running gen while moving

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smitty477 said:
I am not the original poster - I am just familiar with these boats.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected.

On my AT, I have 2 30amp cords, one for the A/Cs, one for the house.
 
OldDan1943 said:
I stand corrected.

On my AT, I have 2 30amp cords, one for the A/Cs, one for the house.
Click to expand...

But you likely do not have a rotary switch that can parallel all the breakers from line one and line two inside the boat all from line 1.
That is what is in his boat - usually they came with two 30 amp lines.
But some models with A/C came with one 50/125 inlet on line one and a 30/125 inlet on line 2. Those that came that way also had the switch and wiring that could support the 50 amps on line one and paralleled.
So an owner could run a single line (50/125) and then turn the switch to get the 50 amps across both lines.
They would typically have a 30 to 50 amp adapter for those times that you wanted to run two 30 amp lines.
So you could easily run one 30, one 50 or two 30's dependent upon the dock you were visiting at the time and your needs.
There were also other options out there.
Note - much may have been changed in the 30 years since this boat left the factory.
 
smitty477 said:
But you likely do not have a rotary switch that can parallel all the breakers from line one and line two inside the boat all from line 1.
That is what is in his boat - usually they came with two 30 amp lines.
But some models with A/C came with one 50/125 inlet on line one and a 30/125 inlet on line 2. Those that came that way also had the switch and wiring that could support the 50 amps on line one and paralleled.
So an owner could run a single line (50/125) and then turn the switch to get the 50 amps across both lines.
They would typically have a 30 to 50 amp adapter for those times that you wanted to run two 30 amp lines.
So you could easily run one 30, one 50 or two 30's dependent upon the dock you were visiting at the time and your needs.
There were also other options out there.
Note - much may have been changed in the 30 years since this boat left the factory.
Click to expand...

On the AT, I have 2X30 amp shore power cord. I disconnect from shore power, transfer to the generator, I now have 50 amps available for the boat.

Sounds like greater flexibility if I understand what you wrote.
I will yield to your knowledge on this brand of boat. I will go sit in my corner AGAIN.
 
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ctbarbarian said:
yes, boat was painted a month ago.
I called the shop and asked any ideas about why
the bowls wouldn't pump water up.
The head shop guy told me "I bet that idiot kid painted
the holes shut "
I might need a haul out to clear them and I'm not paying
for their mistake.
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I'd be wanting to know why they employ idiot kids and let them loose on your boat
And
Why they never supervised and inspected the work.

They are happy to charge full freight for a professional service yet didn't produce the goods.
What other dodgy work did they do?
 
OldDan1943 said:
Sounds like greater flexibility if I understand what you wrote.
I will yield to your knowledge of MTs and go sit in my corner AGAIN.
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Just familiar with the older models of one brand - kinda rubs off on you after a few years using them.
 
dhays said:
Sounds like no inverter then.
Click to expand...

There 3 possible options, as I see it.
1. learn to live with it.
2. install an independent inverter
3. install a combination charge/inverter.

Down the road, consider a separate main inverter and a smaller inverter for each TV and DVD player.

For my main inverter, it is a 1500amp. I can run the microwave or a couple of 120 vt outlets, one to run the coffee pot. In hind-sight, I would suggest 2000 or 2500 amp inverter. Because I only have a 1500 amp inverter, I have learned the true meaning of "load management." When the AC lamp goes out, the stove goes off, the microwave stops, I know I have to shed some of the AC load. LOL The hot water heater is the first to go.
 
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I like to start with basics. As previously mentioned by oldDan1943, check the seacocks and make sure they are open. If they are open then close them and pull,the hose. Open them to see if they pass water . If they don’t pass water then schedule a haul out with the yard and let them know why and that you won’t feel obligated to pay.

Don’t assume you are innocent until you have proven them guilty.
 
The easiest way to check the raw water to the heads is to remove the hose from the through hull valve with the valve closed and then crack it open. If some water shows up its not painted closed. If it is painted closed, add a length of hose to the through hull to get the end above the water line and then take a stiff wire and run down the hose to break the paint lose on the input screen. The holes are pretty big so opening a couple with give you a fair amount of water. Happened to my old boat. Only took about 20 minutes to fix.

Tom
 
IF there was water enough to fill the bowl before the hull was painted and afterwards not enough water, I agree, the first suspect is painting the inlet closed.
 
Am I the only one who runs his genset while running?

Seems like people go through alot of trouble not to do so but when i'm not on shore power I'm almost always running the Genny.. doesn't bother me one bit.
 
OldDan1943 said:
There 3 possible options, as I see it.
1. learn to live with it.
2. install an independent inverter
3. install a combination charge/inverter.

Down the road, consider a separate main inverter and a smaller inverter for each TV and DVD player.

For my main inverter, it is a 1500amp. I can run the microwave or a couple of 120 vt outlets, one to run the coffee pot. In hind-sight, I would suggest 2000 or 2500 amp inverter. Because I only have a 1500 amp inverter, I have learned the true meaning of "load management." When the AC lamp goes out, the stove goes off, the microwave stops, I know I have to shed some of the AC load. LOL The hot water heater is the first to go.
Click to expand...


I assume you were meaning to say Watts and not amps for the inverters.
 
Mrwesson said:
Am I the only one who runs his genset while running?
Click to expand...

That is why we have a generator, to run. Of course if one does want the A/C and it is not time to cook (electric stove), there is no real need to run the generator. I guess it is just the individual preference. SHRUG

I like my inverter so I can use the microwave (1200 watts) or make coffee and power the TV. The inverter is augmented by 260 watts of solar panels.

:) I'm happy.
Could I be more happy? Of course but, at what cost. (rhetorical question)

In the evening, when we are sitting in the cockpit or you on your fly bridge, the only difference between us and and the "rich people" is, they might be doing it on a bigger boat. :thumb:
 
Thank you Trawler forum.
My toilets with the hand pump weren't filling and it
was diagnosed on this forum..

The kid that painted the bottom, painted over the masking tape he
used to cover the threw hauls and forgot to remove the tape
before they put it in the water.
A new dock mate had a pressure tank,
open the sea cock,
hit with 200 psi and blasted the tape off.
Thank you again
 
ctbarbarian said:
Thank you Trawler forum.
My toilets with the hand pump weren't filling and it
was diagnosed on this forum..

The kid that painted the bottom, painted over the masking tape he
used to cover the threw hauls and forgot to remove the tape
before they put it in the water.
A new dock mate had a pressure tank,
open the sea cock,
hit with 200 psi and blasted the tape off.
Thank you again
Click to expand...

Another mystery solved!!!
 
ctbarbarian said:
The kid that painted the bottom, painted over the masking tape he used to cover the threw hauls and forgot to remove the tape before they put it in the water. A new dock mate had a pressure tank, open the sea cock, hit with 200 psi and blasted the tape off.
Click to expand...

Well! That's incredible! Who'd have even thought to try that?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
DHeckrotte said:
Well! That's incredible! Who'd have even thought to try that? "The kid that painted the bottom, painted over the masking tape he used to cover the threw hauls and forgot to remove the tape before they put it in the water. A new dock mate had a pressure tank, open the sea cock, hit with 200 psi and blasted the tape off."
Click to expand...

ah yes, those 'threw hauls"

While he had the pressure tank, did he check the 'through hulls' too?
 
ctbarbarian said:
Thank you Trawler forum.
My toilets with the hand pump weren't filling and it
was diagnosed on this forum..

The kid that painted the bottom, painted over the masking tape he
used to cover the threw hauls and forgot to remove the tape
before they put it in the water.
A new dock mate had a pressure tank,
open the sea cock,
hit with 200 psi and blasted the tape off.
Thank you again
Click to expand...

Glad you have this solved - FWIW I would never hook my dive tank up to any boat fittings. I have had great success hooking a garden hose up to situations like this to check a blockage. Many bad things can happen quickly with high pressure.
 
Mrwesson said:
Am I the only one who runs his genset while running?

Seems like people go through alot of trouble not to do so but when i'm not on shore power I'm almost always running the Genny.. doesn't bother me one bit.
Click to expand...

No, you're not the only one. Only in sailboat land and trawler forum land do I see people going to such an effort not to. We run air conditioning so run generator.
 
ctbarbarian said:
30 and 50 amp plug cords
2 main engine batteries for twin diesels and 1 battery for gen.
3 aux batteries.
AC/DC norcold fridge.

I did have it surveyed and I can't find any reference to a inverter.
Survey says "wired for 110v "

I'm about 40 miles downstream from the marina and I can make it back up
this weekend, I was just hoping it was something simple and I could fix it
myself.
My experience with this large a boat is from the fall of 2017, I'm very pontoon
river savy but none of them had this many systems.
I appreciate any and all information.
Click to expand...

In 2012, we were where you are. Our previous experience was bow riders on an inland lake in NC.

I'm glad to see you resolved this situation of the idiot painter. One thing I'd recommend, if possible, is if you can find someone knowledgeable of your boat and similar, whether a captain or mechanic, and just spend a couple or a few hours on board with them walking through every system, especially electrical and plumbing. Discuss what you think you have learned and open questions. Get suggestions. In a short period of time, they can show you an amazing amount and you can leave far more comfortable. It may be the best spent $200 or so ever.
 
I will learn a lot soon. I've hired a professional Captain to
help me take the Boat from Iowa down the Missississippi, via the
Tenn Tom to Gulf Shores Alabama.
Planning on leaving 8/7/18.
Hopefully they can totally update the electronics and other areas
of the boat. I should have learned a full working knowledge of all the systems.
Planning on using Saunders yacht works.

Leave the boat for 3 months and head back there in Jan 19 to explore and learn
the Emerald coast of Fl.
3 year plan

1st get totally working knowledge of the boat and get it to FL.
2nd get used to living aboard and exploring FL and the Keys
3rd Bahamas
4th Finish off the Loop and back to Iowa.
 
dhays said:
Please forgive me if this sounds insulting, I just don't know the extent of your experience.


You have two type of powered devices on board, 12v DC and 120v AC. When plugged in or have the genny running, you have 120v AC powered to the panel. That will power any 120v items. Those will include your Air Conditioning and anything that is plugged into a standard 120v wall socket. As was mentioned, originally the fridge was a 12v/120v convertable so it would run on either. Unless you have a propane stove, that too will require 120v AC to run.


Many boats have an inverter. This converts your battery 12v DC to 120v AC. This is great for running small loads, or short term loads (such as a fan, iphone charger, coffee maker) but won't handle big loads or you will quickly drain your batteries.


So, if you had the boat surveyed before you bought it, the survey will show if you have an inverter or not. If you didn't have it surveyed, then you need to start hunting around the boat to see what you have.
Click to expand...

Some of us (probably more than will let pride admit) do NOT know everything there is to know about our boats. I moved up to a trawler and have started reading this forum a lot. I have many of the same issues with power underway. My crew has no experience and seems to think I can be on fly bridge and below at same time.
 
We are all constantly learning. No one has it all figured out, and if they think they do, be wary.
 
Fletcher500 said:
We are all constantly learning. No one has it all figured out, and if they think they do, be wary.
Click to expand...

Always learning. If we can get time though with someone with more experience and knowledge than us, it can accelerate our learning process. Barbarian will increase his comfort level many fold on the trip south if his captain is willing to teach along the way. Best thing will be when he completes the trip and then thinks "next time I could make that trip without him".

And anyone who thinks they are completely self sufficient, think again, or be prepared to row a long ways some day. We depend on knowledge, advice and assistance from others in every thing we do in life.
 
Fletcher500 said:
We are all constantly learning. No one has it all figured out, and if they think they do, be wary.
Click to expand...

Get most of it figured out and we either buy a bigger boat or die.
 
BandB said:
No, you're not the only one. Only in sailboat land and trawler forum land do I see people going to such an effort not to. We run air conditioning so run generator.
Click to expand...



I think it mostly due to the size of the boats. On small and mid-sized boats like many of us own, a genset is a bit noisy. Ours is pretty quiet, but we can still hear it running while we are in the salon or galley as the genset is below the salon floor. We don’t hear it from our cabin.

On a larger boat, there is more boat between the genset and the living quarters. This makes the genset completely unobtrusive. At the same time, larger boats have a higher consistent need for electrical power.

I don’t like to run my genset unless I need to. We don’t have AC nor an electric galley so there isn’t really the need.
 
Ostriman said:
Some of us (probably more than will let pride admit) do NOT know everything there is to know about our boats. I moved up to a trawler and have started reading this forum a lot. I have many of the same issues with power underway. My crew has no experience and seems to think I can be on fly bridge and below at same time.
Click to expand...


There is a lot more that I don’t know than what I know.
 
Mrwesson said:
Am I the only one who runs his genset while running?

Seems like people go through alot of trouble not to do so but when i'm not on shore power I'm almost always running the Genny.. doesn't bother me one bit.
Click to expand...

How are you able to keep the genset with a load?
 
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