I love my DuoGen

[Stingo]

It's now four years old and I've just replaced 6 bearings and it's running as smoooothly as it did when I first bought it. That's definitely one up for British engineering and ingenuity.

As an aside, there is no service agent in South Africa and I was able to take it to a powertool service centre and they were able to change the six bearings with their standard stock for less than £30 including labour. I am even more impressed that I was not restricted to using DuoGen's original parts.

Usual disclaimer of not being connected; just a very satisfied customer.

 

[CPD]

Interesting. During a transatlantic in 2005, we managed to destroy (an albeit older model) duogen, and whilst the theory is great, i would look at other manufacturers of similar devices (if they exist !). I should clarify that the unit destroyed itself, without our help.

 

[Stingo]

Yours must have been one of the very original models.

Mine has done over 10,000 NM and I've only just got around to replacing the bearings. It's also withstood 35 knots of wind at anchor without any problems and is still remarkably quiet (now that the bearings have been replaced).

 

[Topcat47]

It's run its bearings in four years and you think that's good? At a lttle under two grand, I'd expect something with a ten year refit cycle at least.

 

[jerryat]

[ QUOTE ]
It's run its bearings in four years and you think that's good? At a lttle under two grand, I'd expect something with a ten year refit cycle at least.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree, added to which it has to be the ugliest bit of kit ever invented for a boat!! Add to that again the fact that both your eggs (water/wind gen) are in one basket, and there's no way I'd change from our totally reliable Aqua4gen and Rutland 913 set-up!!

 

[Scillypete]

Interesting. I ordered one back at the end of April I think it was, and hopefully it is going to be dispatched this week. After some of the comments on here I'm hoping it is going to do what it says in the blurb.

Especially as it costs so much /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[LadyInBed]

My Rutland 913 has been spinning smoothly for seven years. Should I be worrying that the bearings are lasting too long /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[wanderlust]

I bought a Duogen in 2004. We used it when we crossed the Atlantic and back in 2004/05. It ran perfectly until it ingested water on the way into the Azores. I contacted Duogen and they sent parts out to the Azores to fix it for free. We had trouble getting the parts so actually left the Azores for home without the parts. The marina in the Azores sent the parts on to out home address. Duogen then took my unit and fully refurbished it for free. They install a larger diameter drive shaft, new bearings and refurbished anything else we needed all for free. It is a fantastic bit of kit and maked lots of power. We blew the engine alternator in the Bay of Biscay and didnt bother replacing it until we got to Trinidad as the solar panels and Duogen gave us more than enough power to run our autopilot, fridge freezer, radar, nav lights, etc, I wouldnt cross the Atlantic without it!

 

[davidfox]

How much speed do you think you lose when its operating and what size is your boat?

 

[zefender]

On a 40', we noticed no impact of drag on boat speed.

 

[ChrisE]

We dragged and aquagen for miles and it kept the leccy up to the mark. However, we reckoned that it took abt 3/4 knot off boat speed in light (<10 knot) winds, progressively less as the knots went up.

It also has the real advantage of keeping the stern into the waves of a big following sea.

 

[Matrosen]

[ QUOTE ]


It also has the real advantage of keeping the stern into the waves of a big following sea.

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If it can due that, then it must surely be creating a massive drag.

 

[ChrisE]

Yep, you're dragging a propellor with 3x8(?)" blades behind you...

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I wonder how that compares to a wind genny, like ..... um, struggling to remember the model we have. Produces lots of Ah's though.

 

[jerryat]

[ QUOTE ]
Yep, you're dragging a propellor with 3x8(?)" blades behind you...

[/ QUOTE ]

Blimey! You must have a different version to me. Our Aqua4gen turbine has only two blades, each is 115mm long and the drag is certainly no more thatn 0.5 knot.

We've seen this sort of drop in speed on several occasions whilst on long passages or transats so are sure it's pretty accurate. It would help steady the stern in a following sea, but only marginally - until the wind built up a fair bit. But long before then we'd have hauled it aboard!!!

 

[jerryat]

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder how that compares to a wind genny, like ..... um, struggling to remember the model we have. Produces lots of Ah's though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Our experience, particularly in a following wind (Trades e.g.) is that the towed genny produces FAR more power than our 913, broadly 1amp per knot, so that at 5 knots you've got 5 amps and so on. Going to windward the difference is less.

 

[JerryHawkins]

We love our DuoGen too! You can't blame Eclectic Energy if the bearings fail - they don't make them; maybe the bearing was faulty? Bearing life will vary greatly depending on usage. The "average yachty" may never need to replace them, but a live-aboard or round-the-world cruiser may need to relatively frequently.

DuoGen is very easy to use - no messing around as with a towed unit. I think it looks elegant in its own way - certainly stands out from others! We wouldn't be without ours.

Cheers,

Jerry

 

[ChrisE]

[ QUOTE ]
until the wind built up a fair bit. But long before then we'd have hauled it aboard!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Oooh, you're braver than me! Once we were on a roll the rope was rotating so fast we couldn't touch it.....

 

[pyrojames]

I have always found my windgenny next to useless going downwind in the trades. Next long ocean passage I shall go for a towed unit.

 

[jerryat]

[ QUOTE ]
I have always found my windgenny next to useless going downwind in the trades. Next long ocean passage I shall go for a towed unit.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, in general you're right, but we found on our circuits that tying the windgen to hold it fore and aft, rather than allowing it to rotate, produced a useful 30amps/day. Ok. a lot less than normal of course, but useful.

The Agua4gen on the other hand, hurled in at least 5-6amp/24/7 producing at times, more power than we could use even though we had the 'fridge, instruments etc etc on all the time. Rather than haul the turbine aboard each time though, we just turned on the nav lights and/or internals lights whether it was day or night to use it all up!!

So yes, for the trades crossings, I'd definitely go for a towed turbine, they're superb!