external generator?

[dch]

I have noticed in several pictures on the net that some folks seem to have an external generator on a tube behind their boat while at anchor. Is this common, instead of having a generator on the boat? Also can you just buy a Honda generator or something like it for this purpose?

dch

[GordMay]

THe floating gear might be a "Third Lung" Hookah Compressor, rather than a Generator.
See them at: http://www.browniedive.com/
Gord

[39512]

Yes, a gasoline or diesel portable generator will work. However, noise is an issue. Depending on how much current you need, using an inverter and charging with an engine alternator is another way to get AC current. It depends on the kind of boat, auxillary power, etc. Maybe you already know this.

Remember, the noise a generator makes is not only an annoyance for you but for everyone else in an anchorage. Some portables have better sound insulating properties, but usually come with a price.

[paulk]

Just a reminder... noise IS an issue for generators. Putting one off your transom on it''s own float may lessen the noise and vibration for you, but, like a car alarm whose car gets a window bashed in so the hood can be raised to disconnect the battery, the last sound a rafted generator may make could be a soft gurgle as your lights go out.

[Billpjr]

Ditto on what Paulk says. While in Georgetown, Bahamas I saw a couple fry their onboard generator from a plugged water intake. The intake got plugged in the middle of the night by few angry cruisers who got tired of hearing the generator run. The "all electric" cruiser departed at the crack of dawn the next morning. Even laid back cruising types can be a tough crowd when you run generators around them a few nights!