Thank you Seahorse for the lovely compliment. I am having fun with the website and it's always nice to know others enjoy reading... for me it's an outlet. And about the Deck Shoes article: well, yes. It's all true although I will say marina folk are generally far better socialized.
How do you like your wind genny? What controller do you use with it?
I assume you generate more power with the wind.
With your little boat and the two DC sources you seem well on your way to being self sufficient.
Big Jim... I've got the Air-Breeze (southwinds newest production) although mine is one from their original run it does now have the new motherboard. That means I should expect to max out at 40 amps incoming. In actuality it's far less -- two or three up to about 8 amps.
However I am using Air-X blades. I bought the Breeze used from a fellow who had one of each. The Air-X blades on the AX unit made a sound one of his cats could barely tolerate. The Air-X with the Air-Breeze blades didn't seem faze the purr factory, so I ended up with Breeze and X blades.
As I understand it the Air-X maxes at 36 amps.
I've never seen that much in the normal course of windy days. During Tropical Storm Beryl when I was on the east coast (Jacksonville) the Air-Breeze was maxing out on the dial... according to a Southern Cross anchored near me he was seeing 55 mph winds (masthead) ...
For power though? The solar is better -- at least on this coast without the morning ocean breezes I came to enjoy on the east coast. I like having the combination and do recommend both. It's my insurance but if I only had budget for one, it would be solar.
The Wind-genny has no external regulator. Perhaps it's handled thru the motherboard in the unit? It has a make-or-break switch and an analog gauge showing output to batteries. Wires to that make-or-break then direct to batts --
The theory that two is better is correct but there was a week (eight long days) of overcast skies and no wind. Plus the doggone pine pollen too so in my view the ideal boat would have:
#1) Solar on all real estate possible
#2) A wind genny (Air-Breeze although I noticed on Amazon an Air-X discontinued model for $500 which looked to be a bargain. No longer manufactured but is supported)
#3) A Honda, Yamaha or Kipor 1000 watt generator.
Because Seaweed is essentially 12-volts in my view a 1k is sufficient as I'd plug it into the 30 amp inlet on the boat and let my True-Charge re-up the batteries. If yours is a heavy AC power consumer you'd probably opt for 2k. Yamaha2k is currently coming out on top for customer reviews incidentally over Honda ...
Of course the diesel generators are best but in the real world of budgets gas isn't half bad. And it works. Of course the ABYC folks will tell you how bad/dangerous it is (keep your zincs up) but the reality is not all have the means afford a diesel generator (best option) or to dock and recharge the batteries so we use what's available. Just be aware that these are verboten according the Don Casey etc.
Oh, and of course you need more batteries than you have. It doesn't matter how many you have, more capacity is always good.
Whew. I'm really not that talkative. Except when it comes to boats.
Aren't we just the most fortunate to be able to live the dream so many profess yet so few strive toward? Life is so good afloat.
