Portable generator

Accidents due to operator negligence...hmmmm

Doesn't that speak to most accidents ...cars, planes, boats, homes....?

Guess they are all too unsafe to use

Generator

I have one of these, Super quiet half the price of a Honda and every bit as reliable. I have been running it for 3 years now. Three weeks non-stop during aftermath of Hurricane Michael.

https://www.harborfreight.com/engin...att-super-quiet-inverter-generator-62523.html

Mine has a 30 amp outlet that will accept my 30 amp power cord on the boat.

That Harbor Freight looks A LOT like the Honda!!!

I like the remote start/stop generators. I have a Honda 3000i and a Champion 3100 inverter.

I run the 3000i on my boat. https://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/2012/10/3000i.html


I like the CO detectors that have a readout. https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-Batter..._6?keywords=co+detector&qid=1572041255&sr=8-6

With what I know now, I'd put a Champion on the roof of my boat, like the one I put on the back of my camper.
https://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/2017/07/wolf-pup-generator.html
https://www.amazon.com/Champion-310...ords=champion+generator&qid=1572041403&sr=8-8


I use one of these with the 3000i on the boat to switch from shore to generator power.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DIHN58U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use a Northern Tool generator. It has a 30 amp. Plug and has worked flawlessly for five years of intermittent operation.

I was on a mooring one time in Block Island, RI with a guy behind me who put one of these things on his bow pulpit, so now its 15 feet away from me while I'm sitting in my cockpit and its 40 feet away from him while he's sitting in his cockpit.

It was the marine equivalent of being water boarded.

There are not many things worse than being in a beautiful cove, anchored or moored and waking up to the sound of this type of generator.

I apologize for the forward nature of my post, but before you fire one of these things up, consider those around you; they are never "super quiet".

The solar products available now are very impressive, that and an inverter will give you more power than you need.

just my 2 cents.

sailalfin said:

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT NEIGHBOR (I'M KIKO FROM PINE ISLAND) AND ABYC DOES MAINTAin that the portable is not acceptable.

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I too have several ABYC Certifications and have never seen any such statement from ABYC. Please provide a link or a Standard number.

The solar products available now are very impressive, that and an inverter will give you more power than you need.

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Except hot water via water heater.

We have a Honda 2000i and use it to power our water heater. That unit is bullet-proof and always starts, even after sitting for months. I simply made a 6' shore power cord. Yes, I put it in the splash well, exhaust facing out, and run it for 20 minutes. Done. Enough hot water for two of us. We don't run it in the evening when people are enjoying their sundowners or at night. We will run it during the day, however and the water stays plenty hot for our needs.

Conversely, I will run it while we are running from anchorage to anchorage. We are moving, the cabin door is closed and we have a CO detector that has never activated when we do this.

Of course, our situation is vastly different than most of you. We don't have the luxury of a huge diesel gen-set, hidden down in an engine room the size of a cave.

We also have solar that maintains our house and allows us to run/use the refer, but anything beyond that is wishful thinking, especially in northern latitudes.

As I have posted before...those that usually protest the loudest have the least amount of experience with these gensets.


They have a few bad experiences...but that is by no means expertise.

Seanair said:

I was on a mooring one time in Block Island, RI with a guy behind me who put one of these things on his bow pulpit, so now its 15 feet away from me while I'm sitting in my cockpit and its 40 feet away from him while he's sitting in his cockpit.

It was the marine equivalent of being water boarded.

There are not many things worse than being in a beautiful cove, anchored or moored and waking up to the sound of this type of generator.

I apologize for the forward nature of my post, but before you fire one of these things up, consider those around you; they are never "super quiet".

The solar products available now are very impressive, that and an inverter will give you more power than you need.

just my 2 cents.

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I tested mine while running, at 30 feet you barely hear a putput, at 90 feet you hear nothing. I won't anchor anywhere I would be closer than 90 feet from another boat.

L

Lou_tribal said:

I tested mine while running, at 30 feet you barely hear a putput, at 90 feet you hear nothing. I won't anchor anywhere I would be closer than 90 feet from another boat.

L

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Thus my post about real experience versus the regurgitated whines too often posted about portable fenders.

Personally, I wouldn't be without my Honda on my boat that lacks a genset. It gives me great flexibility and greatly extends my anchoring capabilities. My record is 2 weeks without touching a dock except by dink.

I already carry OB motor gas and I have the ability to store fuel and the genset safely and out of the way in my attic. I secure and operate mine at my otherwise-unused FB bench seat. I'm surprised at how much the FB bench seat helps to insulate the vibrations and baffle the sound.

I agree with Scott...use common sense and pay attention to the details, knowing the risks. Mine only operates during daytime hours when I'm making coffee/battery charging or heating water.

All options carry certain costs, risks and benefits. Carefully analyze what's best for your situation with your guests and loved ones in mind.

Sea Fever WNK said:

Before you add a portable Generator please think of all those peaceful place we can all go with our vessels. One boat with a Gas Generator sitting on the swim platform so the boat owner's (who usually have gone off in their dinghy), can barely hear it.


If you have a Diesel Genset onboard use it, don't spoil an anchorage for everyone else. You won't make friends with those you are sharing the anchorage with. They are loud and even louder when on a swim platform.


Let's keep our nice quiet anchorages quiet... Go Solar and get a Simarine battery monitor... best new gizmo we have added to our GB-42. I know exactly what the Panels are putting in and exactly what the fridge and Freezer are taking out, plus a whole lot more info, a great tool.

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For the most part I agree, but certainly is off the original topic. And while solar is fine, it won't replace the power of a generator which sometimes is necessary regardless of the anchorages.


Now, as a matter of point, I make an effort to anchor away from other boats, where I can hardly be heard (but can). But as a courtesy a always dinghy over and ask the boats anchored before me if they mind if I run the genny for xxxx to do whatever and have never been turned down.



I did run into a situation where I was docked at a small makeshift marina behind a restaurant where there was no power and the temp was getting down below 45d and needed heat. BIG objection from a sailboat nearby. Ran it for an hour to warm up and then froze.

We have only had one negative experience with the Honda, ever. We were at a huge anchorage with only three other boats. Nearest boat was >100 yds away. It was late summer and in the high 80s. We went for a nice long hike. Returned mid-afternoon and I ran the Honda for 20 min to heat the water so we could shower prior to drinks/dinner.

When I turned it off some woman yells out “Yay...finally!” and starts clapping, sarcastically. They were on a sail catamaran. I started loudly clapping back and yelled “I can start it, again”. She went down below...and we enjoyed the rest of our stay.

I had my Honda 2000 throw a connecting rod at about 2-3 years/150 hrs. I already had the maintenance manual but the problem was that I knew nothing about fixing small engines. It was easy to find the $50 part and have it shipped to me the next day. Fortunately, my buddy knew how to fix it in his SCCA race car shop. I got lucky/blessed!

I know most of us don't have friends who can do that but I think a Honda would be much easier to have serviced locally than any other brand. If you need parts or service in the US, it's tough to beat. Don't know about other regions. They're also tops on reliability...despite the early failure I experienced.

I think the Honda tops all by a big margin.

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

I spent a week at Catalina Island recently and on the first day the exhaust mixer broke of the manifold on my Onan 7.5KW. Fortunately a buddy on a sail boat had a Honda EU2000. We transferred it back and forth all week. He would charge for 1/2 hour and I'd charge for 8.

He had a 30 amp shore power adapter so I tried plugging into my shore #1 and running through My Xantrex Freedom 20 but the generator couldn't supply enough amps to power the F20 and pass through to run the Fridges and Ice Maker.

I ended up plugging into Shore #2 and charging with my house charger, a Xantrex TrueCharge II 40. I then jumped my solenoid that joins the house with the inverter bank and was able to charge the batteries as one bank. This kept everything running and charged enough to make it through each night.

When I got back home I purchased a Harbor Freight Predator 3500 inverter generator, super quiet. It has a 30 amp jack on it so you don't even need an adapter. The shore power cord plugs right in. I tested it at the dock and it can power the whole boat through Shore #1 with #1 and #2 bridged together. I ran both chargers and the kuerig during the test.

I'll never go on an extended trip again without a backup generator although I did repair the Onan and hopefully wont need the portable.

True Story: My wife was coming over the island on the Express the next day so I had her pick up a HF 2000 watt generator and bring it with her so I wouldn't have to swap back and forth. When my wife went to board the Express they wouldn't let her bring the generator on board even though it was brand new in an unopened box. They said nothing gas powered allowed period. Just as well, as the 2000 wasn't really ideal anyway, I returned it and got the 3500.

Problem is, people can get caught with a portable unit the maker says is quiet even quoting a supporting decibel rating, which turns out to have the noise output of a fully loaded 747(Qantas still has some)departing to cross the Pacific.
Yesterday we inspected 2 40ft trawlers, each with 7Kw Onan EQD. One with a conventional exhaust was quiet, the other with a gas/water separator discharging underwater was quiet bordering on inaudible, you saw it was running by the bubbles surfacing. I can`t imagine it offending anyone. Well, not anyone reasonable.

"I think the Honda tops all by a big margin.
Sometimes you get what you pay for."


I think the big gripe is not with Honda or other sets of the camper type , but with contractor grade units .

Oh no, I bet the most unfamiliar gripe about all of them.

FF said:

"I think the Honda tops all by a big margin.
Sometimes you get what you pay for."


I think the big gripe is not with Honda or other sets of the camper type , but with contractor grade units .

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We have 3 inverter gensets one Honda 2000 and 2 Yamaha 2800 units and they are all very good quality - all have more than 1,000 hrs on them and one Yamaha is well over 2,000 hrs now.

Sea Fever WNK said:

Before you add a portable Generator please think of all those peaceful place we can all go with our vessels. One boat with a Gas Generator sitting on the swim platform so the boat owner's (who usually have gone off in their dinghy), can barely hear it.


If you have a Diesel Genset onboard use it, don't spoil an anchorage for everyone else. You won't make friends with those you are sharing the anchorage with. They are loud and even louder when on a swim platform.


Let's keep our nice quiet anchorages quiet... Go Solar and get a Simarine battery monitor... best new gizmo we have added to our GB-42. I know exactly what the Panels are putting in and exactly what the fridge and Freezer are taking out, plus a whole lot more info, a great tool.

Click to expand...

Then why have the genset onboard? It's a waste of space and money if it's not going to be used.

Wherever we've been in the PNW, folks have always been courteous in using their gensets- late morning and late afternoons are generally the times they are on.

Whether built in or portable, to me the genset makes our boating just that much more enjoyable.

I have a Honda 3000 and I love it. Holds like 2 gallons and runs for 12 hours. Charges and runs my 42’ just fine.

No problem with these things used properly but this owner was proud of this non-ignition protected, ungrounded unit along with an AC fan in a gasoline engine compartment.
Can't cure stoooopid.

boatpoker said:

No problem with these things used properly but this owner was proud of this non-ignition protected, ungrounded unit along with an AC fan in a gasoline engine compartment.
Can't cure stoooopid.

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That is a good size fan!

L

boatpoker said:

No problem with these things used properly but this owner was proud of this non-ignition protected, ungrounded unit along with an AC fan in a gasoline engine compartment.
Can't cure stoooopid.

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That's insanity, IMO. The guy must have had a death wish.

Where did the exhaust go?

FlyWright said:

That's insanity, IMO. The guy must have had a death wish.

Where did the exhaust go?

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Into his engine compartment. He figured his blowers would deal with it.
My job is a never ending source of entartainment.

A tenant on my rental dock did that. Put a household gennie below deck on a gasoline inboard boat. He got a lecture from me and was promptly evicted.

A few months later we got a hurricane that knocked out power for several days. He put a gennie in a doghouse that he built next to his house. Again did not consider what happened to heat and exhaust. The poor thing ran for a while and caught on fire, burning up the whole doghouse. Luckily did not catch anything else on fire.

Can't fix stoopid, indeed.

Re hot water. Better to use a propane flash heater. Endless hotwater. Unit cost $210 on Amazon.

Yes, if you have $9,000 plus install cost to spare.

I saw a modified Honds gennie with a raw water coolant jacket once, mounted outside