turning the know on the bottom.


This might all seem over the top “belt & suspenders” design and building to some of you but trust me, it only takes one good dousing of sea water on your bed and other parts of your cabin to teach you how important it is to keep all the water OUTSIDE the boat! 

Ask me how I know????

BOW THRUSTER:

IMG_20200218_173228Last “bit of kit” that arrived from Vetus this week is our 2204DE Extended Run Time bow thruster.  Bow thrusters are a bit like insurance, something you hope you never need to use but IF you do then you are really glad you have it. 

In our experience with our previous boat which was a relatively large and heavy 35T all steel sailboat, I put in a big 48V ABT Bow Thruster which worked very well but we typically used it less than two or three times in a year and often when years never using it.
Vetus BOW2204DE bow thruster But as I noted above, when you do need a way of controlling your bow in dodgy situations such as in strong cross winds while docking a powerful bow thruster is VERY much appreciated.

We considered going with a 220V model which has several advantages but decided to stick with 24V DC and go with this Extended Run Time model that can be run for up to 7 minutes without overheating and we rarely need more than short bursts of a few seconds to move the bow.

Thruster tunnel/prop size is 300mm / 12” and has 220Kgf/485lbf of thrust so on those rare occasions when we might need it, this should help us keep our bow where we want it.

SOLAR PANELS:

IMG_20200220_140620Another VERY welcome site this week was this pallet full of all our solar panels.  It is a longer story for another post about what a challenge it became to get the size panels we needed when SunPower which we had originally specified could not provide us with any of their solar panels.
Lightech Solar Panels Arthur in front of machineAfter a LOT of time online researching, I finally found and was able to work direct with Lightech Solar in Tianchang China.  Meet Arthur, a truly amazing manager and problem solver who worked with me for over a week exchanging drawings and specs. 
Solar Panel dwg w Wayne NotesIn the end Arthur offered do a short run of solar panels just for us and to my specifications and dimensions.
Lightech Solar Panels Arthur thumbs upArthur and his colleagues at Lightech were able to produce our 18 panels in a matter of a few days and get them shipped out before they shut the factory down for Chinese New Year.


IMG_20200220_141225AND, Arthur was able to do all this for an incredibly low price that worked out to be 25 cents/Watt.  He then also arrange to ship them to us here at Naval Yachts for an equally great rate so including the shipping it worked out to 30 cents/Watt.  Awesome!

I ordered several extra panels to have onboard as spares and Christine and I will also look at ways we might be able to mount them at a later date to increase our total solar output.


IMG_20200220_141335This is the specs and MC4 connectors on the underside of the top 5 panels you see in the photo above.  Each of these panels have 54 monocrystalline silicone cells and produce 295Watts. 
PH Vent Tunnel under solar panelsThey measure 1560mm x 920mm which is a non standard size which SunPower X-Series panels use and was exactly the size we needed to fit on the hinged mounting rack that goes in front of the SkyBridge windows.
Stbd Aft SkyBridgeEight panels are slightly larger at 320W panels create the roof over the SkyBridge and then the other three go on the cantilevered roof over the Aft Deck BBQ & Outdoor Galley.
IMG_20200220_141715The larger panels produce 320Watts from 60 monocrystalline cells.

Total Wp of all 14 panels we will originally install works out to 4.405kW which is a bit less than the 5kW I was aiming for but close enough and they fit within the dimensions we had originally designed for so we are VERY happy.



Lightech Solar Panels Arthur of factoryIf we find locations to add the other three panels our total Wp would go up to 5.635 Watts and we have several options in mind for expanding our solar further that I will show you later.

Whew!  As I said at the outset, another very productive week for Team Möbius and if you’ve made it this far, even if you skipped ahead, congratulations and thanks SO much for your perseverance and patience with me.  It really means a lot to both Christine and myself that so many of you would take time to join us on this eXtreme passage through the past 2+ years. 

Don’t forget to leave your questions and comments in the “Join the Discussion” box below and I hope we will see you here again next week.

-Wayne