Do I need a genset and if so what size?

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

OK, let's work through this together.

I hope that is at least somewhat helpful.

Definitely helpful and what I suspected and makes me put the genny I was contemplating on hold.

I really thought that if I soft mounted in an insulated room they would have been OK, but then I suppose everyone would be doing that if it worked well enough.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

the amount of heat created by this thing is about 1.5 to 2 times the amount of the gasoline counterpart.

Thanks

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Do you really need aircon?

It's a fair enough question and I suspect on a lot of nights the answer will be no but there will be some where it will be a definite yes, especially when parked somewhere where the bugs are hungry necessitating the boat be closed up.
Part of the deal with getting the finances to build was a step up in comfort for my fair skinned maiden.
Big fridge, king size bed, plenty of shade and no hot buggy nights was all she asked.

Originally Posted by Pete7

after a couple of weeks in Hong Kong I turned the damned thing off because it sounded like a B52 on take off (window mounted unit). Also I used to have problems with condensation if my next door neighbour ran his. The wall between us would run with condensation on my side, just wondered if a boat with warm and cold rooms will have the same problem.

I wouldnt be using a noisy box unit.
The powercat I linked several posts back <<< click- had a 240 volt houshold split system with the noisy box up on the roof and a silent head on the bulkead


There wont be separate rooms as such either, it is very much open and airy plan

Go native

and for 300 plus nights of the year I imagine we will.

[Celestialsailor]

So I guess oil lamps, salted beef and sea biscuits are out...

[bobconnie]

Gee guys air con is nessary if ya live where its hot !!! down the bayou even the smallest shrimp boats have air con. If ya have a single room style boat there Can man do, maybe one of the roof mounted marine RV style air con units would work for ya !! they run them down here on the small hondas and they keep the boat nice and cool and cost less then the split system you were looking at ! just a thought

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

maybe one of the roof mounted marine RV style air con units would work for ya !! they run them down here on the small hondas and they keep the boat nice and cool and cost less then the split system you were looking at ! just a thought

Over here most of those roof top units are actually more expensive than household units
Caravan Roof Airconditioners | Shop Online CaravansPlus

Plus with the rooftop units I have to cut a gaping hole in the roof for the outlet don't I?
Compared to a couple of 1/2 inch holes in a b/h for what I propose?

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

So I guess oil lamps, salted beef and sea biscuits are out...

That boat was 30 years ago
We have progressed since then

[rebel heart]

+1 to the idea of using the honda generator and little air conditioner. We might be tied to a dock in a super hot part of the world for a while. Those honda generators really are the bees knees. If honda would make a belowdecks mount for one they would be insanely popular. Even with the gasoline thing, people would rig them.

[dirkdig]

We have a Onan 9.5 kva marine gensetnand just the vibration and noise is enough for us to not run it while we are sleeping.
Going to get a Honda unit for back up and to use for it's low noise.
We find Air Cond is a must in far Nth Queensland,if there is no wind or in summer its just too hot,especially with the boat sitting in 32 deg water.

[ebaugh]

If you go the route of a suitcase generator, make sure it will kick the AC compressor. It take 2 to 3 times the running power to start.

An open plan 50 ft boat is awfully large to AC on 2000 watts of power. If you want several months of AC for the whole boat every night, the only well accepted marine solution is a 1500/1800 RPM below decks diesel generator. On our boat, it takes about a quart/liter per hour of fuel for the first 16000 BTU AC unit and refrigeration loads or about 2 gallons/night. I'm not sure how that compares to a small gasoline one. It's also very convenient to have it use the same fuel tanks as the main engine to avoid schlepping around gasoline.

[barnakiel]

I believe you will want one unless you are almost permanently plugged in.

A small Westerbeke or a portable Honda. Westerbeke will deliver more juice but needs a permanent installation space. The Hondas can be moved about the place.

b.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by dirkdig

We have a Onan 9.5 kva marine genset

Wow that's a big lump of weight, about as much as one of my primary engines.
Especially as you think a 2kva Honda will work for you
Dry Weight
640 lb (290 kg)
9.5 MDKBM

and just the vibration and noise is enough for us to not run it while we are sleeping.

A definite worry as my partner is a relatively light sleeper

Going to get a Honda unit for back up and to use for it's low noise.

Can I ask what a/c you have because you probably cool about the same area as me

We find Air Cond is a must in far Nth Queensland,if there is no wind or in summer its just too hot,especially with the boat sitting in 32 deg water.

and it'll be even warmer again in the +- 10deg lats

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by ebaugh

An open plan 50 ft boat is awfully large to AC on 2000 watts of power.

Think more of an open plan 42fter , just on longer hulls

It's also very convenient to have it use the same fuel tanks as the main engine to avoid schlepping around gasoline.

and that's the main reason for me.

[bobconnie]

The air cons in the roof mount Ive seen down here only have an opening the size of a small deck hatch !! no outside opening ive ever seen!! and they remove pretty much all the humidiy and ya have to be sure the water removed is routed to overboard cus it flat puts out the water, down here anyway !LOL I don't know what your speaking of?? they look like the same as the ones on RVs but made for marine use ! heck ya could use an RV type for your installation! just a thought

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

The air cons in the roof

See post 36
Here, they cost more and I dont want a 360mm square hole chopped in the roof