SV Sunbeam Solar Ferry – Plan & Article

A 2 Sheet Plan & Article, which was published in Model Boats January 2019. Designed by John Parker, this craft combines a hull of proven low drag design with a brushless motor and large propeller to get the best performance possible from this limited power source. It is a practical working model boat with useable performance, unlike most solar-powered model boats, which often have hardly enough power to get out of their own way. It has a backup battery for overcast days, kept charged by available sunlight.

The SV Sunbeam won’t save the planet, but it will (literally) make light work of demonstrating the potential of solar power and is sure to be a talking point wherever you sail her. All that remains are to motor silently and smugly off into the sunset (having made sure that you have first switched to ‘Battery’ mode…)

Solar Panels: We don’t stock these however they are available: The panels used by John go by the brand name Aoshike and came from the Aiyima Audio Store in China via AliExpress. They are described as: ‘Aoshike 5PCS Epoxy Solar Panel 2V 300mA Polycrystalline Sun Cell Sunpower Module DIY Solar Cell Battery Charger 2V 0.3A 80*50mm’.