Honda generator(s) in lieu of running auxiliary

[Brent Swain]

Plug a charger into the 120 volt outlet. You will get far more amps than the 12 volt outlet on the generator.

[HMoll]

The 2000i is a tech marvel. For the cost and weight, it's hard not to carry one, but I'll share this thought. What I love about sleeping in a sailboat is the tranquility and quietness. I put my money on a 3000W inverter, a badass AGM battery bank, and if hot, just flip on my A/C on battery power. Good for weekending. When spending a few days, I'd need to run the motor for 4-6 hours during the day. Have a Mase 2.5 for sale with less than 50 hrs.

[Minnewaska]

Originally Posted by HMoll

....... and if hot, just flip on my A/C on battery power. .....

You don't mean air conditioning on battery power?

[crstophr]

I have two of these generators and figured I'd share some of my experiences.

They are not silent. "Relatively" quiet at idle, loud at full speed or under heavy load. On spec they're still not as loud as a cheap harbor freight/home depot/coleman generator. Two of them in parallel are able to run my Air Conditioner nicely. They are small carbureted engines and need to be maintained accordingly. Keep spare spark plugs around as they'll foul at times. Drain the float bowls in the carbs if you won't be using them for a while. Use stabil or something similar in the fuel.

I have a large tank kit that allows me to take a 6 gallon marine boat tank and pipe it into replacement caps on the generators. The generators then pull fuel from this tank directly and it allows for refueling without the risk of dumping gasoline on a hot generator. At idle they will run for days off of this tank.

It's up to you to decide how and when to be courteous to your neighbors. I don't have a need for these on my boat much. I do use them on my RV, at burning man in the desert, and keep them ready as a backup should we have a major power outage. It's really nice to have a portable source of power for multiple reasons. Some folks build boxes around them with open tops to deflect noise upwards but that hardly seems space efficient on a boat.

Charging wise do not use the 12v circuit directly connected to your batteries. That circuit does not have any battery charge management electronics. It will continue to try to dump 8 amps into your batteries after they have reached full charge and will eventually damage them. You will need to either run them through a charge controller (some solar controllers can handle alternate sources) or just use the 120v connection for a charger.

Cheers,

--Chris

[sawingknots]

theres nothing on this earth that i hate more than generators!!!,if a person thinks they need all the comforts of home,then stay home!!!,if you anchor or slip next to me and run one of the dammed things all night don't expect to have a overly friendly neighbor in the morning,seriously

[Stu Jackson]

Uhm, the 12V output will NOT charge any batteries.

[hellosailor]

? Stu, if you mean the 12v output on the Honda gensets, that's actually designed only to charge batteries. Apparently as a "convenience" charger, nothing fancy but enough to charge 12v batteries. (Power is too dirty for electronics, but batteries aren't that picky.)

[tankersteve]

As the OP, I appreciate the discussion. I am definitely leaning toward a 3.5 kW diesel genset. The funny part is the assumption that I want this to run AC and intend to run it all night.

What I am interested in is charging my batteries, running the watermaker, and possibly making hot water. I prefer to use a genset vice run the main auxiliary diesel engine. I am thinking of 4-6 days in a more remote anchorage. My better half still wants showers, and I want to maintain my house batteries. AC really isn't an option I am considering...

Tankersteve

[sailortjk1]

Originally Posted by sawingknots

theres nothing on this earth that i hate more than generators!!!,if a person thinks they need all the comforts of home,then stay home!!!,if you anchor or slip next to me and run one of the dammed things all night don't expect to have a overly friendly neighbor in the morning,seriously

How much do you anchor out? When away from shore power for a week or so and in remote areas away from civilization, the Honda Generator is a nice tool to have on board.

If you only spend a day or two away from the slip than no, auxiliary power is probably not necessary.

The longer you spend anchored and the more remote you remove yourself, than the more you will be glad you have one.

There is nothing like having Hot water and fresh batteries when away from the slip after a week. (with out having to run the diesel) Your wife will appreciate it, believe me. LOL

[jimrafford]

Sorry to dissagree but if you spend extended periods unpluged (more than 2 days)and you need a portable generator to handle your power needs your boat is not set up for cruising.
Jim