Why do diesel gen sets have such a bad reputation

[mocruising]

I was going to add this to the recent thread on power audits but I though it deserved a thread on its own. There were a few knocks of diesel gen sets on that thread.

We have a 6 Kva set in a sound shield in the engine compartment that separates exhaust gasses and cooling water. Last summer during July and August we ran it almost every evening between 2000 and say 0200, we were either in a Greek harbour or at anchor. We have had guests on the boat who don't even realise its running. I often appologise to people who we are tied up alongside and say ""Ï hope the generator did not disturb you last night" 90% of people reply we did not even know there was one running. No one has ever actually complained.

We try and anchor as far away from motor yachts as possible, especially older yachts as the size of the sets perhaps not in a sound shield can be a problem.

We have a power hungry boat and have not gone down the eco route, we would have to tow a barge astern covered in solar panels to keep up. We often see liveaboards with twin wind generators and so many solar panels that the windage must be a problem in anything but light airs. The gen set burns about 2 L an hours and we run the water maker,(Not in harbour) turn the bread maker on and charge the batteries and sleep in the cool.

I suppose what I am trying to say is diesel gen sets don't have to be noisy and upset the neighbours. Ours was fitted 13 years ago and has done 2000+ hours with only minor problems.

 

[Ric]

Are you a motor boat driver?

I get a lot of satisfaction from getting by on the electrical output of my solar panels and wind generator - my main engine uses less fuel than your generator.

I just don't see the point of going sailing if you have to run a diesel generator to enjoy it.

 

[Bobobolinsky]

Cold beer in August (or for that matter anywhere in the world at anytime.) You can be smug and I'll drink chilled beer and wine. In the tropics hatches open and in come the little blood suckers. Aircon on and they don't like to fly in the draught.

 

[silver-fox]

I was going to add this to the recent thread on power audits but I though it deserved a thread on its own. There were a few knocks of diesel gen sets on that thread.

We have a 6 Kva set in a sound shield in the engine compartment that separates exhaust gasses and cooling water. Last summer during July and August we ran it almost every evening between 2000 and say 0200, we were either in a Greek harbour or at anchor. We have had guests on the boat who don't even realise its running. I often appologise to people who we are tied up alongside and say ""Ï hope the generator did not disturb you last night" 90% of people reply we did not even know there was one running. No one has ever actually complained.

We try and anchor as far away from motor yachts as possible, especially older yachts as the size of the sets perhaps not in a sound shield can be a problem.

We have a power hungry boat and have not gone down the eco route, we would have to tow a barge astern covered in solar panels to keep up. We often see liveaboards with twin wind generators and so many solar panels that the windage must be a problem in anything but light airs. The gen set burns about 2 L an hours and we run the water maker,(Not in harbour) turn the bread maker on and charge the batteries and sleep in the cool.

I suppose what I am trying to say is diesel gen sets don't have to be noisy and upset the neighbours. Ours was fitted 13 years ago and has done 2000+ hours with only minor problems.

Absolutely has to be a troll

 

[TQA]

Hmm something does not compute.

Running 6 hours a day.

13 years old.

2000 hours

That means they run it 25 days a year.

And claiming to be a liveaboard.

20,000 hours I would believe [ and 2 engine overhauls plus a stator rebuild. ]

 

[charles_reed]

I was going to add this to the recent thread on power audits but I though it deserved a thread on its own. There were a few knocks of diesel gen sets on that thread.

We have a 6 Kva set in a sound shield in the engine compartment that separates exhaust gasses and cooling water. Last summer during July and August we ran it almost every evening between 2000 and say 0200, we were either in a Greek harbour or at anchor. We have had guests on the boat who don't even realise its running. I often appologise to people who we are tied up alongside and say ""Ï hope the generator did not disturb you last night" 90% of people reply we did not even know there was one running. No one has ever actually complained.

We try and anchor as far away from motor yachts as possible, especially older yachts as the size of the sets perhaps not in a sound shield can be a problem.

We have a power hungry boat and have not gone down the eco route, we would have to tow a barge astern covered in solar panels to keep up. We often see liveaboards with twin wind generators and so many solar panels that the windage must be a problem in anything but light airs. The gen set burns about 2 L an hours and we run the water maker,(Not in harbour) turn the bread maker on and charge the batteries and sleep in the cool.

I suppose what I am trying to say is diesel gen sets don't have to be noisy and upset the neighbours. Ours was fitted 13 years ago and has done 2000+ hours with only minor problems.

I don't think it's the genset so much as the people who own them.

Usually unjustified but yachties are nothing if not prejudiced.

 

[mocruising]

Boat was for many years Marina based in northern Europe and western Med where gen set was not used for long periods to run ac.

 

[mocruising]

Please define what a "troll" is. I do not claim to be a liveaboard only someone "Who is planing the great escape from bricks and mortar".

 

[Nostrodamus]

I saw a new portable generator, low noise, 1.5 kw, invertor for sale in the supermarket yesterday for 299 euros. Now fitting a genset would cost me 8000 pounds. I think I could buy the portable, throw it when it breaks or needs a service and buy another for the next 30 years. What is the point of having one fitted?

 

[charles_reed]

You don't need a genset to enjoy cold beer and wine, though aircon yes.

Whilst there are advantages with a genset to have a fitted one you have to have a boat that's at least 36' oa and those who run their gensets all night long, especially cheap ones from supermarkets are apt to earn the disapprobation of their neighbours. Even the splash of water from the exhaust of a well-fitted genset can be painfully loud in a virin environment.

 

[sailinglegend420]

Absolutely has to be a troll

It takes one to know one.

So I looked it up in Wikipedia:

"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community".

So it would seem there's a lot of trolling on this post, but not by the OP. We have a well insulated Fischer Panda 4KVA 280 amps max DC genny that we can't hear when we are sitting in the cockpit. We make very good use of ours either via an inverter for the air-con, or to charge up our large bank of AGMs which when fed a very high current means they charge two or three times faster than flooded wet cells.

This is not mean't to be an off-topic AGM post, but a very good justification for having a properly installed and insulated, and very very quiet genset. Ours is 6 years old and the only problem has been two £6 relays that have been replaced - by me - from spares on board.

 

[TQA]

They may be quiet and even the noise from the cooling water can be mitigated but one thing can not be hidden is the smell!

I have moved anchorage to escape a boat that ran its genny all night more than once.

 

[paul.norton]

AGM batteries

It takes one to know one.

So I looked it up in Wikipedia:

"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community".

So it would seem there's a lot of trolling on this post, but not by the OP. We have a well insulated Fischer Panda 4KVA 280 amps max DC genny that we can't hear when we are sitting in the cockpit. We make very good use of ours either via an inverter for the air-con, or to charge up our large bank of AGMs which when fed a very high current means they charge two or three times faster than flooded wet cells.

This is not mean't to be an off-topic AGM post, but a very good justification for having a properly installed and insulated, and very very quiet genset. Ours is 6 years old and the only problem has been two £6 relays that have been replaced - by me - from spares on board.

Tell us more about these batteries - I assume they are Lithium-Ion. Did you buy the individual cells and make up your own battery of was the battery supplied already built?

 

[njamesphoto]

water/gas separator

You don't need a genset to enjoy cold beer and wine, though aircon yes.

Whilst there are advantages with a genset to have a fitted one you have to have a boat that's at least 36' oa and those who run their gensets all night long, especially cheap ones from supermarkets are apt to earn the disapprobation of their neighbours. Even the splash of water from the exhaust of a well-fitted genset can be painfully loud in a virin environment.

we are looking into fitting a water/exhaust gas seperator for our panda that should make it virtually silent on deck. Any one got any experience of them?

 

[sailinglegend420]

Tell us more about these batteries - I assume they are Lithium-Ion. Did you buy the individual cells and make up your own battery of was the battery supplied already built?

PM'd you about AGMs so as not to sabotage this genset thread.

 

[Ric]

They may be quiet and even the noise from the cooling water can be mitigated but one thing can not be hidden is the smell!

I have moved anchorage to escape a boat that ran its genny all night more than once.

Agreed.

Often the users of generators don't realise how annoying they are because, down below with the aircon whooshing away, or even in the cockpit with their loud music blaring, they don't notice the noise and are upwind of the fumes.

Noise and smell travel a long way, particularly in a peaceful, still Med anchorage. I too have had to move often because of generators - mostly the noise but occasionally the fumes.

Mocruising - you haven't answered yet whether you are a motor-boat driver or a sailor?

 

[Portofino]

We have a Fischer Panda 4.5 in a soundbox with the gas water separator. The water exits below the waterline so silent the gas a few cm above ,no noise .Depending on the breeze ,the diesel fumes can blow back into the cockpit , In the SoF in the summer we depend on it --- cold drinks ice cubes ,electric appliances (no gas) Air con =good night sleep windows closed -no mossis, also a blaze of lights and batteries fully charged = anchor light on all night brightly,again a safety issue? Tv DVD for the kids French tv - news
I have noticed at anchor "Eco" yachties at night huddled round a candle or one light drinking Luke warm Rosie with all the windows below open , swatting the mosses and a very dim anchor light or no light at all!!

Our boat is little 37ft Sunseeker mobo,It's reassuring to Know that we can be self sufficient an anchor off in comfort , all really down to the Geny as already stated at the push of button.

 

[Maurice55]

I totally aggree with Ric, generators users do not know what silence is for they hide there beloved machine noise behind hifi and tv. I' rather swat mossies huddled around a candle any day and hear the stars song drinking solar cold beer.............

 

[Robin]

Agreed.

Often the users of generators don't realise how annoying they are because, down below with the aircon whooshing away, or even in the cockpit with their loud music blaring, they don't notice the noise and are upwind of the fumes.

Noise and smell travel a long way, particularly in a peaceful, still Med anchorage. I too have had to move often because of generators - mostly the noise but occasionally the fumes.

Mocruising - you haven't answered yet whether you are a motor-boat driver or a sailor?

A quick look at his profile and you will see his boat is a Halberg Rassy 46, an up market sailboat.

Maybe some of the rampant prejudices exhibited might now be re-thought? Noise is not limited to mobos, some of the worst offenders are yotties, and I've been one for over 40 years. Oh and yes we now have a mobo, but then it does have 440W of solar panels so I'm sitting on the fence in terms of 'sides'. But we do have a diesel genset as well, just doesn't get used as often as other's, unless there is a boat nearby we want to shoo away...

Just joking.

 

[Ariadne]

Are you a motor boat driver?

I get a lot of satisfaction from getting by on the electrical output of my solar panels and wind generator - my main engine uses less fuel than your generator.

I just don't see the point of going sailing if you have to run a diesel generator to enjoy it.

What a load of c*ck!!

I use solar pannels and a Duogen, but after 16 days at anchor I need my petrol generator to pump my batteries back up to full power. I don't need a generator to enjoy my sailing but it certainly makes life a little easier than without it, and it's cheaper than a marina and better (and cheaper) than charging off the main engine any day.

I've met more livaboards with a generator than without, despite most of them having both wind and solar panels as well; they all use a genset for battery charging when they need it. Anyway, how else do run power tools and a toaster?