Generator etiquette ?

[Shrew]

Sorry but it is not like cutting the lawn or trimming.

Sleeping at night in stifling environments, like in a boat with large engine mass that has run all day...AC is almost a necessity on many power boats...not something you can schedule from 9-5 every day.

Especially if you wind up cooking in an all electric galley after that days run.

Like I posted...takes both sides to be reasonable.

If poor and on a tiny sailboat with all the ports open and you cant sleep because of a tiny rumble and splash not too close by...well I feel for you.

The guy with the boat that needs AC and shows up late to an anchorage...well...make the call. Anchor further away or pay the price of your new title.

There is no etiquette as there are too many variables...all you can do is the best you can do under the circumstances....which isn't necessarily turning off your genset as some might have you believe.

I've been the guy on the little sailboat and the guy with the generator...it's not hard to figure out if you are a decent human being even if it means looking for anchorages where your genset wont be heard over the other ambient noises or the peacenick that can probably figure out where the Rodney Dangerfields of the world wont take their power cruisers.

If you're the only guy in the anchorage running your generator, then it is not the rest of us which are being inconsiderate. I'm sure there are many conditions which warrant it.

I'm sure in the Southeast US most people run them all night long. We don't do that in New England, mostly because we don't have too.

 

[psneeld]

If you're the only guy in the anchorage running your generator, then it is not the rest of us which are being inconsiderate. I'm sure there are many conditions which warrant it.

I'm sure in the Southeast US most people run them all night long. We don't do that in New England, mostly because we don't have too.

Fine..I agree with that but the comparison was still way off base in my mind....

There are good reasons for or not running...

Each case can be completely different.


Even in a democracy not everyone gets their way...the world just isn't that perfect.

 

[Pineapple Girl]

Eric thank you for clarifying your point, I understand where you are coming from now.

 

[psneeld]

If someone asks me which is more annoying...the occasional genset in the occasional anchorage or the constant chatter on cell phones....whoaaaaa.....


NOT EVEN CLOSE...


Some people are just contrary...at least I wait for the debateable or incorrect for the moment...and the boating world is something I am immersed in. My jobs, my home, my recreation......

Not just everything I don't like or approve of in the world.


Like boat shape, engine size, noise, color, motorcycle, cat, oil, antifreeze....etc...etc...etc...


People are allowed to have their own lives...even when I it slightly impacts me and I don't care for it.

 

[BandB]

If someone asks me which is more annoying...the occasional genset in the occasional anchorage or the constant chatter on cell phones....whoaaaaa.....


NOT EVEN CLOSE...


Some people are just contrary...at least I wait for the debateable or incorrect for the moment...and the boating world is something I am immersed in. My jobs, my home, my recreation......

Not just everything I don't like or approve of in the world.


Like boat shape, engine size, noise, color, motorcycle, cat, oil, antifreeze....etc...etc...etc...


People are allowed to have their own lives...even when I it slightly impacts me and I don't care for it.

Tonight it will be 50 degrees in Juneau, 55 in San Francisco, 52 in Port Angeles. We would be using heat in either of those three places. Neither of those is warm enough today to avoid that need tonight. Juneau is actually the warmest of the three today.

 

[psneeld]

Nice thing about cold..there are a few heating options that don't involve a genset.


Though I'll bet some anti-genset'ters own diesel heaters that make gensets sound like purring kitties....gimme a break for the "who me?" crowd...

Hot, humid nights though are tough to beat. Many boats aren't set up for decent flow in all compartments and all the fans in the world some days just don't help.

Screens also can limit breezes and some anchorages and conditions mean screens or air.....if the breeze isn't enough...the genset is the only option.

Sure for some boats.... maybe solar with tiny ACs and inverters can be pretty quiet...


For many, a light hum and a little splashing shouldn't be the end of the world. It's more about who anchored close to whom should be the issue. If in a mooring field I lean to the no genset crowd. Tight quarters, some are there because docks are prohibitively expensive, there's no decent anchorage around...so yeah...they deserve a break if your genset is louder than a wisper.

 

[ksanders]

In Alaska, during commercial fishing/crabbing season, the commercial guys run their generators 24/7's, at anchor and a lot of thime at the dock. I've yet but would love to see a rec. boater ask them to shut their generators off.

Every time I walk down the dock there is one or more commercial boats tied up. They all run their generators. Rarely can you hear the generator, but you can hear the splashing.

I don't think a thing about it. I too would love to see someone ask them to turn off their generator

 

[ragin cajun]

Summer time along the Gulf Coast would be miserable without the use of AC at night. In fact I would not cruise in the summer if I didn't have a genny w/ AC. Besides, I'm hard of hearing and the muffled sounds of the purring genny along with running compressors helps me sleep. However, I do anchor downwind and starboard of everyone if possible.

 

[Marin]

I think psneeld put this discussion to rest way back at the start when he wrote (I'm paraphrasing) use your generator when you need it while being considerate of the other people around you. It's sort of a Golden Rule thing, at least for people who still know what that is.

As far as the hot nights, can't live without AC thing, I'm not going to argue that at all. I hate excessive heat, which for me starts at 80 degrees. My comfort zone is 50 to 65.

My music composer and I were discussing this just yesterday during a session. We concluded that man is, in fact, the dumbest creature on the planet. Because only man is stupid enough to try to live in an unsuitable climate (or builds cities below sea level and then relies on piled up dirt to keep him safe, but that's another topic).

So pay attention to what psneeld has been saying and act accordingly and (almost) everyone will be happy.

 

[ragin cajun]

We concluded that man is, in fact, the dumbest creature on the planet. Because only man is stupid enough to try to live in an unsuitable climate (or builds cities below sea level and then relies on piled up dirt to keep him safe, but that's another topic).

So pay attention to what psneeld has been saying and act accordingly and (almost) everyone will be happy.

We got new big, big, pumps to drain the City (N.O.) now...Army Corps say they should work this time.

 

[psneeld]

Funny...I live on a boat so I can change locations based on seasonal changes.

That's the smart part....

Working on the boat for many of the waking hours....not so smart...

 

[BandB]

Funny...I live on a boat so I can change locations based on seasonal changes.

That's the smart part....

Working on the boat for many of the waking hours....not so smart...

To us boats are dual purpose. First, they're boats and we love being on them, moving across water. Whether it's a lake, river, or ocean, we love it. Second they are vacation homes. Not one vacation home in the same place all the time. But one day here and the next day there.

Now we could fly everywhere and stay in hotels, but that's no fun for us. Goes back to part one. We love boating.

 

[Pineapple Girl]

I look forward to the day that my boat has air conditioning and a generator big enough to run it. Someday.

Meanwhile this cracked me up:

Though I'll bet some anti-genset'ters own diesel heaters that make gensets sound like purring kitties....gimme a break for the "who me?" crowd...

Our diesel heater is incredibly loud. We are in the very last slip at the end of a covered dock and you can hear that thing blowing (it's the exhaust that's so loud) pretty much the minute you walk down the ramp. It's not AS BAD anchored out but people notice it and ask what the noise is. I've never even thought about not running it. Granted if it's that cold there are usually not that many people around.

Now when we weren't there and our CO alarm went off all night (bad battery) we heard about that one from our slip neighbor.

 

[Carolena]

Carolena II is our first boat with a generator. Heat index here was over 100 yesterday. We use it! However, we do tend to run it to cool the cabin in the evening, shut it down with fans on over night, and restart if I wake up hot or when we get up and are ready to make coffee. That is only becuase I worry about it running while I'm asleep (not becuase of CO, but more worry about something breaking and me not hearing it). When we had our sailboat, if a generator bothered us, we'd move. We would often raft with firends in powerboats with generators, then move at bedtime. I will say that gas generators are much more anoying than the sound of a diesel, particularly if it has a water separator exhaust like ours, and the little Honda types when they are running an AC and not in eco mode are the worst. But, who am I to complain about people using what they want . . .

 

[BandB]

I will say that gas generators are much more anoying than the sound of a diesel, particularly if it has a water separator exhaust like ours, and the little Honda types when they are running an AC and not in eco mode are the worst. But, who am I to complain about people using what they want . . .

First time I heard one of the Honda generators we were waiting for a bridge opening and had no idea what the sound was at first. We had two engines running and one generator and we heard it loud and clear over them. On the other hand if I was anchored and he anchored in the same area with it running, I'd tolerate it and keep smiling. To me it's what the person has and needs to use. I'm not going to get upset about it.

 

[FlyWright]

I agree that a Honda at full throttle is annoying, but at low or mid range RPM, they're tolerable. Same for my Honda 2 HP outboard. Run it at full throttle and it's very annoying. At half throttle, it ain't so bad.

 

[psneeld]

At half throttle on one side of my trawler and 50 feet away on the other side...my Honda 1000 it isn't even audible above normal ambient noises.


If you strain....and the wind dies, people stop talking, cars disappear from the road a 1/2 mile away....you might hear it if your hearing is good.


At 100 feet you would have to have complete silence and perfect hearing to hear it.


If on the same side where the sound reflects...yes...out to a 1/4 mile and you probably can hear it.


Again....standing there in fron t of it is annoying like a lot of sounds...try to mask it at all and it starts to dwindle fast.

 

[BandB]

At half throttle on one side of my trawler and 50 feet away on the other sid..try to mask it at all and it starts to dwindle fast.

Isn't that the thing we all do with distracting noises? Figure out a way not to hear or diminish. Mask it. I've been in very nice hotels in the room beside the elevator and recall one where on the weekend the night club (including an outside portion) was open until 2:00 AM and loud. Each of these was just for one night and easier to tolerate than try something else.

 

[psneeld]

Isn't that the thing we all do with distracting noises? Figure out a way not to hear or diminish. Mask it. I've been in very nice hotels in the room beside the elevator and recall one where on the weekend the night club (including an outside portion) was open until 2:00 AM and loud. Each of these was just for one night and easier to tolerate than try something else.

I guess?????

I think many with gensets do care what others think, feel, hear.....

My point is that those that think Hondas are all that annoying probably have never heard some of ours...just the ones that were not "masked" all that well....

 

[BandB]

I guess?????

I think many with gensets do care what others think, feel, hear.....

My point is that those that think Hondas are all that annoying probably have never heard some of ours...just the ones that were not "masked" all that well....

The one I referred to was sitting on the swim platform. They seemed to be a nice young family that was quite new to it all.

 

[markpierce]

I agree that a Honda at full throttle is annoying, but at low or mid range RPM, they're tolerable. Same for my Honda 2 HP outboard. Run it at full throttle and it's very annoying. At half throttle, it ain't so bad.

More quiet:

 

[N4712]

More quiet:

More practical:

 

[markpierce]

...
Our diesel heater is incredibly loud. We are in the very last slip at the end of a covered dock and you can hear that thing blowing (it's the exhaust that's so loud) pretty much the minute you walk down the ramp. It's not ...

HEATER? We rely on sweaters and blankets.


By the way. What is the typical BTU output of a human?

 

[markpierce]

More practical:

View attachment 41389

Noisy and expensive!

 

[N4712]

Noisy and expensive!

Now now, these young'ins ears don't think she's too noisy. Expensive yes, but we get our money's worth out of her.

 

[markpierce]

... Expensive yes, but we get our money's worth out of her.

That's what counts.

 

[Pineapple Girl]

HEATER? We rely on sweaters and blankets.


By the way. What is the typical BTU output of a human?

Yeah you two are at home if it's REALLY cold. Lol.

 

[hollywood8118]

More practical:

View attachment 41389

not to mention a LOT more fun!
I never will understand the rowing thing.. I have a perfectly good 10' Zodiac with a 15hp 2 smoke Yamaha and a 12' Avon with a 40 hp Johnson.. there is no such thing as too fast or too much power in a dinghy


HOLLYWOOD

 

[BandB]

not to mention a LOT more fun!
I never will understand the rowing thing.. I have a perfectly good 10' Zodiac with a 15hp 2 smoke Yamaha and a 12' Avon with a 40 hp Johnson.. there is no such thing as too fast or too much power in a dinghy


HOLLYWOOD

He looks like he's enjoying himself. Many enjoy rowing when conditions allow. A lot of people carry Kayaks along with them.

 

[N4712]

not to mention a LOT more fun!
I never will understand the rowing thing.. I have a perfectly good 10' Zodiac with a 15hp 2 smoke Yamaha and a 12' Avon with a 40 hp Johnson.. there is no such thing as too fast or too much power in a dinghy


HOLLYWOOD

Oh yes. We spent a couple days with anchored out with our friends with a N72. It had 18' Nautica tender with twin 60 yamadogs. It was a blast, they even let me drive it!

I like being able to cruise to explore at 25kts after getting to the main one with the big slow boat. So a moderately fast tender is a must have.

This is our second bigger one we tow. It's the bees knees!
Our friends and our dink.

Our larger dink.