"Windmill" on Sailboats to Produce Electricity?

[SpcAlan1]

Just wondering if this actually works?

i saw a large boat ( 35+ ) with windmills and asked and they said to keep the batteries at full charge.

Is that possible?

Does anyone on here have one or info?

[Cruisingdad]

They are called wind generators. Yes, they work. Most require about 15kts wind to get anything appreciable. At best you might be looking at 6-8 a/h. Over 24 hours, that might be someintg good, but how often does the wind blow 15+ for 24 hours??? Depenging on your location, solar may be a better choice. It certainly was for me. Many cruisers use the two in combination. I say just put up a large solar array and be done with it.

- CD

[SpcAlan1]

So much for Lake Sailing huh?
just curious.

[JohnRPollard]

Some of those "Windmills" are actually used for propulsion:

Could a Fan In Front of a Sailboat Improve Sailing?

[scottyt]

john that was funny but you might want to say it was a joke, some newbs might think its real

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by scottyt

john that was funny but you might want to say it was a joke, some newbs might think its real

Excuse me, but are you saying that the SailFan(TM) is a joke!! Did you not read to the very end of the thread where I posted the letter from a very satisfied Sir Byron Plympton, Order of B.S., who had made a successful transatlantic voyage aboard S/V Windless using SailFan(TM) ?? If you are having trouble finding it, I believe that post was dated April 1, 2009.




P.S. I thought the winkies (" ") I had added above would do the trick.

[imagine2frolic]

sure it's true ........i2f

[JohnRPollard]

SPCalan1,

Just want to make sure you know that my earlier posts were in jest -- we have to amuse ourselves at times.

CD's answer is the one you want. But I will add to it by saying that in the tropical trade wind regions, a wind generator can be a fairly effective battery charger. True, the wind doesn't always blow favorably even in the trades, but then again in the tropics it's dark for 12 hours a day, which isn't the best environment for solar panels, either.

In any case, you probably don't need solar or wind charging for basic weekending sailing.

[philsboat]

10 or 15 years ago a bloke from Australia took a 35'cruising sailboat ,installed a short stocky mast and put a large 2 bladed prop on the mast(about 20' dia.)He connected it with a driveshaft to a transmission and a prop under water.
The boat would go directly to windward,something all sailors would appreciate!It must have had drawbacks as that was the last I saw of it.I think it was in cruising world.

Phil

[TQA]

Loads of threads on this topic around in the cruising forums. Waste of time in most inland lake locations I would think but anchor out where the trades blow down island with a Kiss and 100 amphours plus is normal. [ 4-5 amps x 24 hours]