Here goes! I plan to semi-retire on the Chesapeake in a couple of years and face a dilemma. I have a new 340 which I can upgrade or move up in size. I currently have refrig. and GPS, would like to install A/C and radar and anchor windlass. The question of the day is!!!!! 1. Is there a genset sized for the 340 and if so who makes it and where is it installed? Thanks to all!
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Gensets on the Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay must be one of the greatest places in the world to semi-retire on. Not only are there a zillion beautiful anchorages but also there is no end to places to tie up for dinner or have a drink with other sailors. In '90 and '91, the co-skipper and I spent 6 months gunkholing and crabpot dodging on the Chesapeake Bay on a Hunter 33.5 ("Windtryst") and enjoying every minute off it. That is, with the possible exception of getting whacked by lightning twice, often having to pray for wind and sometimes wishing that a neighboring boat in our quiet anchorage would have better sense than to run their gen-set....... Let's face it, a sailboat on the Chesapeake is either (1) tied up to a dock (plenty of power there); (2) motoring up or down the bay (same there); (3) sailing up or down the bay (windvanes can then give you the power you need for much less money and upkeep); or (4) anchored out in a quiet bay (unless there are no more quiet bays, of course .............). Just a thought. Flying Dutchman, "Rivendel II" (Legend 43, hull #1)
The Chesapeake Bay must be one of the greatest places in the world to semi-retire on. Not only are there a zillion beautiful anchorages but also there is no end to places to tie up for dinner or have a drink with other sailors. In '90 and '91, the co-skipper and I spent 6 months gunkholing and crabpot dodging on the Chesapeake Bay on a Hunter 33.5 ("Windtryst") and enjoying every minute off it. That is, with the possible exception of getting whacked by lightning twice, often having to pray for wind and sometimes wishing that a neighboring boat in our quiet anchorage would have better sense than to run their gen-set....... Let's face it, a sailboat on the Chesapeake is either (1) tied up to a dock (plenty of power there); (2) motoring up or down the bay (same there); (3) sailing up or down the bay (windvanes can then give you the power you need for much less money and upkeep); or (4) anchored out in a quiet bay (unless there are no more quiet bays, of course .............). Just a thought. Flying Dutchman, "Rivendel II" (Legend 43, hull #1)
Usage?
What equipment were you planning to run off your genset? If it includes the AC, I think you are going to need a fairly hefty unit. MC
What equipment were you planning to run off your genset? If it includes the AC, I think you are going to need a fairly hefty unit. MC
For advice, put issue in title. A general comment
I have a suggestion so you can get more replies. Send out your question again.. Need Genset for 340.. with that phrase in the title.. and you might get a lot more replies. Virtually everyone on this site is either asking for advice, or stating an opinion. Right now I am in the latter, but have sure benefited from this awesome site. Regards, jim
I have a suggestion so you can get more replies. Send out your question again.. Need Genset for 340.. with that phrase in the title.. and you might get a lot more replies. Virtually everyone on this site is either asking for advice, or stating an opinion. Right now I am in the latter, but have sure benefited from this awesome site. Regards, jim
Not too difficult!
Jim, As Michael Cohn pointed out, you need to make your decision on the facts. One rule of thumb I can give you though. How do you make at with your shore power hookups. We have a 376 with similiar equipment. Our boat was furnished with (2) 30 AMP - 120 Volt hookups. Rarely do we ever use the second hookup. A single hookup is 30 a multiplied by 120 volts for 4500 watts. Simple! In other words a 4500 wattt genset is equal to one shore line. When you calculate your needs, you do an itemization of the wattage of all the equipment you want to run simultaneously. Giving up you AC for 4 minutes while you microwave some popcorn will keep you from needing the extra capacity. When you seek out your requirements from your wish list, it is rule of thumb to add 25% extra to an electric motor's statistics as an allowance for starting torque. In the case of your AC, where you have a compressor and a circulating fan, you only use the larger of the two for the calculation. Good Luck, Mike D.
Jim, As Michael Cohn pointed out, you need to make your decision on the facts. One rule of thumb I can give you though. How do you make at with your shore power hookups. We have a 376 with similiar equipment. Our boat was furnished with (2) 30 AMP - 120 Volt hookups. Rarely do we ever use the second hookup. A single hookup is 30 a multiplied by 120 volts for 4500 watts. Simple! In other words a 4500 wattt genset is equal to one shore line. When you calculate your needs, you do an itemization of the wattage of all the equipment you want to run simultaneously. Giving up you AC for 4 minutes while you microwave some popcorn will keep you from needing the extra capacity. When you seek out your requirements from your wish list, it is rule of thumb to add 25% extra to an electric motor's statistics as an allowance for starting torque. In the case of your AC, where you have a compressor and a circulating fan, you only use the larger of the two for the calculation. Good Luck, Mike D.
Gensets
using a 4.5kw is going to limit any additional equipment you might place on board. I have 2 30amp 120vac lines for my H410. This equates to 7.2kw. Fischer Panda indicated that with 2 ac's (26,000 btu total) and other ancillary equipment I should use their mini-8, a 7.5kw genset. With both ac's running and no other load, the genset would be at about 40% utilization. Load calc is an important step in calculating genset size. Also consider startup currents for ac's and the like, since the require a surge of power (sometime 200% and higher than normal operating current) to start the motors. Regarding Fischer panda price. I think if you do an apples to apples ost approach, the FP in not a lot more money for the investment. FP uses an all inclusive cost vs. an ala carte approach by most other manufactures. Bryce S/V Spellbinder
using a 4.5kw is going to limit any additional equipment you might place on board. I have 2 30amp 120vac lines for my H410. This equates to 7.2kw. Fischer Panda indicated that with 2 ac's (26,000 btu total) and other ancillary equipment I should use their mini-8, a 7.5kw genset. With both ac's running and no other load, the genset would be at about 40% utilization. Load calc is an important step in calculating genset size. Also consider startup currents for ac's and the like, since the require a surge of power (sometime 200% and higher than normal operating current) to start the motors. Regarding Fischer panda price. I think if you do an apples to apples ost approach, the FP in not a lot more money for the investment. FP uses an all inclusive cost vs. an ala carte approach by most other manufactures. Bryce S/V Spellbinder
5KW works for me
I have a 40.5 with a 5.0KW Westerbeke genset. I have (2) 30A shore power connections and I have run 2 AC units (21,000 BTU), 1.5KW hot water heater, and battery charger all at once. My generator doesn't even flinch when any of the motors come on-line and I have never tripped overload breakers with the microwave, hairdriers, etc. Although the AC performance is fine and the small size is good, I won't recommend the Westerbeke. I've had a 12V DC control circuit problem with it since new and the dealer is of little help. He won't even return phone calls or answer letters.
I have a 40.5 with a 5.0KW Westerbeke genset. I have (2) 30A shore power connections and I have run 2 AC units (21,000 BTU), 1.5KW hot water heater, and battery charger all at once. My generator doesn't even flinch when any of the motors come on-line and I have never tripped overload breakers with the microwave, hairdriers, etc. Although the AC performance is fine and the small size is good, I won't recommend the Westerbeke. I've had a 12V DC control circuit problem with it since new and the dealer is of little help. He won't even return phone calls or answer letters.
But Heart has power sharing
Rich said that 5 kw is fine with him. However, assuming his charger is a Heart, what Heart will do is de-power as needed to share the AC wattage with other needs. So, if the Heart would like to use its full charging capacity of 30 AC amps but the air conditioning is running and so is the hot water hearter, Heart will power down to whatever is necessary to make sure those other needs are met. So the charger might only be using 5 to 10 AC amps and your batteries are not getting the full charge they need. This is OK so long as you run the genset a lot or will be plugged in the next day. But our 9kw [50 amps] has enough power to give the Heart 30 amps and have 20 amps left for the airconditioning [actually draws 25 amps with both units are running] and other needs.
Rich said that 5 kw is fine with him. However, assuming his charger is a Heart, what Heart will do is de-power as needed to share the AC wattage with other needs. So, if the Heart would like to use its full charging capacity of 30 AC amps but the air conditioning is running and so is the hot water hearter, Heart will power down to whatever is necessary to make sure those other needs are met. So the charger might only be using 5 to 10 AC amps and your batteries are not getting the full charge they need. This is OK so long as you run the genset a lot or will be plugged in the next day. But our 9kw [50 amps] has enough power to give the Heart 30 amps and have 20 amps left for the airconditioning [actually draws 25 amps with both units are running] and other needs.
No Heart
My charger is the standard equipment Guest 2830 charger. 30A DC ouput with input power at 120V 4-5A. I agree with Bradley, if you have a big Heart inverter/charger that is capable of 100-150A 12VDC, then you need more input power to the Heart than a 5KW will provide. Of course that also assumes that everything is on at the same time and your batteries are discharged to the point that they are actually drawing 100-150A for recharge.
My charger is the standard equipment Guest 2830 charger. 30A DC ouput with input power at 120V 4-5A. I agree with Bradley, if you have a big Heart inverter/charger that is capable of 100-150A 12VDC, then you need more input power to the Heart than a 5KW will provide. Of course that also assumes that everything is on at the same time and your batteries are discharged to the point that they are actually drawing 100-150A for recharge.
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