Towed Generators

KompetentKrew

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I was on an Amel Sharki a while ago, they have an alternator fitted above the prop shaft, the prop has a large pulley fitted to the prop and a small pulley on the alternator, when sailing i was seeing plus 10-15 Amps, great set up
Believe this was standard, or a factory option, on Amels.
 

DaveyG

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I've got Ampair/Aquair 100 tow generator, with the wind generator bits. Sure it's a bit of a faff to deploy, but once launched its great piece of kit, I tend to tow on 10m rope not 30m as recommended - less tangles. 4 amps all day long. I renewed the bearings this season

As I dont go offshore it doesnt get used much, maybe it needs a new owner
 

srm

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does anyone have any idea where one can purchase the propeller+shaft for the Aquair 100?
I got my last one direct from Ampair, but that was in 2006 or there abouts.
The manual did say one could be fabricated from a Johnson outboard prop and length of galvanised pipe. Do not know the size of prop they said and don't have the manual any longer as the one that came with my kit in the 80's was a typewritten and photocopy job .
 

Neeves

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We lost the blades off our Aqua4 gen - the usual suggestion (attacked by a shark) - I'm less sensationalist - maybe hit something floating in the water. Its a solid stainless rod, maybe 1" diameter x 24" long, with a ring on one end and bush on the other - I made new blades from stainless. I could have bought an OB prop and chopped it back. Knowing what the bush looks like I could make one from a lump of solid GRP or a similar sized lump of aluminium or simply attached the appropriately sized diameter rod to the chopped back O/B prop.

The rod needs to be solid and hefty or is leaps out of the water at every opportunity (and hockles the line).

As an aside - I have wondered if anti torque rope, as used on unstayed headsails, might be useful for towing the prop/shaft.

Its not rocket science.

Jonathan
 

Star-Lord

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Towed gen simple and robust. Like the look of the sail-gen. Nearly got the one that acts as a wind gen as well but glad I did not! Very heavy and the wind bit is not all that. Watt and Sea are good but very delicate imo, not very robust. Obv in weed sea you do the best you can... solar. Crossing the Atlantic a towed gen as suggested with a 10m line seems like good advice, and when not sailing oceans does not take up space so easy to stow. I would be happy with towed.
 

Star-Lord

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As already said, recovery is hard yakka. I used one on a delivery from the Canaries to uk, so offshore. As the wind got up it became very hard to get it back onboard just when you need to.

I reckon they are a bit old hat now anyway when you can get watt@sea type water generation. Fab. Pricey but for long term cruising, in my opinion, as good as it gets. Used one from Antigua to Tahiti...well apart from that canally bit in the middle. ?
Was it robust? Easy to deploy up and down? Apart from price any downside? I do like agriculture D400 stable.
 

Neeves

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I reckon they are a bit old hat now anyway when you can get watt@sea type water generation. Fab. Pricey but for long term cruising, in my opinion, as good as it gets. Used one from Antigua to Tahiti...well apart from that canally bit in the middle. ?

As you mention the WattnSea is amazingly expensive. The towed generators might be 'old hat- (a bit like sails really :) ) but they are very, very simple and have very little to go wrong. You could knock up a new tow line very easily - I'd like to hear of someone repairing the mechanics of a WattnSea. Recovery of the towed line needs a decent pair of welding gloves - and slow the yacht right down (and in rough water - wear a harness and tether). I just sit above the transom and take in hand over hand. I certainly hanker after a WattnSea - but not at that price - our towed generator develops 10amps - we can live with that. Ours is a wind and water generator and we did consider buying a new water gen, because the one we have is so impressive, but they closed down (or ITT closed them down) before we got round to it.

Jonathan
 
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