How to achieve self-sufficiency on a boat using solar panels

Source: Trimaran Spirit

In January 2015 we started to refit our ex-formula 40 trimaran Spirit. Our goal with the refit was to make Spirit a far more comfortable cruiser/racer and to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.We aimed to make Spirit truly self sufficient while using 100% solar to power everything onboard. From the water maker, stereo, fridge, freezer, anchor winch and autopilot to the inverter and Thermomix electric cooker, it all had to run off solar alone. We approached Solbian in Italy for advice on what panels and set up would work best. They helped us design the perfect solution to fit Spirit and allow us to have ample power to sustain our lifestyle upon the water. 

To cover our 320Ah lithium bank we were recommended to have four 137watt panels and two 100watt panels, which gave us a total of 748watts. 
After the extensive refit Spirit was launched in June this year. While installing the panels we decided to only install the four 137 watt panels. This would give us more time to learn and understand our consumption and what we needed to produce to cover our usage. 
The system worked great right from the start. We have had no issues or problems at all and are super happy to say that for over the last four months we have produced our power by no other means other than the solar panels supplied to us by Solbian. They are super efficient and produce a large amount of power throughout most of the day. We have seen 36amps maximum production output and normally see around 10-20amps. The lithium bank we have works incredibly well with the panels and it's never below 75% so the cells aren't being stressed and should last many years to come. 
We are extremely happy with the set up we have even with the four 137 watt panels we are producing ample power. It's simple and easily supplies enough power for all our onboard systems. The panels are light and robust and obviously impervious to saltwater as we have them installed on the floats where they are occasionally submerged. 
Fitting them was a breeze with the adhesive backing and the low profile makes them unobtrusive and barely noticeable. 
Thanks to Solbian we now have a boat that's light, fast and totally self sufficient when it comes to providing her own power!!

Thank you sunshine and thank you Solbian for helping us harness this endless supply of clean and free power!