M_Boats: A little advice & info please?

I just acquired an 87 M15 and I'm hoping to launch it next month. I'm putting in a simple electrical system with a solar panel to keep the battery charged and would like to mount the panel off the stern. There's no stern pulpit and I certainly can't afford to have one made. Has anyone managed to build one with off the shelf parts that looks decent? I want to install a knotmeter & depth sounder. Can anyone advise me as to the optimum locations for the transducers? Thanks, Norm Lane