Water turbine question.

[gonesailin40]

While doing research and planning for someday, I often think about generating electricity on our boat.

Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas on installing some type of underwater turbine or maybe some type of pull behind turbine?

thanks

[Freesail99]

Most who are doing "someday" are doing it more at anchor. To have a turbine you need to be moving or in a body of water with a very fast current. That is why you see extensive use of solar panels and wind generators.

[gonesailin40]

Another harebrained idea down the drain.

[Freesail99]

Originally Posted by gonesailin40

Another harebrained idea down the drain.

Not at all. Maybe explain what you had in mind.

[gonesailin40]

Mostly I was thinking how much I hate the sound that wind generators make. Or at least the one that I have been exposed to. And I was hoping to find away to have the benefit of a wind generator without the noise.

My thought was hopefully some type of light turbine that would produce electricty with a minimum of water flow needed, to start producing.

Of course pulling up anchor everyday to sail around and recharge my batteries would get old really quick. And trying to find a spot with a strong current to anchor in on purpose doesn't really make much sense.

[gc1111]

Eric Forsyth (www.yachtfiona.com) has a pulley on his prop shaft that drives an alternator for battery charging. Of course, his idea of a summer cruise is to circle South America, so he keeps moving.

[haffiman37]

You could have a look at this one?
http://www.duogen.co.uk/

[sailingdog]

While water generators work quite well on passage, they're not very useful at anchor. This is one reason the DuoGens sell quite well and are popular with cruisers. On a long passage, using it as a water generator minimizes hazards to the crew and maximizes energy production. Once anchored, unless you've picked a bad spot with a strong current, setting it up as a wind gen maximizes the energy production.

[Sapperwhite]

Here is an option made by Ampair. It's a tow behind gen. only, not one of the dual purpose units that can convert to a wind turbine.

http://www.ampair.com/ampair/waterpower.asp

[gonesailin40]

The DuoGen seems pretty cool. Probably better than having my wife down below, pedalling the bicycle, attached to a generator idea I had.

Thanks for your input.