Alternators

[jviss]

It all depends on the use case of the the boat. If you are daysailing and plugging in every evening, then I'd argue you don't even need and alternator! Your starting battery can probably start your engine more than 100 times, and it will be topped off when you plug in. If you are trying to charge a house bank of almost any decent capacity, like 100Ah plus, you really need an external, three-phase regulator, and an alternator rated high enough to handle the load of a nearly-flat bank (not to mention a belt system that can manage that load). A really good external regulator will allow you to limit the alternator output, and also to "soft start," delay the starting of charging, and slowly ramp it up, so as not to shock or even stall the engine.

 

[mikeracca]

I don't understand why you would pay that much money for a disposable Chinese alt (you don't even want to know what wholesale cost is on that Chinese alt...when you can buy a far superior genuine 90A Leece-Neville for $206.00

After selling the Wilson brand of alternators and starters for tractors, boats and obsolete engines (Ford Flathead and Chevy 235 for example) for over 15 years, I have come to trust this brand. The Alternator is brand new, not remanned. I didn't buy the one in the link, I checked with my local O'Reilly's to see if they could get the Wilson and they could. The one I got is identical in all ways except the regulator which appears to be a newer updated version with posts for the sense and excite wires, rather than them just coming out the side of the unit.

 

[mikeracca]

Over the past 7 years exploring the Salish Sea and Puget Sound, if you focus on getting from marina to intended location, then the iron genny will get a workout. Your time and focus are the factors that come into play. You can get days when the winds will let you sail out of your slip in the South Sound all the way to Canada. Then there are the days, no matter what point of the compass you use the wind is straight on your nose and the currents let you travel faster backwards than forwards.

My favorite is a good wind from the side one minute and 100 feet later you are gybing, followed by a 100 or so feet later when your sails are luffing, and you have not changed direction at all. There is a point just outside of Sinclair Inlet that has some really confused wind patterns. Now I sail till just before the turn out of the inlet then I start the engine and motor through that area close hauled, after I get away from the little peninsula to the east I shut the engine off and sail again, and I do the same when returning.