Portable Generators
 

The used boat I am in the process of buying (34 Sabreliner Fast Trawler) is
not equipped with a genset. It is diesel powered.

I really don't need a genset for most of my boating activities as I usually
stay on a slip when doing my limited cruising, but once in a while it's fun
to spend a night or two swinging on a mooring or anchored.

I've searched around looking for information on the safety issues of
carrying a small, portable, gasoline generator on board for making morning
coffee or whatever. I have a little Honda EU-2000 Inverter type generator
that is small, light, quiet and completely self-contained. For my needs, I
could fuel it on the dock, and it would have enough gas to serve the minimal
morning coffee making needs for a week or more. No need to carry any more
gas containers.

The references I've found are conflicting. Many do this and seem to think
it's fine as long as it is stored and operated above deck (cockpit area).
Other references state it should only be operated sitting on the dock and
never aboard the boat.

The only disasters I've read about is when people have tried to
"permanently" install a portable generator by modifying it's enclosure, fuel
supply system or trying to tie the generator output into the boat's
electrical panel.

Does anyone have any knowledge, experience or input? I can't really see
anything wrong with it as long as it is stored properly and obviously
operated in the open, so it is well vented and ventilated. I would not tie
it's power into the boat's electrical system. I'd just use an appropriately
sized power cord (extension cord) and plug the coffee maker directly into
the generator.


Thanks,

Eisboch

Portable Generators
 

There are many cruising sailboats that use the Honda and love them.
Many plug them directly into the dockside power port and backfeed the
boats AC panel.
This enables them to charge the house batteries using the onboard
charger.

They always run them on deck (fore or aft). Not sure how or where the
store them.

Portable Generators
 

On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:38:00 GMT, wrote:

On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:29:15 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

The used boat I am in the process of buying (34 Sabreliner Fast Trawler) is
not equipped with a genset. It is diesel powered.

I really don't need a genset for most of my boating activities as I usually
stay on a slip when doing my limited cruising, but once in a while it's fun
to spend a night or two swinging on a mooring or anchored.

I've searched around looking for information on the safety issues of
carrying a small, portable, gasoline generator on board for making morning
coffee or whatever. I have a little Honda EU-2000 Inverter type generator
that is small, light, quiet and completely self-contained. For my needs, I
could fuel it on the dock, and it would have enough gas to serve the minimal
morning coffee making needs for a week or more. No need to carry any more
gas containers.

The references I've found are conflicting. Many do this and seem to think
it's fine as long as it is stored and operated above deck (cockpit area).
Other references state it should only be operated sitting on the dock and
never aboard the boat.

The only disasters I've read about is when people have tried to
"permanently" install a portable generator by modifying it's enclosure, fuel
supply system or trying to tie the generator output into the boat's
electrical panel.

Does anyone have any knowledge, experience or input? I can't really see
anything wrong with it as long as it is stored properly and obviously
operated in the open, so it is well vented and ventilated. I would not tie
it's power into the boat's electrical system. I'd just use an appropriately
sized power cord (extension cord) and plug the coffee maker directly into
the generator.


Thanks,

Eisboch


All that for a coffee maker?

Buy yourself a french press. Sometimes called a Bodum, because that's who makes
most of them. It is simplicity itself, and makes a positively wonderful cup of
coffee very quickly. You don't even need to buy filters. Just boil some water.
Put a few scoops of ground coffee in the Bodum and add the boiling water. Wait 4
minutes, then operate the press to separate the coffee from the grounds. You may
like the coffee it makes so much you will want one at home, too.

You can buy a nice Bodum for around $20 in the housewares secton of department
stores such as Target, or any place with kitchen stuff. For that matter, I'll
bet Google or Ebay would have lots of them listed.

You need the same ammount of energy either way. You heat the same
ammount of water either way, Depending on what you have for heat,
there is the non electric perculator.

Casady

Portable Generators
 

On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:29:15 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

Does anyone have any knowledge, experience or input? I can't really see
anything wrong with it as long as it is stored properly and obviously
operated in the open, so it is well vented and ventilated. I would not tie
it's power into the boat's electrical system. I'd just use an appropriately
sized power cord (extension cord) and plug the coffee maker directly into
the generator.

The first thing I'd do is check with your insurance company and with
your marina. If they're OK with it, and if you take all suitable
precautions with the gasoline and its containers, have a CO2 monitor
and use it, then you've got most of the safety issues covered. I
carry my gasoline for the dinghy on deck, stored near a scupper drain.

That said, the EU-2000 makes a bad neighbor even though it is one of
the quietest generators available. In the long run I think you'd be a
lot happier with a permanent installation which is tied into the boats
electrical system.

Portable Generators
 

On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:29:15 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

I've searched around looking for information on the safety issues of
carrying a small, portable, gasoline generator on board for making morning
coffee or whatever. I have a little Honda EU-2000 Inverter type generator
that is small, light, quiet and completely self-contained. For my needs, I
could fuel it on the dock, and it would have enough gas to serve the minimal
morning coffee making needs for a week or more. No need to carry any more
gas containers.

The hazards of gasoline, while real, are overrated by some. The vapor
is heavier than air, and a leak with a powerboat, with a clear shot
from tank to bilge, is one thing. I presume your cockpit has drainage
over the side. If there is any wind the hazard wlll be even less. Get
the right fuel can and leave it in the cockpit, as well. A cigarette
does not burn hot enough to ignite gas. If you drop a burning cig into
gas, it will just go out. Matches or a lighter are a different story.
I don't panic if I walk into a cloud of gas fumes, with a burning cig
in my mouth, but I sure as hell leave the lighter in my pocket. There
is no bogus, spark producing, wiring in the cockpit,?I would be more
concerned about the noise.

A twelve hundred watt do-dad operated for six minutes would take 10AH
at 12 volts. Get an inverter/charger and a serious battery. With a
hundred AH deep cycle battery you should be good for a week. Get a big
enough array of solar cells, the inverter, and a big battery and you
would be all set with none of the drawbacks of noisy gas power, no
need to run the main engine just to charge the coffee batteries. I
don't know how the cost of an inverter, battery, and solar array,
compares to the generator. I presume you already have an adequate
charger for the starting battery. I don't know what any of the stuff
costs and wouldn't mind a bit if someone cares to comment on that..

Casady

Portable Generators
 

"Eisboch" wrote in
:

Does anyone have any knowledge, experience or input? I can't really
see anything wrong with it as long as it is stored properly and
obviously operated in the open, so it is well vented and ventilated. I
would not tie it's power into the boat's electrical system. I'd just
use an appropriately sized power cord (extension cord) and plug the
coffee maker directly into the generator.


Thanks,

Eisboch





I have the little sister to the 2000, the Honda EU1000i. It powered my
stepvan shop for a couple of years before I got a sweet deal on the
EU3000is, a much quieter, slower-turning, more powerful unit that runs
both 8000 Btu A/C units all summer, now.

The problem with portable generators on boats is Carbon Monoxide
poisoning from the heavier-than-air, hard-to-detect exhaust fumes
filling the hull and killing the stupid Darwin Award winners in their
sleep. If you keep the genset DOWNWIND with its exhaust outlet to lee
over the stern it should be fine....lots of them are used this way.

I use my EU1000 as a shop heater, running it INSIDE the truck in winter
to recover nearly 100% of the waste heat to warm the truck while
powering the shop. To do this, I welded a pipe nipple over the little
exhaust tube that sticks out where the warm cooling air exits the
cabinet. A coil of 1/2" copper tubing is attached to the pipe nipple
and snakes around behind some cabinets heating the air even more before
going through the deck plates to exhaust gas and condensate water out
under the truck. A similar system of using a welded on pipe nipple and
some lawn furniture tubing could make a gas stack to easily pipe the
exhaust fumes away from the cockpit on a yacht.

Skip uses an EU2000i to supplement his wind and solar power on Flying
Pig very successfully. These little Hondas run a LONG time on a little
fuel. Works great!

Be informed, however, that Honda parts and service rival Rolls Royce and
Maybach cars in price and labor costs. I have a Honda Reflex 250cc
plastic motor scooter, 1 cylinder, 1 throat carb. It died on me from
some dirt in its fuel clogging the jets, so the dealer says. To clean
the carb out and replace its V-belt variable speed drive...a simple V-
belt that looks like the power steering pump belt in an old car...is
$US649! Rolls Royce doesn't charge that much for V-belts!

Honda Generator parts and service are all similarly priced to my Honda
Scooter......VERY expensive.

The worry about the EU2000i in a boat is unfounded. When you shut down
the EU2000 by turning the "switch" off, it closes the fuel valve
automatically. If you then simply close the vent by moving the lever to
the closed position in the fuel filler cap, the entire fuel system is
now sealed for safe storage about anywhere....including the boat.

Portable Generators
 

Portable Generators
 

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...
Does anyone have any knowledge, experience or input? I can't really see
anything wrong with it as long as it is stored properly and obviously
operated in the open,

That's where I see a big problem - operating it in the open. This usually
involves putting the thing high up where it broadcasts noise to everybody
within half a mile. Just because you want to run a coffeemaker?

Why not use a quite cookstove and spare all concerned the noise in an
anchorage where quiet it called for? Or do you wish to be viewed as just
another inconsiderate cheapskate asshole who ruins cruising for everybody
else?

Wilbur Hubbard

Portable Generators
 

"Richard Casady" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:38:00 GMT, wrote:

On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:29:15 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

The used boat I am in the process of buying (34 Sabreliner Fast Trawler)
is
not equipped with a genset. It is diesel powered.

I really don't need a genset for most of my boating activities as I
usually
stay on a slip when doing my limited cruising, but once in a while it's
fun
to spend a night or two swinging on a mooring or anchored.

I've searched around looking for information on the safety issues of
carrying a small, portable, gasoline generator on board for making
morning
coffee or whatever. I have a little Honda EU-2000 Inverter type generator
that is small, light, quiet and completely self-contained. For my needs,
I
could fuel it on the dock, and it would have enough gas to serve the
minimal
morning coffee making needs for a week or more. No need to carry any
more
gas containers.

The references I've found are conflicting. Many do this and seem to
think
it's fine as long as it is stored and operated above deck (cockpit area).
Other references state it should only be operated sitting on the dock and
never aboard the boat.

The only disasters I've read about is when people have tried to
"permanently" install a portable generator by modifying it's enclosure,
fuel
supply system or trying to tie the generator output into the boat's
electrical panel.

Does anyone have any knowledge, experience or input? I can't really see
anything wrong with it as long as it is stored properly and obviously
operated in the open, so it is well vented and ventilated. I would not
tie
it's power into the boat's electrical system. I'd just use an
appropriately
sized power cord (extension cord) and plug the coffee maker directly into
the generator.


Thanks,

Eisboch


All that for a coffee maker?

Buy yourself a french press. Sometimes called a Bodum, because that's who
makes
most of them. It is simplicity itself, and makes a positively wonderful
cup of
coffee very quickly. You don't even need to buy filters. Just boil some
water.
Put a few scoops of ground coffee in the Bodum and add the boiling water.
Wait 4
minutes, then operate the press to separate the coffee from the grounds.
You may
like the coffee it makes so much you will want one at home, too.

You can buy a nice Bodum for around $20 in the housewares secton of
department
stores such as Target, or any place with kitchen stuff. For that matter,
I'll
bet Google or Ebay would have lots of them listed.

You need the same ammount of energy either way. You heat the same
ammount of water either way, Depending on what you have for heat,
there is the non electric perculator.

Casady

Here we go again! Another jerk who'd rather make unnecessary noise in an
anchorage than be considerate and make coffee that doesn't bother everybody
within earshot.

Idiots like you and Eisbock need to wake up! Go away with your noise. You
two are NOT the center of the universe. Have you ever learned how to be
polite and considerate to folks cruising to get away from noise? Or would
you rather be just another asshole who wrecks cruising because you want to
carry all the comforts of home on your boat but to get them you have to make
noise and pollute and disrupt. You, sir are clueless!

Wilbur Hubbard

Portable Generators
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:29:15 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:
That said, the EU-2000 makes a bad neighbor even though it is one of
the quietest generators available. In the long run I think you'd be a
lot happier with a permanent installation which is tied into the boats
electrical system.


Thank you , thank you, thank you. It's so sad that some people don't realize
how rude they are running these portables. Get a clue people.

Wilbur Hubbard