Alternative Power

[helixkimara]

Any advice, idea’s, thoughts on the preferred alternative power for charging batteries to help make my mind up. I have my Yanmar 1GM10 with its alternator but would like an alternative if the engine conks. I’m looking at solar panel. Max of about 40W as I have no space for bigger, or small generator, both around the £500 mark.
I’ve gone off wind generators. What do you use, “Yee more voyaged than I”
Regards

 

[FAITIRA]

I think considering the budget, the relativly small amount of power you would probably need on a siglehanded trans At, my own experience of singlehanded trans At. on a much bigger boat with elec pumps etc, one of the very small (Honda?) gennys might be a solution for you? Bill.

 

[helixkimara]

Thanks Bill, I'm thinking more that way. especially for the usefullness of a genny in port at anchor etc. for powering tools also

 

[NickiCrutchfield]

Sterenn recommended the use of hydro generation. I'm guessing the thought of those blades whistling in your ear for 50 days is putting you off the wind turbine. As you have an engine already there is no escape from fuel and oil so I would go with Bill on the generator idea. Even a horrid £100 quid job would probably do as back up to the unlikely event that your Yanmar dies.
Nicki

 

[jesterchallenger]

I have two solar panels, I can't remember what wattage but they're not very big so I would guess around 40W, and I have found them very good. At this time of year with a low angle of sun they are not hugely effective but will trickle charge the batteries and keep them topped up. As soon as the sun gets higher, April/May ish, in the sky they work well, maximum charge I have seen is 2.6A and will easily cope with running the LED tricolour, nav instruments (excluding extended radar useage) and a few reading lights. At sea I always eat a main meal middle day, otherwise I need lots of lights on to see what I'm doing in the galley, and keep interior lights to an absolute minimum. LED tri is great, but I hate the blue flickery light of LED bulbs for reading by. The two main current drains are radar (4A) and heater (3.5A), so late/early season sailing with cold weather and fog, the panels won't cope. I also have an Aquair towed generator, a nicely engineered piece of kit, which chucks out a constant 6A at 6 knots with only a minimal amount of drag. It wasn't cheap, but I rate it as one of the best value bits of kit on the boat. And having bought one, you never need another as you can take it from old boat to new boat. I dislike wind generators, noisy, dangerous and ugly, but there are some very effective ones on the market now. As I like to manouevre under sail wherever possible, and keep my boat on a mooring, I rarely run the engine other than the odd marina visit or to get back to work on time when the wind dies, and I always seem to have plenty of power. Hope that helps.

 

[PacketRat]

I'd tend to agree with Vaquero's findings. I've also got 2 x 20 watt panels, as yet unused. A bit earlier this year I set them up and got a maximum of around 2 amps in ideal conditions - tilted towards the sun on a clear mid day. I guess that's about right, pro rata, compared to midday in full sunshine on the equator. In the absence of any other means of generating power, it's something to monitor and ration carefully.
Robin.

 

[helixkimara]

Thanks for all the in put, very helpful

 

[beneteau_305_553]

My first backup is an Air-X wind generator. It is a bit noisy but I get 6 amps at 10 Kts and 20 Amps at 25Kts. Usefull when at anchor and when hove to. It doesen't seem to get in the way. Its got a built in electical brake so you can stop it with the a flick of the switch and a charging regulator so that it shuts down when the battery voltage is above 14 V and comes back on when the voltage drops to 12.4.
Good peice of kit.

I also have a cheap 240 v petrol generator (aprox 40 GBP from Makro) and a 10 amp battery charger as second backup. Noisy, not very safe and needs fuel.

My yanmar is the 3 GMF and I upgraded to the 65 Amp alternator which works very well