diesel generator

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jul 13, 2010
30
hunter 1979 37 cutter mobile, alabama
Has anyone had experience with installing a diesel generator in a 37 (1979)???
If so, where installed? make and size (KW) of generator? and any other pertinent info. THANKS
 
Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
Hi alallen1
you are going to find that diesel gensets are pretty hard to find in the smaller capacities. What size ganset are you looking for? what are you trying to power/charge bank size?
For the record a 37 is going to be a shoe horn fit for a genset no matter what you go with. The exception being a gas powered portable like Honda makes.
 
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
Hi alallen1
you are going to find that diesel gensets are pretty hard to find in the smaller capacities. What size ganset are you looking for? what are you trying to power/charge bank size?
For the record a 37 is going to be a shoe horn fit for a genset no matter what you go with. The exception being a gas powered portable like Honda makes.
i am with Bill on this one Alallen....after taking out a 2 cyl westerbake on an Almand 35 and putting in a Feriman one cyl for my boat buddy it is much easyer to just get a Honda 2000 and be done with it ...the westerbake was a nice quite running one and the faireyman is a nosey one at best...and its just not worth the hassel ......the little Honda will do just fine they run around $900.00 and make little noise and use very little fuel...also if there is a problem with it witch i doubt you can just carry it to shore and have it serviced or fix it yourself.... sweet and simple ......

regards

woody
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
This was discussed some years ago. But I don't think the owner ever followed up. The idea was to fit it on the shelf behind the engine where the water heater sits. Unless there is something smaller than I know about it would be nearly impossible. The muffler would have to go someplace else and you would be right up against the bottom of the pedestal. Then you would need a hot water solution.

There are other areas where it would fit like the shower or the v-berth center locker. But you would never want to run a diesel in those spaces. I also use a Honda 2000 like many others.
 

Blaise

.
Jan 22, 2008
359
Hunter 37-cutter Bradenton
OK boys,
I disagree. I put a 5kw genset in Midnight Sun about 20 yrs ago. It was supplyed by Mastry engines out of St. Pete. They wanted me to test it. It was powered by a BMW one banger and was in a sound shield. It easily fit through the stbd lazzerette hatch and sat on a plywood platform glassed to the hull. I also covered the sound shield with sound unsulating foam to see how quiet I could get it. It was very sucsessful in that area. When it was running, it was absolutely noiseless. The down side, was with the engine spinning at 3600 rpm, you could feel it everywhere in the boat. The unit had a design flaw in the gen head. It would work fine untill you turned it off. Then it would start fine but never make electricity again. For some reason it would blow the diodes everytime it was shut down. I ended up trying four of the for Mastry. I got so good at R&R that I could do it in a half hour. I finally gave up and took all four back to Mastry and told Richard Mastry of my experiance. They decided not to carry them. I then put a 5KW Sea Power unit on the boat. The generator is a large alternator and is belted to the main engine. (3GM30f) It produces power that is not rpm dependent because it is electronically converted to 60hz. I can run my AC with the engine at 1100 rpm and you can't hear the engine over the AC. It has worked well over twenty years even though I was told my engine was too small. The company is now located somewhere in Texas. If you still are interested in a genset, I would look at the Panda units.
 
Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
I agree with blaise's idea of using the boat motor and belting a generator to it (and anything else like AC compressor, reefer compressor, emergency water pump..... ) Then convert whatever the generator produces to 60 Hz 110 volt AC with electronics. This gets rid of one entire engine and puts everything in one space that is already devoted to high noise/high heat type equipment.
If you subscribe to the "produce as you consume" concept you can fire up the engine around dinner time, cook you meal on an electric stove, heat your hot water for a shower later, cool down the cabin for the night, draw down the holding plates in the reefer/freezer and charge the batts all for a quart of diesel!!
 
Jul 13, 2010
30
hunter 1979 37 cutter mobile, alabama
Thanks for the help. I am now using a Honda 2000 and it runs my a/c for about 4 hours before refilling but I wanted to get away from carrying gasoline. I guess there is no easy way so I will continue with the Honda unless an answer comes along. I once saw a 5.5 kw Nextgen installed in the lazarette but it looked too tight for my comfort. Thanks again.
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
So Blaise, you and Bill don't buy into this idea that the diesel should be run at 80% or better? You mentioned 1100 rpm which is slightly above idle for a 3GM. Is the only slow speed issue the coking of the elbow?
 
Sep 10, 2009
194
Hunter cutter 37 1981 St-lambert
Refill every 4 hours ? You are either using a lot of power or you aven't switched your honda to eco throttle. We've used our Honda 2000 to supply a 70 amp battery charger for over 9 months and it was alright and fuel efficient. unless you are thinking about running a huge ass fridge and AC or electric heater I don't see the use of a diesel genset. You would be far better investing in some big solar panels..
 

Blaise

.
Jan 22, 2008
359
Hunter 37-cutter Bradenton
Ed,
As long as you aren't making visible black smoke, I dont believe you are going to carbon up the elbow any faster. I also believe a lot of the clogging is from the cast iron corroding in the 2000 degree environvent. I used to have to replace the elbow every four years or so. Since I had one made out of stainless steel, I have not had an issue.
 
Jul 13, 2010
30
hunter 1979 37 cutter mobile, alabama
mathurin2, I am using it to run a 16800 a/c. When I use it for lighter duty, I can get 12 to 14 hours. It gets hot down here (mid 90's in the day and 70's at night) so a little cool air at anchor goes a long way in keeping a wife happy.
 
Jul 7, 2009
252
Beneteau First 405 Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Al
I just got a 16K Webasto AC unit for father's day. (I must have been very,very good or very, very bad ;-). I had planned to use it while at the marina. I am glad to hear that a 2k Honda will run it while on the hook. I have found a Honda gas cap modified to accept the fuel hose from the dinghy's outboard (4cycle) external tank, giving it extra long running time. Now I have to find a spot for the AC and for the generator.
Jose
 
Jul 13, 2010
30
hunter 1979 37 cutter mobile, alabama
Jose, You will have to install a delay in the a/c so all components do not come on at once.
The delay costs about $ 75.00. If the pump, fan, compressor all come on at once, the
Honda 2000 will probably kick off. good luck. al
 
Jul 13, 2010
30
hunter 1979 37 cutter mobile, alabama
Jose, I keep the Honda 2000 in one side of the lazerette when not in use. At anchor I set it on the helmsman's seat and tie it off so it cannot move. Usually the boat will be headed into the wind so no worry about carbon dioxide. However, in an area with a strong current??????? Be safe.
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
I installed my Mermaid 12K unit in the q-berth cabinet. I built a new shelf that is installed lower than the original. The control unit is behind the unit on a board glassed to the hull. The water outlet goes out behind it also, right through the middle of the bootstripe. The inlet water comes off a T-valve on top of the engine water seacock. And I have no water going to the bilge. I use a Mermaid condensator that sucks the water out of the pan.

I did not install ducting as I did not want to give up storage space. It simply blows out under the nav table. When it is really hot I use a fan to get more air in the v-berth.

My Honda runs up on the bow over the anchor locker. One of my first projects was putting a shorepower plug in the anchor locker. So just a short connector. For the trip to Florida I made a sunbrella cover and kept it lashed to the toerail just forward of the shrouds. Normally it sits under the nav table(with an empty tank).
 

Attachments

Nov 26, 2006
381
Hunter 31 1987 Fly Creek Marina Fairhope,AL.
I also had the gen set blues at one time for my hunter 31 and found that the MASE gensets had a pretty small foot print and also more affordable than the panda's.

LIke others mentioned aboave, i found myself using the honda 2000 to supply A/C while on the hook.
The prices i found for the mase gensets were about $4000-$5000 and you can buy a lot of gas for the honda for that price. Just have to weigh the options and inconvenience.

Happy sailing .


here is the specs on the small gensets from MASE .
http://www.masenorthamerica.com/IS_02.51.php
 
Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
yes Ed, 80% and greater is just wearing out your engine faster. I took my cast iron elbow off this winter and I did not see any evidence of carbon build up beyond a very thin coating which came off easily. My elbow has a pretty big single water hole and I suspect that the fancy ones with multiple small holes that mix the streams well are actually the problem.
 

Blaise

.
Jan 22, 2008
359
Hunter 37-cutter Bradenton
Just a word on Midnight Sun's AC installation. I have a 18000 btu KingAir unit installed on the port shelf in the main salon. It is ducted into the forward vberth, and the aft cabin. It is enclosed behind a piece of 1/4" teak plywood with louvered grates for the air return and discharge. The water pump is a March magnetic drive intalled below the waterline next to the port water tank. When it is 95 outside it will cool the boat down to 68.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.