Clancy Moped
Well-known member
As I seem to remember our watermaker needed quite a big burst of energy at the start of the cycle, so maybe work backwards to your end game on sizing of the gen.
What is the smallest yacht you have come across with a generator and a watermaker?
- Thread starter Baggywrinkle
- Start date
E39mad
Well-known member
A number of Vancouver 34 Pilots had a generator and watermaker fitted from new. Lots of space aft due to no quarter berths/cabins and lots of space under the deck saloon.
Kelpie
Well-known member
What's the intended cruising ground?
IMO a generator would never get used if you have a decent amount of solar. But obviously that depends on your consumption too.
IMO a generator would never get used if you have a decent amount of solar. But obviously that depends on your consumption too.
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
We like it very much. I fitted a water separator in the exhaust so there’s no splashing of water overboard (the exhaust water is discharged below the waterline). It’s remarkably quiet but I admit it’s recently failed us. (A pushrod has broken). It’s a very rare occurrence (the UK importer has never ever heard of a Whisperpower generator breaking a pushrod)
However Whisperpower have taken full responsibility under their 24 month Warranty and are sending spares out to their agent in Grenada for him to fix it. It’s a mild embuggerance and compared to the tales I hear about other generator makes it’s nothing I’m too concerned about. These things happen.
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
Sometimes there’s no room to fit a lot of solar. We’ve got no deck space available, davits already on the stern so no big arch realistically possible and the only other space is having the solar as ‘wings’ on the rails. That space is limited.
burgundyben
Well-known member
I know of a 28ft motorboat with a generator and water maker.
ashtead
Well-known member
We are at 12.8m perhaps not as small as some but we have 2 stern cabins and if fitted the genset and water maker go in one of the stern cockpit lockers(where our deflated dinghy currently resides) on a 42jeaneau DS I have seen the water maker fitted under saloon floor using the forward heads hull fitting converted for water inlet.
Dunx
Active member
Our Vancouver 38 Pilot certainly did, and 3 proper double cabins
t21
Active member
This postDoesn’t answer the OP query but these days no need for generator unless you have Aircon. Hi output alternators can top up batteries plus solar. Eco Tech Watermakers and similar can be DC not AC and are modular so it’s not “all busted” and high-volume AC watermakers often don’t get used enough anyway imho. Much more important important is inverter and smaller eg Aquamatic but still proper washing machine the cost of which recouped in weeks instead of distant laundromats. Any 45 footer should be enough? Big array aft and space for decent hardbottom dink hanging under. Or maybe aircon is a must? If you get a gen on a sub-55 mono it’ll be the 3000 rpm semi-disposable type surely? Why the gen?
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
I have come from a Bav36 with a Honda portable generator and around 300W of solar on the Bimini.
We used it for 3-4 week holidays and the 360l of fresh water was only good for about 4 days with all the swimming and showering.
Cruising ground will initially be the Adriatic, then Greece, Turkey, Sicily, Malta, Cyprus and any interesting part of the Med we fancy - not far from retirement so this will be the retirement boat, somewhere between 40 and 45 ft but I'd prefer to keep it under 42 ft. Want to be able to spend a few months at a time basically anchorage hopping - we don't do long passages, don't travel overnight unless essential or we are evicted from an anchorage due to bad weather and/or charter boat chaos.
On the Bav we missed a freezer, and my significant other wants a small washing machine, an espresso maker, a microwave, a hair-dryer and a vacuum cleaner.
We want to avoid marinas and ports as much as possible - don't like the partying hordes of charter crews.
Will be getting an arch for solar and davits as we have an aluminum rib left over from the last boat - probably get about 400-500W of solar and around 600Ah of Lithium and probably a Victron Multiplus II 3kV.
300W was more than adequate for the fridge and all the other 12v loads on the last boat but wouldn't cope with a 3kV inverter and the 220v appliances IMO - would be good to hear others experiences.
We also got extremely hot on the last boat in the middle of summer so reverse cycle aircon is an option but not essential.
Looking at a 4,5 kVA generator and an AC pump for the water maker to get 70-100 lph. Will fit a second alternator if necessary to charge the lithium and make water when motoring.
... again, real world experiences of med liveaboards would be very welcome.
ashtead
Well-known member
You don’t say age of any vessel but surely a Bav ocean 40 say if you don’t mind the stern cabin layout night be an option. Of course the stern to mooring won’t be as good but if looking for that then a 42 cruiser Bav ? If I was planning such a trip I might be tempted to learn more about OVni lifting keel types so you can have more exploring? I was quite impressed by them when sailing around Med but maybe unknown downsides to such hull materials.
Tranona
Well-known member
Many of the centre cockpit boats of the late 80's through to early 2000s are easier for fitting generators, watermakers and A/C. However while they make excellent liveaboards for 2 people with up to 2 guests they do not make good Med "holiday" boats. small cockpits, difficult to fit bimini, poor access to water and mooring stern to. Plus many have accommodation deep in the boat and can be dark and gloomy. When I first explored buying a boat for the Med, starting in the UK I was set on the classic Moody/Westerly centre cockpit. Then I chartered a Moody 37 in Corfu and quickly realised how poor it was for that type of use. Next year we chartered a new Bavaria 42 4 cabin and it was a revelation. light and airy, big cockpit, bimini with lots of headroom. walkthrough transom. 3 double cabins and a side cabin with 2 bunks. next year we bought our own 37, smaller version of the 42 with similar layout except no side cabin and a rather cramped toilet. Lots of the 42s still around but of course most were charter boats and getting long in the tooth now, but a more recent 4 cabin charter boat would fit the bill for 6 berths without using the saloon leaving one cabin for use as a utility space with generator, washing machine, freezer etc.
dunedin
Well-known member
Sounds like you are looking for a flat not a boat
Stemar
Well-known member
Reading this, I can't help thinking about how much sailing has changed since a review of the Snapdragon 24 described her as a capable family cruiser, and a sailing boat with a generator would be classed as a superyacht.
t21
Active member
I think at least 5kva inverter not 3.
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
We can tick the boxes for hair dryer and vacuum cleaner. Lots of boats have washing machines although I have a friend with one who doesn’t have a water maker which surprise…Sounds like you are looking for a flat not a boat
Dunx
Active member
Read a recent sailing review which described a 45 footer as a nice entry level boat!!! On who’s planet ??
Zing
Well-known member
I’d try really hard to not have a generator. They break a lot. I‘d get max solar, a hard bimini and arch covered in panels then an energy recovery DC watermaker and an extra well insulated fridge. If you can get too close to 1Kw installed power you will not need a genset.
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
In another thread you said you have (had?) two water makers and you showered and changed every day. How do you manage that on an extended passage without a generator?
dunedin
Well-known member
If you speak to owners of expensive brand new premium brand yachts of 45-60 foot, it is amazing how many are their first boats.
Clearly working for 30 plus years without taking time off for boating, or spending lots of hard cash on boat running costs, means they are more likely to be able to afford the €1m upwards costs.