Bob_Newbury
new user
Reged: 08/03/2008
Posts: 7
Loc: Wandering around the Med (curr...
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We're about to leave Malta to spend the summer in Greece, having spent two seasons pottering down from Jersey. It seems as if we'll be spending a lot more time at anchor than we have previously (good!) and that marinas and other sources of 'leccy are fairly sparse.
We have a chance of buying a 1Kw genset (4 stroke) at a good price. Any views on whether it's worth getting one? We're fairly heavy on juice but we have an adverc as well as a solar panel and an aero6gen.
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jamesmar
regular
Reged: 23/10/2004
Posts: 1000
Loc: Me ..west of Scotland..Boat Gr...
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No longer true that there are sparse electricity points. Many town quays are now equipped and it is reasonably cheap. We spend spring and autumn in Greece,and find that the combination of a 85W panel,engine /adverc and occasional hook up will comfortably keep the batteries topped up. If the genny is cheap enough though,it would be a useful addition if as you say you are power hungry. Do you have the space to store it ?
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Lemain
regular
Reged: 31/01/2004
Posts: 5536
Loc: Fiumicino canal (Rome, Italy)
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We are power-hungry, we have 370W solar and a 6kW diesel genny - but we also have a watermaker and like plenty of water, and run laptops and TVs as much as we please. A genny will make your lives much more comfortable but when it comes to portables, storage space, petrol storage and noise are key issues.
The Honda ones are very quiet and you don't want a noisy cheap genny rattling away in an anchorage - you and your neighbours will get very upset. Is 1kW big enough for you? Most vacuum cleaners take more than 1kW and most 1kW gennys are not rated for 1kW continuous - probably around 700W continuous. How big is your battery charger - 80A takes about 1kW at full output. A water heater will draw 750W upwards. A microwave will take well over 1kW. A Foreman grill or equivalent takes over 1kW as does, maybe, your toaster.
The 2kW Honda would be a better buy, I think, then you will be able to run every appliance on board albeit not at the same time. An ammeter will help greatly when running the genny to decide how to load it, especially until you get a handle on the draw of each item.
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LadyJessie
regular
Reged: 21/11/2006
Posts: 1034
Loc: the Med
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My answer to your question would a resolute: absolutely no way!. Go solar panels; reliable and almost maintenance free. The dream piece of kit on a boat. Kyocera is supposed to be the best technology at this point in time. Will usually power everything on your boat, if you don't have 'the Mother of all aircon units'.
I have a Fischer Panda 4.5 and it is the biggest source of problems I have aboard, bar none. It is extremely heavy on maintenance and it breaks down almost all the time. Now this is clearly due in part to a lack of maintenance of the previous owner and it has corrosion problems. But the source of most of those problems are actually due to a crap design, not necessarily lack of tlc. Let me just give you one example (of a long, long list) of design problems of this genset:
You are expected to change oil and clean the filter every 50 hrs of operation. The oil filter (or actually a strainer) sits underneath the unit. Therefore, to clean the filter you have to first lift up the genset. This is operation is described in detail in the manual; the order in which you have to detach all the electric cables and the cooling water hoses before you lift up the unit. Now, we are talking about a 110 kilos unit that is usually deployed in a very cramped space on a boat. It cannot easily be 'lifted up'. You would think that the genius that wrote that part of the manual (in normal German 'grundlichkeit') would have stopped and thought: 'hang on a minute; that does not sound very smart. Maybe we should re-engineer this thing so that an oil change will be a bit easier?' But noooooo; this is an engineering equivalent to the Edsel.
If you get the idea that I do not like Fischer Panda; you are correct. Get solar panels and enjoy life.
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Barry_n_Janet
regular
Reged: 11/01/2005
Posts: 192
Loc: UK S. Coast after 5 years away...
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Hiya Bob.
We chose to use the inboard engine and have fitted an extra alternator + smart regulator so we get loadsa juice. An hour every other day does for us. The 60W solar panel that I fitted is in such a ineffective position (under the boom) it offers little. Keep thinking about a pole for the thing but as we are now heading North into those sunless lands I might just forget it.
Looking forwards to summer in the Ria's so if you anchor near me then take notice I run the engine periodically.
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Barry & Janet (SY Ruby Tuesday)
Check out our liveaboard travels on www.barryandjanet.co.uk
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saltwater_gypsy
regular
Reged: 13/01/2008
Posts: 364
Loc: Sardinia till April
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Returning to the original question------YES. A 1kw generator is a cost effective way of keeping the batteries topped up: especially as you also have wind power and some solar already.
Consider the comparative cost of 1kw of solar panels which of course only work in daylight hours and I don't think its a hard decision.
You will be able to sell it on easily if you find that its a mistake!!!
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"Cruising is boat maintenance in paradise"
Seastream 43:
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn14/hectou/Saltwatergypsythree.jpg
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twoeasy
regular
Reged: 15/03/2006
Posts: 22
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hi bob my 1kv 2stroke gen will not power my charger/inverter as it needs up to 50 amps and it seems that the power upsets the signwave so the charger trips we use the air x and a 90 watt solar panel it seems to work
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DaiB
regular
Reged: 01/10/2001
Posts: 65
Loc: SE England
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If you do get a gen set I would advise to cancel out Fisher Panda, I agree totally with "Lady Jessie", my gen set though 15 years old has only done 350 hours. Since I have had it, 10 years, every season I have had some problem with it, normally not easily fixed. At present it is away for rewind as the generator end burnt out. In fact this one item has had more repairs to it than all the other gear on the boat combined. Seriously considering removing it all together and giving it the deep six!
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Lemain
regular
Reged: 31/01/2004
Posts: 5536
Loc: Fiumicino canal (Rome, Italy)
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I am terrified to say this but I reckon that if I don't, my FP 6kW will take it's revenge on me. Mine was fitted (professionally) by the previous owner in 1999 and he took the boat round the world. We have 1230 hours on the genset and no major repairs so far (fingers crossed). We use it for around 4 hours a day once we leave our winter berth and it's fine. FP state oil changes at 100 hours and filter at 500 hours although I change filters more frequently than that. I am thinking of going over to synthetic oil which should give me 200 hrs between oil changes. My FP is pretty easy to carry out oil changes on. The filter is a knack - but what isn't a knack on a boat? It is easy enough with a nappy in place to catch the spills and has a drain hose that can reach an empty oil can for draining oil. I never have any starting problems. I have had two impellers go in quick succession but those small Jabscos all suffer from that - it happens and it is hardly a FP issue.
Please, please, nice generator, be good to me this season; I am sticking up for you, not tempting fate!
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Happydaze
regular
Reged: 21/01/2008
Posts: 31
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Hi Bob, I got Carol a nice genny for Christmas 4 years ago and we have never used it, the solar panels provide all we need for the summers. And spoiling everyone's peace and quite in an anchorage by running a genny is the pits.
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