Generators

[Mike4116]

I sail with the Honda 2000i and it is a great unit. It is carried on deck during a passage on the Great Lakes just fore of the mast and behind the inflatable transom which is upside down on the fore deck. Once I get to my gunk-hole cruising grounds the dinghy is towed and the Honda stays near the mast until I run it in on the fore deck (anchor locker) hatch. It charges the batteries and will run the micro wave if we need it. The full batteries allow the reefer to run and She Who Must Be Obeyed (SWMBO) is all smiles. Seriously, this little generator is a god send. Starts easlily, runs quiet and is dependable.

 

[captmikem]

Power

I have a westerbeke 8KW diesel generator built into my boat. It is a bit large for normal use and I could probably get by with a 6KW. However when I run the scuba compressor I am glad I have it. I have dual 130 amp alternators on my main engine (Yanmar 70 hp) that does a better job charging the batteries. I could live without my gen set, but it is a pleasure to have in very cold or very hot climates as it allows me to run my ac or heaters.

Mikre

 

[seadaddler]

Alternators

I am just wondering when you add these much bigger alternators does your engine loose some HP.
I have a 29 HP Yanmar on my 2007 H-36 and a 4200 Panda Gen for charging and running 110 appliances,it is a great balance for me and think if I add a biigger alternater it would steal some HP,power and fuel economy.
My Hunter 36 uses very little fuel and when I had to motor up from the Keys 24 hours because of no wind freinds on my boat could not believe how good it was and would ask if the fuel gauge was working.
So does any one notice or see less power or no big deal.
Nick

 

[Maine Sail]

I am just wondering when you add these much bigger alternators does your engine loose some HP.
I have a 29 HP Yanmar on my 2007 H-36 and a 4200 Panda Gen for charging and running 110 appliances,it is a great balance for me and think if I add a biigger alternater it would steal some HP,power and fuel economy.
My Hunter 36 uses very little fuel and when I had to motor up from the Keys 24 hours because of no wind freinds on my boat could not believe how good it was and would ask if the fuel gauge was working.
So does any one notice or see less power or no big deal.
Nick

I used to run a 90 amp Leece-Neville (same basic alt as the Balmar 81 series) on a Universal M-25. It is rated at just under 4 hp at its full output rating. When the batts were taking a bulk charge it could be noticed but I never once felt the need to cut off the field current and I was pushing a 36 footer with a 23 hp engine. If your engine is already marginal you can simply install a field cut off switch or on some regulators use the small engine mode setting which essentially cuts back the voltage it sends to the field thus reducing the output..

 

[timvg]

Our Honda 2000 was a Xmas present for my wife a few years back. One of the best presents ever. Hot water, hair dryer, microwave, battery charging, and all of the other little electrical things that make boating a non-camping experience.

I can't imagine not having it and it also came in very handy at our marina, when we were without power for 4 days.

 

[kenomac]

Refrigeration/generator solution

My wife and I had the same issue on our Hunter 450. I like to anchor for 3-4 days at a time before heading into the dock to recharge the batteries, and found the refrigeration system to be the biggest drain on the batteries. We began using oil lamps at night along with battery powered lighting for reading, and began placing large one gallon jugs of water in the bottoms of the frig/freezer. I put 3 or 4 frozen jugs in the bottom of the freezer section and 2-3 at the bottom of the refrigerator. This method gives us more than enough refrigeration for the 3-4 days at anchor without having to use the batteries to power the frig. When we head in on the fifth day, I run the refrigeration system for 12-24 hours to freeze all six jugs. This method also keeps the cooling system from kicking on so often; generally, while at the dock, our condenser only cycles a couple of times per day with the frozen water jugs. I hope this helps solve your problem. So far, we have not needed to add a generator... however, if and when we begin longer ocean passages, the generator and a watermaker will become necessities.