Winter Generator

[Dan Kelly]

My, new to me, Passage 42 is on the hard for the winter. I would like to set up a generator to charge the batteries every month. The generator is a Briggs and Stratton 5500. The manual states with a 120/240 Volt AC, 30 Amp, Locking Receptacle. Use a NEMA L14-30 plug with this receptacle. Connect a 4-wire cord set rated for 250 Volt AC loads at 30 Amps (or greater). You can use the same 4-wire cord if you plan to run a 120 Volt load. This receptacle powers 120/240 Volt AC, 60 Hz, single phase loads requiring up to 5,500 watts of power (5.5 kW) at 22.9 Amps for 240 Volts or two independent 120 Volt loads at 22.9 Amps each. The outlet is protected by a two pole rocker switch circuit breaker.
I can get a NEMA L14-30P to L5-30R Power Cord, 30A/125V, 10/3 SJOOW adapter.
The question is can this work without blowing something up or any damage to the boat (I don't care about the generator) Thanks

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Given the discharge rate of cold batteries is nil, why would you bother? Even if it worked, any charger would sense full batteries and reduce charge rate quickly to a trickle charge.

 

[TimFromLI]

A 30 amp shore power cord should be able to handle the 120V - 22.9 amp output of the generator. I assume the boat itself has a main breaker of 30A or less. Your going to annoy your neighbors with that generator. An appropriately sized solar panel might be a better option . I have a flexible solar panel velcro'd to my deck in the summer. In the winter I attach it to a piece of plywood and place it outside the winter cover angled to the south. I'm on a mooring in the summer, it keeps them topped up year round.

 

[Terry Cox]

Our P42 came with an 8KW Genset hardwired into the boat. Your 5.5KW B&S should work just fine for the purpose you intend. I'm assuming you plan to connect the gen to the boat's outboard 30 amp shore power plug? The inboard plug is intended for a second connection where you need 60 amps. At least that is the way our boat is set up.

 

[alexco38]

20W self contained solar panel from Amazon maintaining 3 batteries. Face the panel due South tilted according to the latitude. Placed outside of the cover on a pole. Works for me.
Pandemic made me do it last year as I can't get to the boat to plug in every month.

 

[Dan Kelly]

Thanks for the remarks. I forgot to put this in my original question
DO NOT connect 3-phase loads to the generator.
DO NOT connect 50 Hz loads to the generator.

Thanks!

 

[Don Lucas]

Batteries just sitting during the winter aren't going to take much charging really and I bet your battery charger is a lot less capacity than the generator. The generator is going to be OK. But it seems a lot of trouble for nothing really.