Hi, Wayne, and Rhys,
"rhys" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:07:45 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:
Skip, I think there will be times when you'd like to have that
generator and at least one A/C unit. It can get very toasty below
decks on a hot day,
Can't comment on this as only power boats have A/C in Toronto G, but
a lot of the cruising narratives I've read advocate judicious use of
12 v Hella fans, hatches, the "windcatchers" over hatches and sleeping
in the cockpit over A/C and the inevitable trouble it seems to cause.
By way of contrast, a lot of the Espar-type heating systems and
drip-type diesel heaters work well, and are popular to extend the
sailing seasons here and with liveaboards...yes, we have plenty in
Toronto. G
Our experience to date has been that we've had to sleep under covers, and
sometimes blankets, in the tropics. Even if we had a genset, I doubt we'd
want to run it for A/C - and in our case, most certainly, as the reason it's
coming out is I don't want to make the investment to reduce the noise level
to our acceptability level (outside the boat it's very quiet - but inside,
we made the decision we'd only use it for emergency use).
and having the generator also gives you a lot of
flexibility for meeting your power needs with other things, or for a
quick recharge when you need it.
Agreed - but at the cost of a huge amount of space. We're going to populate
an up-to-8' (not yet designed so don't know for sure) wide arch top with all
the solar it will hold (600-750 watts) and a KISS generator. We'd expected
to buy two KISS, but the rep sez it's overkill for our cruising area (as may
be the solar, too!), and in the unlikely event that we're becalmed and
deluged for any significant period, there's still the auxiliary with its
high-output genset.
In the space opened up, we're thinking in terms of L16H or the equivalent,
providing between 800-1300AH. It will assist in alleviating the
characteristic port list (not much but noticeable) of M46x, and the
requisite box for them will make a great seating and work platform in the
engine room. Given our expected moderate use/load, we believe we'll be in
good shape.
There is a further option to carry a portable Honda or similar
generator in a deck box for the very few times when there is plenty of
cloud, dead air and no cord to the shore. Some folk even use them
camping to keep the beer cold in a Koolatron, although like A/C on
sailboats, others don't consider it "sporting".
The other benefit of a portable gas generator is that it shares a fuel
with the OB motor and that you can bring standard power tools to do
bigger jobs offshore without the inherent inefficiencies and worry of
going through a battery bank inverter.
A final note: Much of the cruising lifestyle involves barter and trade
in services. If you go to the REALLY small islands, many of them have
very limited electricity/fuel reserves. If you decide to spend an
afternoon doing light construction with power tools on an island in
return for food or labour, you will be very popular if you lug your
own generator onshore.
We've also considered this option, but I've not figured out how to store it
without taking up some more of the already precious deck space. However,
I'd not considered the potential for the barter use. This thread isn't
about the portable gensets, but I think I'll look into something which might
provide up to a KW, if it's available in a valise style carry, as I think I
recall some being. That could be a profitable addition to the boat toys if
it could be stowed in the pretty-capacious lazarette, and, in a terrible
pinch, could be connected, through our landside-shorepower 3-prong 15-to-30A
lockable adapter, to provide charging and inside AC (in the unlikely event
we'd need it - we're trying to minimize AC usage) beyond what the inverter
normally will cover.
It's an option more available to the larger sailboat owner, but Skip
has established that already.
Heh. The more I'm aboard and trying not to bump into someone else, I'm
wondering how large "larger" has to be :{))
L8R
Skip and Lydia
--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain