Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
Could you give some detail regarding the new Honda generator sets, one
of which that I understand you have. I believe they are DC generators
driving an inverter.

If you're talking about the EU2000i, I've had one for two seasons. They
also make a 1000 and 3000, but the 2000 is a good compromise of weight
and power.

They indeed have an inverter, which means the motor is variable speed.
At low load (or idle) it is very quiet and fuel efficient. I was,
however, disappointed in the noise level when run a full power. From 20
yards behind my boat, (cramped mooring field distance) it is much loader
than my Yanmar 2GM's, which means there are places I can't use it daily
without being anti-social. On the other hand, when the door on my cat
is closed and the genset exhaust pointed aft over the stern, it is
inaudible down below, so I can use it freely in more isolated anchorages.

The other disappointment is that it has trouble running my 100 Amp
battery charger. I would have thought 2 kW was enough, but it
frequently trips its breaker. I can limit the power use by the charger
so it runs happily charging at about 75 Amps - not bad, but it means an
extra 20 minutes or so to get the batteries up to the 80% point. Other
owners with similar chargers have reported getting 84 Amps, so I think
there's some variance, or perhaps ambient temp effects. Its also
possible to couple two of them for double power, so some owners carry
two. (Most of my sister ships have 10 hp outboards instead of diesels
so a genset is generally desired for cruising, and this is the one they
prefer.)

Maintenance is minimal, and it always starts on the first or second
pull. The 2kW model is small and light enough to fit in a cockpit
locker and be pulled out when needed. Although I used it a number of
times this summer I don't put on a lot of hours so I expect to get many
trouble free years of service. Its also handy at the house for fall and
winter storms that can pull down power lines, or as a portable power
source. Although it isn't everything I had hoped for, I'm still quite
happy with it.