Thank you,
Courtney
--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619

We use a tow along generator with good results. The generator itself is
lashed to the pushpit and the prop is trailed behind the yacht on a
length of double braid (About 1.2 to 2 X boat length). Gives about
..75A/Kn above 3Kn. On a cruise it is enough to drive the trilight and
the fridge if you are using a wind vane steering system. Otherwise
enough for the autopilot.
We do not use it on coastal runs for the fear of spagging the prop.
Open water sailing it is ideal.
Tony
S/V Ambrosia

Courtney Thomas wrote in
:

Thank you,
Courtney

Ours on Lionheart, an Amel Sharki 39 ketch isn't towed. The specially-
built slow turning alternator runs off a flat "serpentine-type" belt off a
pulley on the shaft, just behind the Perkin 4-108's transmission. At 8
knots, I get about 15-18A out of it if the voltage regulator turns it full-
on and the house battery monsters are down some. The shaft has a regular
3-bladed prop turning it. I'm amazed it can generate so much power going
so slow.

I love the idea of wind driven power supplies. The ultimate site for
homemade, great-working windmills is at:
http://www.otherpower.com/otherpowerfront.shtml
These guys use a disk brake rotor with big magnets glued to them, turned by
homemade, wooden blades, mounted in front of homemade coils, to generate
vast quantities of power to run their mountain homes, miles from AC power
lines. I think the technology used by them on SLOW TURNING windmills could
be adapted to SLOW TURNING propshafts right in the boats. Take a look at
how SIMPLE their pancake generators are made and how much power comes out
of them!....

Great website ! Thanks

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
Courtney Thomas wrote in
:

Thank you,
Courtney

Ours on Lionheart, an Amel Sharki 39 ketch isn't towed. The specially-
built slow turning alternator runs off a flat "serpentine-type" belt off a
pulley on the shaft, just behind the Perkin 4-108's transmission. At 8
knots, I get about 15-18A out of it if the voltage regulator turns it
full-
on and the house battery monsters are down some. The shaft has a regular
3-bladed prop turning it. I'm amazed it can generate so much power going
so slow.

I love the idea of wind driven power supplies. The ultimate site for
homemade, great-working windmills is at:
http://www.otherpower.com/otherpowerfront.shtml
These guys use a disk brake rotor with big magnets glued to them, turned
by
homemade, wooden blades, mounted in front of homemade coils, to generate
vast quantities of power to run their mountain homes, miles from AC power
lines. I think the technology used by them on SLOW TURNING windmills
could
be adapted to SLOW TURNING propshafts right in the boats. Take a look at
how SIMPLE their pancake generators are made and how much power comes out
of them!....

"Garland Gray II" wrote in
news:fNUKd.97868$Jk5.45825@lakeread01:

Great website ! Thanks

I've been following them for quite a while. Real pioneers in the Colorado
wilderness. They are the kind of inventors, like Tesla, who put the AC
power in your house and created the machines we all take for granted.

Notice the generators they make are so efficient they stall the blades if
they get the magnets too close to the load coils....(c;

That brake disc genset just begs to be on a hinge off the stern draggin a
cable hooked to a big prop to charge those house batteries.... I picture a
spring-loaded disk the prop would pull away from the stator coils as the
prop slows turning as it stalls and becomes a sea anchor...unloading the
power to keep the prop turning at whatever it can produce. It's just too
easy. AS the battery banks charge and the regulator unloads the coils, the
spring would retract the disc magnets to more fully coupled as prop speed
increased.

Of course, being a marine genset, we'll have to figure out how to make it
cost $5000, instead of $50....(c;

On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 01:35:43 GMT, Larry W4CSC wrote:

"Garland Gray II" wrote in
news:fNUKd.97868$Jk5.45825@lakeread01:

Great website ! Thanks

I've been following them for quite a while. Real pioneers in the Colorado
wilderness. They are the kind of inventors, like Tesla, who put the AC
power in your house and created the machines we all take for granted.

Notice the generators they make are so efficient they stall the blades if
they get the magnets too close to the load coils....(c;

That brake disc genset just begs to be on a hinge off the stern draggin a
cable hooked to a big prop to charge those house batteries.... I picture a
spring-loaded disk the prop would pull away from the stator coils as the
prop slows turning as it stalls and becomes a sea anchor...unloading the
power to keep the prop turning at whatever it can produce. It's just too
easy. AS the battery banks charge and the regulator unloads the coils, the
spring would retract the disc magnets to more fully coupled as prop speed
increased.

Of course, being a marine genset, we'll have to figure out how to make it
cost $5000, instead of $50....(c;

Excellent site, Larry. I've bookmarked it because not only do I want
nearly free energy on my next boat, when I swallow the anchor I want
to buy a farm and go off the grid!

R.

You might want to check out Hugh Piggot's book "Windpower
Wprkshop" for ideas.

Doug, k3qt

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
Courtney Thomas wrote in
:

Thank you,
Courtney

Ours on Lionheart, an Amel Sharki 39 ketch isn't towed. The specially-
built slow turning alternator runs off a flat "serpentine-type" belt off a
pulley on the shaft, just behind the Perkin 4-108's transmission. At 8
knots, I get about 15-18A out of it if the voltage regulator turns it
full-
on and the house battery monsters are down some. The shaft has a regular
3-bladed prop turning it. I'm amazed it can generate so much power going
so slow.

I love the idea of wind driven power supplies. The ultimate site for
homemade, great-working windmills is at:
http://www.otherpower.com/otherpowerfront.shtml
These guys use a disk brake rotor with big magnets glued to them, turned
by
homemade, wooden blades, mounted in front of homemade coils, to generate
vast quantities of power to run their mountain homes, miles from AC power
lines. I think the technology used by them on SLOW TURNING windmills
could
be adapted to SLOW TURNING propshafts right in the boats. Take a look at
how SIMPLE their pancake generators are made and how much power comes out
of them!....