Michael Abrain wrote:My stanchions are 1 5/8" in diameter. Id like to connect a tube between my aft stanchions ( to mount a solar panel ) but can not find any hardware. I have seen TACO brand for bimini tubes but i need something much larger. Any ideas?
Why not just fabricate your own? Here is what I did to mount solar panels between the boom gallows and the next stanchion forward. All that is needed are the materials, a hacksaw and a drill.
I used 1/4" X 2 1/2" flat aluminum stock. From this I made 4 pieces 6" long. Note you will need wider stock as my stanchions are the puny 1" variety.
Each piece is clamped to the stanchion vertically (and outboard) using two SS U-bolts. I forget the size of the u-bolt but the inside dimension of the U-bolt matches the width/diameter of the stanchion perfectly. The two U-bolts are located on the "bottom half" of each piece about 1 3/4" apart.
On the "top half" of the aluminum piece I used two more U-bolts oriented 90 deg (perpendicular) to the bottom U-Bolts. These U-Bolts hold the horizontal SS tube (also 1" but HD walled for rigidity) that supports the solar panel between the boom gallows and the stanchion. Note the horizontal tube does not 'conflict' with the stanchion since it is outboard while the stanchion is inboard (with the plate between).
Finally, I 'finished' by using capnuts/acorn nuts for the U-bolts instead of regular nuts.
Legend
* = holes for U-bolt
-----------------------------
| * || * | These U-bolts are oriented vertically
| ================|==================== (support tube)
| * || * |
| || |
| || |
| * || * | these U-bolts are oriented horizontally
| || |
| * || * |
-----------------------------
||
||
(stanchion)
I also used the same aluminum stock to make supports for the solar panel (2 per solar panel). Obviously longer (approx 2 1/2 ft each) these 'straps' were bolted vertically to the top & bottom of the frame. I located them equidistantly by basically dividing the length of the panel into thirds. I then used a Delrin 'rail clamp' mounted to each 'strap' to clamp the panels to the horizontal tube.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|5948|311443|296535&id=2014957
caveat - you do not want to simply mount these clamps in the middle of the panel. They will need to be 'offset' toward the top because otherwise when the panels are horizontal it will block the way forward due to the location of the forward stanchion. Mount the clamps such that the bottom of the panel is only about 3-4" above the caprail (i.e. just enough not to block using the cleat, etc.when the panels are vertical/not in use)
This setup has proven to be extremely cheap, simple and solid and there is nothing in retrospect I would have done different. Hopefully my description is adequate. I would include a picture but I've never been successful in attaching or including pictures.
