Tidalwave:
Like I described earlier I deep dove into all this stuff a while back. If you look at this solar panel (
http://www.siliconsolar.com/30w--12v-ma ... 03363.html ). You would have enough room on the tramps for 4 of these ($80*4=$320). If wired in parallel this would provide 120 watts of 12 volt power, or if you hook two in series you can get around 60 watts at 40 volts (maybe enough voltage to work with the evolve) times two with two units (one for each tramp). The setup I was planning would have involved 3 batteries and a Torqeedo 1003 motor. The plan was to be running on one battery, while two are charging. Working in a merry go round fashion. I would have the solar panels driving an inverter that converts the 12 volts from the panels to 120 vac (you might need a controller and a small agc battery (like from a motor scooter) to stabilize everything. Their would be two of the standard ac chargers that come with the torqeedo and the inverter all within a dry box (or boxes) someplace in the hull. Basically you would run on #1 battery while #2 and #3 charge from the solar panel. Once that battery is dead, you switch to #2 and begin recharging #1. It could all be setup to operate from a single switch. There would be 3 battery level meters, you just switch to the one with the highest charge, the others two would automatically be connected to the solar panel when not in use. No plugs to fuss with or anything just switch the switch to select your battery.
This is all figuring you can get 4 hrs runtime from one charge, and estimating 8 hrs to charge the 520wh batteries (that's why you would need 3). I called and asked a while back and the guy on the phone said you can run with the batteries not on the unit, and you can hook up the remote throttle control (I would definitely verify that)
Since these panels are only 12 volts and the Torqeedo system is 29 volts, you could never run the motor directly from them. But on the upside you will always have plenty of 120vac electricity for you shaver, phone and radio chargers, coffeemaker, xmas tree lights, microwave, or whatever else you need.
Actually there was a guy who entered the EC challenge this year in class 6 with a Windrider 17 equipped pretty much like I describe above, I talked to him for quite a while before the race and we compared notes. What he didn't have was a fuel cell like mine that would run the inverter at night and keep the batteries charging through the night or in clouds and rain which I think ended up being his downfall since I don't think he finished the race.
Of course if you can live with a drive in the mirage well, setting up an evolve system would likely be much easier and cleaner. The only thing you don't get is the bigger motor (like the 1003). A couple guys are running the 520wh batteries on their evolves though, and from my understanding, it gives you the most bang for the buck (buy a second 520wh battery instead of the solar unit). Some of the guys with evolves on their TI's can tell you if they are big enough for a TI.
Bob