I’m as tired of this as anyone still reading it is but writing stuff down does make me think more about a subject, and I’m certainly open to opposing views or outright criticism. I’ve no feelings left to hurt anyway. All this thinking is helping to define the architecture of JollyDogs II.
Let’s talk generators. If you want aircon on the hook, then you don’t have a choice right now unless you’re sporting an enormous solar array, enormous LiFeP04 house battery bank and living in a very sunny environment. If your engine compartment is large enough and the builder has done a great job of acoustic insulation, then a small free standing diesel generator might be the most economical solution. That’s where my thoughts have been taking me lately, maybe a little Westerbeke unit. If you’re willing to give up the space and spring the big bucks, a completely self-contained diesel generator in a fully engineered acoustic and vibration isolating enclosure is the way to go. If your budget or available real estate doesn’t support either of those options, you can either plan to abuse your propulsion diesels and run a large output alternator, OR you can buy a portable Honda eu2200i or whatever the latest model is. If you do buy the Honda and expect to use it often, plan on carrying lots of jerry cans for gasoline and lugging the thing around on deck from a secure locker, which can be good fun in a rough anchorage. Also realize that while Hondas are quiet relative to a chain saw, they still make a lot of noise and you’re going to piss off other folks in the anchorage if you’re upwind of them, too close to them, or run the bloody thing at unsociable hours. We have one as an emergency power source and I have to remember to run it often enough to keep it properly maintained. We were determined to do without one but some dear friends sold their boat and gave us theirs, and the darn thing was still shiny and new with very few hours on it. So, we’ve got one and we’ve used it a few times, very few from necessity, but it does provide a redundant power source should our 2000-watt pure sine inverter croak. Recall our water maker requires AC power. All that said, Isabel finds the noise maybe twice as annoying as the water maker racket.
Don’t forget that gasoline is much more volatile than diesel so a bigger fire hazard. I don’t like handling it on the boat at all, but until someone offers a practical 20 HP electric dinghy outboard, that’s what we got.
We have high output small case alternators that will output around 108 amps for battery charging, but I hate abusing the diesels by running them at such low loads, and consider that as an emergency power source. When we’ve had to operate that way in an anchorage, I’ve often put the engine in reverse and pulled down on the anchor just to load it up sufficiently. Regardless, it a grossly inefficient way to charge batteries and should be considered as a very occasional need. If you’re going to only have an induction cooktop you better plan on having a generator too, as otherwise you’ll be doing meal planning that doesn’t involve stove top cooking when solar output is poor or something else gets priority for house battery power.
Given our hope to take delivery of our Seawind 1370 in Vietnam and cruise some of the steamier parts of Asia, I’m beginning to think we’re going to have to live with a generator of some sort. Ain’t going to be a portable unit, so I’m hopeful there will be machinery space in a well-insulated engine compartment so a small Westerbeke or similar will fit. Aircon will likely be in order, but just for the master cabin if a generator will power it. Isabel continues to remind me that many of the places she’s cruised in the South Pacific are much cloudier than French Polynesia, so we’re going to lose on the solar energy input.
Sorry, but I’ve kind of enjoyed fantasizing and thinking this through. Probably have completely different ideas by next week.
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