additional power sources ?

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paulrshelley

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I'm in the process of buying a new yacht and I'm considering extra power options such as a generator. I'm wondering if a much lighter and more efficient way of producing extra power ( electrical) might be be installing a high power output alternator, extra batteries and perhaps solar panels to keep the batteries topped up ?

My cruising area is the Eastern Med, the yacht is a Bavaria 50, conventional rig but two of the winches are electric, radar, autopilot, fridge and usual electric installations. etc.

Anyone have any thoughts or experience in this area ?
 
You need to analyse your expected method of operating.

For example if day sailing which requires some motoring is called for, then this will provide some of the required charge. Or you may have a holding plate for your fridge, which again will require the engine running for a period each day.

If the engine is suitable, then most people start with an oversize alternator tied to some form of smart regulator.

If the boat shape is suitable, solar panels are very popular as they dont make any noise! Catamarans have a big advantage here cause of the deck space. (I have a 180 watt panel on mine, and know of a couple of cats that have 4 x 120watts)

The addition of a windgenerator can provide a major source of power, but some are very noisy. High power versions which are also relatively quiet are Duogen, D400, and Kiss. The Duogen is the most expensive, but if you are trade wind sailing is also the best. - check out the number of ARC boats that were fitted.

As a final measure, some boats also have generators (only way to get air conditioning) Honda is the quietest of the portable types, but Kipor makes a good compromise between cost and noise.

Nobody likes being in the same anchorage as another boat with a generator running 24/7
 
Thanks. a lot would be day sailing with some weekends away plus the occasional fortnight...all in the eastern med though.

With regard to space for the solar panels, I saw one of the Bavaria 50's with a really ( surprisingly) attractive radar type arch and it struck me as well as making a useful place to grab onto and to solidly mount the bimini, it'd make a great place to put solar panels...i.e. out of the way and generally, out of potentially obstructive shadows.

Re: aircon, I was surprised to see that Vetus supply a climate system ( hot and cold) that has it's own internal power source and runs on diesel.
 
100% agreed ! I was somewhat taken aback when I suddenly realised that within 2 years, I qualify for Saga although at 48 years old, I still like my Pink Floyd etc etc. but there are times and places for noise and in general terms, a sailing yacht aint one of them in my opinion... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
If the boat is big enuff to fit a generator, as it is, then for other than an energy frugal boat the cheapest choice from the choice of solar, wind or bigger alternator is the bigger alternator and batteries (if you go solar or wind you will still need the big batteries).

If you like gear hung all over your boat then wind generator then very last choice alot of solar, however, with solar you will need the boat looking like a crash landed communications satellite with its solar arrays extended to make much useful difference to a large battery bank. Also, the output from solar, unless you have alot of them can be substituted by very short engine runs if a big alternator is fitted. Assuming you can average 5amps for 5 hours per day from solar (say 100 watts of solar panels and good sun) that is 25 AHrs for the day - which can be substituted by only 10 minutes run time for a 150 Amp alternator.

Even with both wind and solar you will still need the big alternator if you want a reliable energy supply cos the sun and wind are not always cooperative. If you cycle your batteries deeply to carry the load then you will shorten their life dramatically. If you have sufficient batteries to carry a non energy frugal boat's load you will still need a bigger alternator or generator to charge them (solar and wind will never do it).

Small amount of solar is useful for keeping batteries topped up, however, if left for periods unattended and not connected to shore power.

With respect to a generator the break even point comes when its capital and maintenance costs are less than the extra maintenance on the main engine if that was used for generation. Generally this, plus convenience, means electrical loads typical to say a 50 foot or larger yacht usually justify a generator. On a smaller yacht it is also justified if wish to use electrical heating where the current requirement or the long run times cannot practically be provided by an engine mounted alternator - there is also the convenience of quieter battery charge runs if the generator is housed properly.

My personal choice on a 50 foot boat would be to go with the generator and not consider solar (except small amount if desirable for charge maintenance when boat unattended) or wind. Of course, if you are an equipment freak, go for the lot /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. I know of new boats of similar size, but lived aboard, have tried to go without a generator but ended up fitting one.

Alot of the advice I see on these forums is actually from peeps with very energy frugal boats and often with very little main engine charging ability - but they do not alert you to that. Their advice is relevant if you can survive on very low amounts of energy and that is your objective, but not reliable otherwise. I would regard any modern boat using less than 100AHr per day as being very energy frugal.

We use around 200 AHr per day on a 40 foot boat for refrigeration - frig and freezer, lighting, instruments, autopilot, entertainment, etc. and imagine yours on a 50 foot boat would be at least same or more.

John
 
A 50ft boat .... clean lines, nice space to lounge etc.

Do you want to clutter it up with panels / wind-chargers etc. - spoiling the lines and looks.

IMHO - cheapest and most effective way - is the generator. It does not need to be a great big beast - a lot of time a small suitcase one would be sufficient as engine alternator could be boosted or changed to higher output. A combination of those would likely keep you in iced G&T's ....

The genny in a boat such as yours could be mounted such to have as quiet as possible .... It is true that no-one likes to have a genny equipped boat near them ..... at first it's quiet ... but soon becomes a sound you wish they would knock off .... Running it for short periuods to top up batterys would be accepted though.
 
And in a good acoustic enclosure in an enclosed part of the boat, and with a good waterlift muffler they are very quiet.

John
 
John...and small boat champ...you make a good point...I think for me, I was trying to get to a point where I could get by without a genny but without having the boat look like a floating space station. Given the loads that would be imposed, you're probably right regarding installing the genny. Many thanks for your responses.

Paul.
 
You'll probably find that the builders have had requests from other buyers to have genny's fitted etc. - so even though it may be not so cheap way - they will have probable designs to do it and to include into boat design such that it fits nicely without the obvious "add-on after" look ...

Considering the sort of money you would be spending on such a sized boat - really small change ....
 
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