I like the bolted ring connectors idea, but still worry about really making them watertight. On my boat, both the Aquair and the solar panel are removable, so I need to be able to break the connection. And the original wires from the solar panel aren't long enough to reach the through deck fitting, so I need some sort of connection.

Incidentally, the solar panel connection that failed was crimped on butt connectors with liquid electrical tape and wrapped with that self sealing tape -- but I now realize I should have wrapped the wires separately, since there was obviously an entry point for seawater.

And the Hella fitting for the Aquair looks a lot like the mil spec circular connectors -- it was supposedly rated waterproof and 16 A. But seawater got into the fitting somehow anyway, and the thing literally went up in smoke.

-- Karl