Generator for Hunter 410

[Beachhowes]

I am planning to install a generator in my 2002 Hunter 410. The wife won't go cruising between May and November until I get one. I've decided on a Nextgen 3.5Kw and plan to pick one up from the factory in Jacksonville.
I currently have more time than money so I am planning to do the installation mostly myself. I feel fairly comfortable with the physical installation and plumbing. There are a couple of questions that I have for the forum.
First, with the sound shield installed Nextgen recommends a blower vented outside and and intake vent that can handle 150cfm. Has anyone else installed one of these and if so where did you install the external vents. I'm a little concerned about the blower vent taking on water in a blow.
The second area is the AC connection to the panel. The schematic in the owners manual is clear as mud and opening the panel revels a bird's nest with little obvious connection to the schematic. Any advice and or pics of how another installation was done would be helpful. This may be the area where I hunt down a good marine electrician.
Any other advice or guidance would be appreciated.

 

[Ron McCoy]

I recently installed an Entec West genset (4200 watt/35 amp) on my H386. I'd looked at the Nextgen during my prelimary investigation of what type would work best for me. Anyway, you should plan on using the sound enclosure as it "captures" the hot air generated by the genset and must be managed properly. What I mean is there must be cool air coming into the cabinet and a good exit of hot air outside the boat. You might consider using the existing blower outlet (if Hunter installed one) - usually under the helmsman's seat. Cool air coming into the cabinet can come from inside the cabin (but then you're using the cool air from the air conditioning unit - which I decided was counterproductive) or cut another outlet under the helmsman's seat or any protected area (which I could never put confidence in). The Nextgen had these shortcoming in my opinion when installed on Hunter 36 to 42' boats that didn't make sense to me. In larger boats, the Nextgen might work fine where separate exterior air intakes and exhaust can be adequately separated. To ignor the "air management" issues is folly as the cooling air is a necessity in keeping these gensets from overheating your boat compartment. As for the electrical connects, I assume Hunter installed a double breaker on Side #1 of your AC panel with a throw pole between Shore power main #1 and the generator. If this isn't the case, find a good marine electrician. If you have this breaker - good. Open the panel and find the Side #1 main breaker, under it is the generator breaker - both have dual connection on either side. For reference, find the Shore power #1 breaker (black and white wires - there's also a green connected to the ground bus bar but ignor it for what we're doing first). The shore power black and white wires are connected to the main breaker on what is known as the "line" side of the breaker. Now look at the breaker under it (the generator double breaker) and it's two connection points should have nothing attached to them. This is where you connect the black and white wires from your generator. Look on the "load" side of these breakers and it'll be apparent which is the positive (black) and negative (white) connection points. You should be using 10/3 wire (ie. 10 AWG, three wire (black, white, green)), so your last connection is the green wire to the ground bus bar. Have fun, it's a great project.