Does your generator and/or inverter work well or have you had problems with either? I am thinking about adding one or both to my Hunter 41 and would like to know what you think. Thanks.
- Status
Inverter is necessity.
My view is that an inverter/charger should be standard on an H41. I rely heavily on my 2000 watt Heart(Xantrex) to keep the Admiral happy. The good lighting at the vanity, the hair dryer, and the microwave alone are good reasons. An expensive diesel generator fits nicely in your boat. But it is an option that depends strictly upon the kind of use. My boat(H37C) has the battery capacity for very long weekends. Add to that shorepower time and motoring time and I have little need for a generator. Still I carry a gasoline Honda 2000(above decks) just in case.
My view is that an inverter/charger should be standard on an H41. I rely heavily on my 2000 watt Heart(Xantrex) to keep the Admiral happy. The good lighting at the vanity, the hair dryer, and the microwave alone are good reasons. An expensive diesel generator fits nicely in your boat. But it is an option that depends strictly upon the kind of use. My boat(H37C) has the battery capacity for very long weekends. Add to that shorepower time and motoring time and I have little need for a generator. Still I carry a gasoline Honda 2000(above decks) just in case.
Have both genset and inverter on 356
My 356 has both an inverter and generator. I have the Northern Lights 5KW generator and a Freedom 2000 inverter. I have a heavy electric load as we use our tv extensively and have Dish network with a KVH tracking antenna. My wife stays below most of the time while I am sailing. I just changed my house bank this spring from lead acid to two Lifeline 4D's and have plenty of power for the inverter. I manage battery use with a Link 20. I use the genset whenever we need heating or cooling to keep the salon temperature comfortable. Use the inverter the rest of the time. For making coffee in a percolator I use the genset, but could use the inverter I think. The Northern Lights is a heavy duty genset running at 1800 rpm. Beware of lighter gensets that run at 3600 rpm with one cylinder if you plan on using a lot. Also make sure your cooling water intake is near centerline of the boat to avoid losing cooling water while heeling that will automatically turn off the genset. My fuel consumption on the genset is about 6 gallons per 24 hours of use the best I can tell. That is a small premium for the comfort and basically unlimited power available. One thing I would do differently is add the sound enclousre when initially installing. I didn't, and regret my decision. The noise below is very light, however, in the port lazarette of the 356 I can hear while sailing and would rather it be a little less noisy. It is not bad, but for the extra dollars would be better if noise attenuated.
My 356 has both an inverter and generator. I have the Northern Lights 5KW generator and a Freedom 2000 inverter. I have a heavy electric load as we use our tv extensively and have Dish network with a KVH tracking antenna. My wife stays below most of the time while I am sailing. I just changed my house bank this spring from lead acid to two Lifeline 4D's and have plenty of power for the inverter. I manage battery use with a Link 20. I use the genset whenever we need heating or cooling to keep the salon temperature comfortable. Use the inverter the rest of the time. For making coffee in a percolator I use the genset, but could use the inverter I think. The Northern Lights is a heavy duty genset running at 1800 rpm. Beware of lighter gensets that run at 3600 rpm with one cylinder if you plan on using a lot. Also make sure your cooling water intake is near centerline of the boat to avoid losing cooling water while heeling that will automatically turn off the genset. My fuel consumption on the genset is about 6 gallons per 24 hours of use the best I can tell. That is a small premium for the comfort and basically unlimited power available. One thing I would do differently is add the sound enclousre when initially installing. I didn't, and regret my decision. The noise below is very light, however, in the port lazarette of the 356 I can hear while sailing and would rather it be a little less noisy. It is not bad, but for the extra dollars would be better if noise attenuated.
- Status