JY 51 Help Please

[elaine]

Hi all, relatively new owner of a JY51 here.
Looking for advice on solar panels, davits and engine hoist and passerelle please!!
I don't currently have any of the above and the boat is in the UK but I'm planning a move to the Med so hoping to use this winter to get properly equipped.

I had originally looked at an arch to incorporate davits and solar but its proving quite expensive!

Questions:
1. Solar panels: flexible on the bimini? or solid? or build a solar arch to take them?  Do you get much shading from the rigging and sails though? And what happens if you want to fold the bimini back?

2. Davits and engine hoist: Jeanneau retractable davits seem expensive so am looking for an alternative solution. Do I need a separate engine hoist too, or can the davits be used for this? All recommendations/photos much appreciated.

3. Passerelle: any recommendations for being as lightweight as possible and as small and compact. Do you attach it to a pivot hole in the deck? how do you attach it so it doesn't swing all over the place?  All recommendations/photos much appreciated!

Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience!

[Zanshin]

I don't have a passarelle (not useful in the Caribbean) and haven't decided how to get an outboard engine hoist installed, but I do have solar panels. I used thin flexible ones and have 2 glued to the forward deck and a further 2 on the dodger and yet another two on the bimini. I'm quite happy with them, each has its own MPPT controller.

Zanshin Solar Panels

[elaine]

thank you!

[MalcolmP]

Aug 30, 2021 13:06:10 GMT elaine said:

Hi all, relatively new owner of a JY51 here.
Looking for advice on solar panels, davits and engine hoist and passerelle please!!
I don't currently have any of the above and the boat is in the UK but I'm planning a move to the Med so hoping to use this winter to get properly equipped.

I had originally looked at an arch to incorporate davits and solar but its proving quite expensive!

Questions:
1. Solar panels: flexible on the bimini? or solid? or build a solar arch to take them?  Do you get much shading from the rigging and sails though? And what happens if you want to fold the bimini back?

2. Davits and engine hoist: Jeanneau retractable davits seem expensive so am looking for an alternative solution. Do I need a separate engine hoist too, or can the davits be used for this? All recommendations/photos much appreciated.

3. Passerelle: any recommendations for being as lightweight as possible and as small and compact. Do you attach it to a pivot hole in the deck? how do you attach it so it doesn't swing all over the place?  All recommendations/photos much appreciated!

Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience!

Hi Elaine

Welcome to our forum and congratulation on your JY51.

We have a much smaller 39i, but a couple of comments on your questions. The retractable davits on the JY51 apparently suffered from water leaks, (worth doing a search) so even if discounted from expense I would look for another option.

There has been a lot of discussion on solar panels. I absolutely agree with Zanshin that MPPT regulators are a must, forget PWM type. Also best to have a separate charger for each panel. Personally I much prefer solid rather than flexible. Good quality flexible solar panels are expensive and a fixed panel if you can find a way of installing it say above your cockpit can work as an additional sunshade.

When we moved our boat from the UK to the Med a few years ago, like you spent ages worrying about how to fit a passerelle, boarding plank. In reality you may find it better to wait until you get there. One very simple option, is not to have a boarding plank at all, but use a handy-billy  along these lines:



jimmygreen.com/block-and-tackle-purchase-systems/668-handy-billy-41-purchase-system

To use, back up to the quay with plenty of stern fenders, then attach one end to the quay side. Haul the forward lazy lines really right so you move away from the quay. When you want to get ashore, just winch in the handy billy.

Many of the Marinas in Spain have good chandleries, and you will also be able to look at other peoples set-ups to decide, the best system to fit the JY51. But yes as you indicate most passerelles are best mounted near to the centreline so that the support lines will stop them swinging about.

Good luck

[alenka]

Some of the advice you ask for will be biased depending upon where you are going to cruise.

In the Med I would not recommend a teak passerelle. They dry out and separate. Personally I find the aluminium ones best for longevity and price.  I like at least 1.7m. too short and you run the risk of being pushed onto the quayside by wake. Too long and it's like walking the plank of doom, and/or in places you will intrude too much onto narrow quays tripping people up.

Solar panel arch.  BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand and if you are a new customer or one passing though this is where the quotes often start.  Once established in a place people starting talking sense. We paid around €300 for a custom built SS arch. Yes it could be more heavy weight but it does the job.  Get fixing's that allow you to angle the panels to the sun. Not cheap but worth it.

Davits. We store the tender up side down on the fore deck. It gets in the way for stern-to med mooring on davits.

O/B hoist!  We gave up on petrol O/B's years ago and went electric with the Torqedo which is light weight. Never looked back. You can charge from solar and starts first time every time. 

[Charlie-Bravo]

And, if you go down the handy billy route , you can use it off the end of the boom for lowering and retrieving the outboard from the tender, ...... very handy thing is a billy, and saves on more scaffolding on the pushpit.

CB

[elaine]

Thank you everyone for your advice. The handy billy looks good!

[moonshadow]

Kato makes some nice Davits that work well. I’m not sure if they are available in Europe. Rigid mounts can be added for solar panels. I leave my dinghy on the Davits except for long ocean legs. Then it can be tied on the foredeck. I use the davit to hoist the outboard when needed and I stow it in a locker.
I have had good service from flexible solar panels mounted on my Bimini. I had zippers sewn onto the panels and the Bimini. But, to get good life out of flexible panels I glued some corrugated plastic backing on the back of the panels to stiffen them. They are pretty much invisible there and add no windage. They have stayed in good shape through some big storms. I like the clean lines of my SO469 and don’t like the looks of an arch. But I do think they are very practical. If you sail at night with a dinghy on Davits you should consider relocating the stern light. If it shines on the dinghy it is useless for its purpose and the reflection is blinding in the cockpit.

[elaine]

Thank you so much.
i don’t really like the bulk of an arch or the cost!

[elaine]

Aug 31, 2021 1:00:56 GMT moonshadow said:

Kato makes some nice Davits that work well. I’m not sure if they are available in Europe. Rigid mounts can be added for solar panels. I leave my dinghy on the Davits except for long ocean legs. Then it can be tied on the foredeck. I use the davit to hoist the outboard when needed and I stow it in a locker.
I have had good service from flexible solar panels mounted on my Bimini. I had zippers sewn onto the panels and the Bimini. But, to get good life out of flexible panels I glued some corrugated plastic backing on the back of the panels to stiffen them. They are pretty much invisible there and add no windage. They have stayed in good shape through some big storms. I like the clean lines of my SO469 and don’t like the looks of an arch. But I do think they are very practical. If you sail at night with a dinghy on Davits you should consider relocating the stern light. If it shines on the dinghy it is useless for its purpose and the reflection is blinding in the cockpit.

Thank you, sadly Kato don’t supply the UK

[elaine]

Aug 31, 2021 19:09:13 GMT elaine said:

Aug 31, 2021 1:00:56 GMT moonshadow said:

Kato makes some nice Davits that work well. I’m not sure if they are available in Europe. Rigid mounts can be added for solar panels. I leave my dinghy on the Davits except for long ocean legs. Then it can be tied on the foredeck. I use the davit to hoist the outboard when needed and I stow it in a locker.
I have had good service from flexible solar panels mounted on my Bimini. I had zippers sewn onto the panels and the Bimini. But, to get good life out of flexible panels I glued some corrugated plastic backing on the back of the panels to stiffen them. They are pretty much invisible there and add no windage. They have stayed in good shape through some big storms. I like the clean lines of my SO469 and don’t like the looks of an arch. But I do think they are very practical. If you sail at night with a dinghy on Davits you should consider relocating the stern light. If it shines on the dinghy it is useless for its purpose and the reflection is blinding in the cockpit.

Thank you, sadly Kato don’t supply the UK

Actually I’ve found somewhere in the UK that does supply them I think!

[NZL50505]

Aug 31, 2021 19:08:28 GMT elaine said:

Thank you so much.
i don’t really like the bulk of an arch or the cost!

If you don’t like the look of a bulky arch and prefer a more aesthetically pleasing profile and you have a relatively light dinghy & outboard setup then this is what I have. Sorry no idea of origin - came with the boat - but most likely custom made I suspect.

[elaine]

Aug 31, 2021 21:03:37 GMT NZL50505 said:

Aug 31, 2021 19:08:28 GMT elaine said:

Thank you so much.
i don’t really like the bulk of an arch or the cost!

If you don’t like the look of a bulky arch and prefer a more aesthetically pleasing profile and you have a relatively light dinghy & outboard setup then this is what I have. Sorry no idea of origin - came with the boat - but most likely custom made I suspect.



Ooh! That looks lovely! Thank you

[Evening Star]

For your Davits and motor lift, take a look at Katie Marine at Katoemarine.com. They have a great set of sturdy, stainless Davits And a motor lift which are exceptionally well made.  They are located in Annapolis, MD but ship world wide.   If they have not done a JY 51, they can work up a plan for you.  I have both the Davits and the motor lift on my SO 479 and am very happy.     The commissioning yard built up the inside of the transom with oversized backing plates glasses into the hull to provide additional strength to the transom and Katie made supports for the push pit.    Great solution for a reasonable price.  

[elaine]

Aug 30, 2021 17:03:10 GMT MalcolmP said:

Aug 30, 2021 13:06:10 GMT elaine said:

Hi all, relatively new owner of a JY51 here.
Looking for advice on solar panels, davits and engine hoist and passerelle please!!
I don't currently have any of the above and the boat is in the UK but I'm planning a move to the Med so hoping to use this winter to get properly equipped.

I had originally looked at an arch to incorporate davits and solar but its proving quite expensive!

Questions:
1. Solar panels: flexible on the bimini? or solid? or build a solar arch to take them?  Do you get much shading from the rigging and sails though? And what happens if you want to fold the bimini back?

2. Davits and engine hoist: Jeanneau retractable davits seem expensive so am looking for an alternative solution. Do I need a separate engine hoist too, or can the davits be used for this? All recommendations/photos much appreciated.

3. Passerelle: any recommendations for being as lightweight as possible and as small and compact. Do you attach it to a pivot hole in the deck? how do you attach it so it doesn't swing all over the place?  All recommendations/photos much appreciated!

Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience!

Hi Elaine

Welcome to our forum and congratulation on your JY51.

We have a much smaller 39i, but a couple of comments on your questions. The retractable davits on the JY51 apparently suffered from water leaks, (worth doing a search) so even if discounted from expense I would look for another option.

There has been a lot of discussion on solar panels. I absolutely agree with Zanshin that MPPT regulators are a must, forget PWM type. Also best to have a separate charger for each panel. Personally I much prefer solid rather than flexible. Good quality flexible solar panels are expensive and a fixed panel if you can find a way of installing it say above your cockpit can work as an additional sunshade.

When we moved our boat from the UK to the Med a few years ago, like you spent ages worrying about how to fit a passerelle, boarding plank. In reality you may find it better to wait until you get there. One very simple option, is not to have a boarding plank at all, but use a handy-billy  along these lines:



jimmygreen.com/block-and-tackle-purchase-systems/668-handy-billy-41-purchase-system

To use, back up to the quay with plenty of stern fenders, then attach one end to the quay side. Haul the forward lazy lines really right so you move away from the quay. When you want to get ashore, just winch in the handy billy.

Many of the Marinas in Spain have good chandleries, and you will also be able to look at other peoples set-ups to decide, the best system to fit the JY51. But yes as you indicate most passerelles are best mounted near to the centreline so that the support lines will stop them swinging about.

Good luck

[jy51]

Like you I am the owner of a JY 51 and personally I do not like the look of solar panel arches or goalpost as they are often called. I also think, fixing flexible panels to a Bimini or spray hood is a poor compromise.

The solution I took was to glue an Italian branded Solbian SR Super Rugged Flexible Marine Solar Panels just forward of the mast. They are the only manufacturer I have found that offer a panel exactly mm for mm the same dimensions at the roof top panel, the wires simply run down through one of the mast cable through deck fittings, down to the bilge and back to the battery location in the rear cabins. The installation looks more like purpose built rather than an add on. The output of their recently upgraded panel is 248 watts. You could double this by fitting slim panels each side of the coach roof rear of the mast, however with a Victron MPPT regulator and my Lithium batteries this one panel just about meets my needs and I have the 8 KW generator upgrade as backup.

Davits, I chose the Factory fitted folding ones as with the electric fold out bathing platform there is little space to fit conventional davits. Yes in heavy rain and with the davits deployed, they do leak but there are a few solutions, Jeanneau paid for a retro fit drain from the bulk head where the water gathered to the bilge, I keep promising myself to put thick axel grease around the inside underneath where the tube enter the hull, however, with the davits closed down over winter and the rainy season they do not leak. 

Again, we chose the hydraulic passerelle supplied by Jeanneau and due to the height of the topsides chose the drop down side steps as well as these come in handy when berthing beam too on visitors and fuel berths.  Our current med mooring is stern too and the passerelle, although very expensive makes life very simple and safe, especially when returning late in the evening after too much socialising.

[elaine]

Sept 12, 2021 8:41:25 GMT jy51 said:

Like you I am the owner of a JY 51 and personally I do not like the look of solar panel arches or goalpost as they are often called. I also think, fixing flexible panels to a Bimini or spray hood is a poor compromise.

The solution I took was to glue an Italian branded Solbian SR Super Rugged Flexible Marine Solar Panels just forward of the mast. They are the only manufacturer I have found that offer a panel exactly mm for mm the same dimensions at the roof top panel, the wires simply run down through one of the mast cable through deck fittings, down to the bilge and back to the battery location in the rear cabins. The installation looks more like purpose built rather than an add on. The output of their recently upgraded panel is 248 watts. You could double this by fitting slim panels each side of the coach roof rear of the mast, however with a Victron MPPT regulator and my Lithium batteries this one panel just about meets my needs and I have the 8 KW generator upgrade as backup.

Davits, I chose the Factory fitted folding ones as with the electric fold out bathing platform there is little space to fit conventional davits. Yes in heavy rain and with the davits deployed, they do leak but there are a few solutions, Jeanneau paid for a retro fit drain from the bulk head where the water gathered to the bilge, I keep promising myself to put thick axel grease around the inside underneath where the tube enter the hull, however, with the davits closed down over winter and the rainy season they do not leak. 

Again, we chose the hydraulic passerelle supplied by Jeanneau and due to the height of the topsides chose the drop down side steps as well as these come in handy when berthing beam too on visitors and fuel berths.  Our current med mooring is stern too and the passerelle, although very expensive makes life very simple and safe, especially when returning late in the evening after too much socialising.

[elaine]

Thank you so much for your considered reply. That’s really helpful. I didn’t know about the jeanneau Passerelle. Will have a look

[SeaDarer]

I'm late to the show here, but I can offer a couple of comments. 

I have owned a JY 51 for three years now, and have 800W of flexible solar panels installed on my bimini top.  I have them attached by zippers on a second bimini layer.  That way I can remove them for servicing or getting them out of the way and still have a functioning bimini.  The system works very well and I usually get about 80% effectiveness (600W) and never worry about the shading by the boom or sails as the power addition is adequate unless in a 'sunless' day. 
 


I also have the Jeanneau telescoping dinghy davits.  I find them quite nice in that they can fold out of the way, but they are not strong enough to lift both my dinghy and motor.  They are rated at 150kg total (presumably 75kg each) whereas my dinghy motor at 48kg plus half the weight of my dinghy 75k/2 or 37.5kg means that the motor end would have to carry 85.5kg.  Hence I have a separate motor lift and carry the motor on the railing at the stern.  The second issue with the davits is that the dinghy when lifted entirely out of the water at sufficient height tips the dinghy and makes water drainage an issue.  It is manageable, but not preferrable.  Overall, I'm not going to change anything, but if starting afresh, I would likely opt for an arch type of davits.  


 

Hope this helps.