Do I need a genset and if so what size?

[rebel heart]

Slightly off topic but another thing I dig about the separate (honda) generator is that I don't need to oversize the internal AC wiring as much. There's a breaker on all the outlets and anything bigger than what the 1000w xantrek can provide will toss the breaker.

For running big tools (heat gun, 1/2" drill, grinders, etc) I go right into the generator so I don't need to worry about battery load and charging profiles. I suppose you could do the same thing with a genset, but my approach is fairly straightforward.

[mcarling]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

How much does a bank of 1050ah Lifeline AGMs cost and how much do they weigh?

Originally Posted by savoir

Roughly USD4000 and 1000 lbs

Alternatively, you could have more useable amp-hours from 4x 700AH lithium phosphate cells (totaling 12.8V) costing USD2640 and weighing 185 lbs. Or 4x 1000AH lithium phosphate cells costing USD3450 and weighing 308 lbs would provide about double the useable amp-hours of a 1050AH AGM bank.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by mcarling

Alternatively, you could have more useable amp-hours from 4x 700AH lithium phosphate cells (totaling 12.8V) costing USD2640 and weighing 185 lbs. Or 4x 1000AH lithium phosphate cells costing USD3450 and weighing 308 lbs would provide about double the useable amp-hours of a 1050AH AGM bank.

+2 Even 600ah lithium should give more usable ahs

[Auzzee]

Noise travels so well over still water. There is nothing quite so annoying as being in a quiet, secluded anchorage only to hear another boat pull in and fire up the generator, and perhaps the stereo.

The noise of a genny across the water is much more intense than those sitting in the genny-fired airconditioned comfort of their saloon, imagine. Particularly in the evenings and early mornings. I have a Honda 2000 which runs like a sewing machine, but 100metres away, I can still plainly hear it humming away.

Open frame generators are many times louder. The task of sufficiently soundproofing them and installing a blower fed secondary exhaust, can more than double the price of a decent genset.

[Pelagic]

Personally I hate sound shields around Generators, unless you have plenty of room to walk around the whole box. And that never happens on most sailboats

Because of that, I have removed the sound shield box on my 10kw/50Hz
Northern Lights, Inc. M843NW3

I am replacing the engine room’s old sloppy soundproofing system, with an overlap system and improving on base foundation for gen..
Just remember, Noise is only 20% airborne, 80% structural, so mounting properly on floating base, makes a huge difference, as does the use of baffled exhaust Air from engine room.

[mcarling]

My dream genset is a gas turbine directly driving a DC permanent magnet machine without a gearbox. A 10KW unit should weigh under 20kg and have exactly one moving part, with no need for lubrication (air or magnetic bearings) or cooling (heat exits through the exhaust). These could be adapted from the APUs for bizjets. Should be good for at least 20,000 hours without maintenance. Price should be less than double the price of a conventional diesel genset.

[Capt Phil]

Having had several different makes of marine gen sets and delivered heaps of boats with honda type temporary installations, the best set up I found for powerboats and power cats is a cruising generator running off one of the primaries. No additional sound, output was around 5KW at 1200 RPM and above (a regulator limited the output above 1200RPM), virtually no maintenance, not sure of the cost because my boat came equipped with it on the front end of the starboard engine of the CAT D330's. All you needed was a decent size bank and inverter setup. We rarely turned on the genset which was a Northern Lights 6KW. Phil