Any recommendations?
Gordon

On Jan 4, 8:14*pm, Gordon wrote:
* *Any recommendations?
* Gordon

Hi, include me in the interested readers. Of most importance, relable
brands, minimum water speed to produce N amps. Im wondering if I could
just throw one over boad while at anchor with a running tide? Tides
run at 1~4 knots here and would be great to get some juice.... that is
when im not holding on during those 93 mph gusts.... Been haveing a
few storms over hear last couple days.
Bob

Gordon wrote:
Any recommendations?
Gordon

Some of the older wind generators used to have a towed sea generator as an
alternative attachment.

I haven't a clue as to their effectiveness.

Dennis.

On Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:14:09 -0800, Gordon wrote:

Any recommendations?
Gordon

Think about it this way. If the generator is 100% efficient, then to
generate 746 watts, one horsepower must be provided. Imagine a dinghy
with a one hp engine pulling your boat backwards and you get a sense
of practicality. In practice, two or three hp is probably closer to
what the effect might be.

So there is plainly an upper limit to the amount of power a towed
generator can realistically provide to a small sailboat.

Chuck
S/V Sans Serif

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On Sat, 05 Jan 2008 08:04:38 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:14:09 -0800, Gordon wrote:

Any recommendations?
Gordon

Think about it this way. If the generator is 100% efficient, then to
generate 746 watts, one horsepower must be provided. Imagine a dinghy
with a one hp engine pulling your boat backwards and you get a sense
of practicality. In practice, two or three hp is probably closer to
what the effect might be.

So there is plainly an upper limit to the amount of power a towed
generator can realistically provide to a small sailboat.

Chuck
S/V Sans Serif

Nice post! It speaks to the 'something for nothing' hope that springs
eternal in all of us. :-)
Brian Whatcott Altus OK

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:14:09 -0800, Gordon wrote:

Any recommendations?
Gordon

Think about it this way. If the generator is 100% efficient, then to
generate 746 watts, one horsepower must be provided. Imagine a dinghy
with a one hp engine pulling your boat backwards and you get a sense
of practicality. In practice, two or three hp is probably closer to
what the effect might be.

So there is plainly an upper limit to the amount of power a towed
generator can realistically provide to a small sailboat.

Chuck
S/V Sans Serif

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News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+
Newsgroups
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=----

In the late seventy Yves Gélinas "Jean-du-Sud around the World" used a towed
generator.
The electrical power produced was mainly used to communicate on his short
wave radio.
Every day he radioed his position. Then all of a sudden no more
communication were transmitted by him.
Later it was learned that the impeller on his towed generator had been
chewed to pieces.
When he returned home I talked to him and he stated that the sharks made a
meal of the generator impeller.
He also mentioned that the life expectancy of an impeller is in relation
with which region of the globe you are sailing.

Roger ... Yves sailed and I think still sails ... an Alberg 30.

Reading his logs is like standing on a cliff, waiting for the end, but
always somehow,
someway,, the end never gets ya.


===
"Roger Long" wrote in message
...

wrote

So there is plainly an upper limit to the amount of power a towed
generator can realistically provide to a small sailboat.


Yes, but Yves who builds the Cape Horn steering gears used one very
successfully on his circumnavigation in a Bristol 30. He even built a new
rotor from scratch when a shark ate the first one. Impressive bit of work
under the circumstances and with materials at hand. If you haven't seen
his video, you really should. I generally find sailing videos pretty
boring but his is great.

--
Roger Long

In article , Roger Long wrote:
If you haven't seen his
video, you really should. I generally find sailing videos pretty boring but
his is great.

Is this a YouTube video, or one to rent/buy or what? Does it have a
name?

Justin.

--
Justin C, by the sea.

In article , wrote:
In the late seventy Yves Gélinas "Jean-du-Sud around the World" used a towed
generator.
The electrical power produced was mainly used to communicate on his short
wave radio.
Every day he radioed his position. Then all of a sudden no more
communication were transmitted by him.
Later it was learned that the impeller on his towed generator had been
chewed to pieces.
When he returned home I talked to him and he stated that the sharks made a
meal of the generator impeller.
He also mentioned that the life expectancy of an impeller is in relation
with which region of the globe you are sailing.

Unless the impeller is perfectly balanced there'll be some 'wobble' and
therefore vibration. I wonder if this is similar to the 'creature in
destress' vibrations that sharks pick up? ... maybe someone could patent
this as a lure for shark fishermen!

Justin.

--
Justin C, by the sea.

Towed generators are practical for working sailboats. It is free
energy and they have usable output.

BUT.

1. Most sail boats spend over 95% of their time at a dock or at
anchor. The towed generator is useless then.
2. If you are motoring it is an extremely expensive and inefficient
way of generating power. Put an extra alternator on your engine and
gain a 500% increase in efficiency and a fraction of the installation
and maintenance cost.