Rock concert on a sailboat!! Possible?

[sailandbail]

I went and saw a great local band the other night and came up with a grand idea. My boat isn't huge, but if we get creative I think I can fit a band and some friends and throw a concert on the water if I can figure out the power situation.

The goal is to motor out- away from people that would potentially be bothered by the loud music, which means no shore power. The band's equipment draws an estimated 600 watts according to the singer (3 amps and a vocal PA). I don't think that my battery bank is powerful enough (4 110ah 6v "golf cart" batts). I have a decent gasoline generator (that I don't keep on the boat) which could be put into the v-berth for this occassion. Is that a bad idea from a safety perspective?

I haven't researched exactly how much power will be required or whether my little Honda generator is powerful enough, but I just thought I'd throw this out there to see if anyone might have thoughts or ideas. Having a cool band play somewhere in the San Juan's on the hook sounds like an absolute blast and I would LOVE to be able to pull it off!

Thanks all.

Evan

[apirate]

This is a neat idea but I think the logistics will get really messy. It's highly unlikely that the band is running only 600 watts with three amplifiers and a PA. More likely for it to be over 2000. The band is probably only thinking about the nominal power output of their amplifiers, not all of the extras you need to power such as soundboards, pedals, lights, etc.

I've been on some tiny stages with 5 band members. Looking at the foredeck of our 50ft boat, it's far smaller than those we were super cramped on.

[sailandbail]

The more research I do, the more I realize how difficult it would be. The reward would be awesome and memorable if achieved (without an explosion). Maybe I should just convince them to go acoustic. Ha. Thanks for the input!

[Yellow bird]

I'm thinking about a quiet and calm bay, during a sunset,
and I can't help but advise you on a bulletproof vest

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by sailandbail

I have a decent gasoline generator (that I don't keep on the boat) which could be put into the v-berth for this occassion. Is that a bad idea from a safety perspective?

I haven't researched exactly how much power will be required or whether my little Honda generator is powerful enough,.........

Are you proposing to run the generator below deck?? Yes, that is a tremendously bad idea.

They already told you they need 600W, which would be at 120V. A Honda 2K puts out 1600-2000 watts at 120V.

[enjstj]

These guys figured it out with a pontoon boat.

[skipmac]

Sound carries really, really, really well over water. How many miles away from land or land based homes are you planning to go?

[Jules_M]

There are some boats passing by on our canal that sound like a rock concert. If the music is good, I'm good.



But this is an idea that may require a raft off party. Get a few boats anchored out and tied together and spread out the watt load. We used to do raft off parties with as many as 20 boats. Possibly the best parties I ever attended.

[RobTryon]

We've done this several times in the California Delta. Audio amps are inductive loads very easy for an inverter. Your Honda suitcase gen should work great.

[scotty c-m]

My band, Cruzin', used to play on a truck every 4th of July. 2 guitars, 1 bass, drums and 3 microphones. All powered by a Honda generator. Never had a problem, played loud and long!!

On your boat, make sure the generator is away from people and Down Wind! Think it through for safety, and go for it!!

[sailandbail]

Originally Posted by Black Eagle

I'm thinking about a quiet and calm bay, during a sunset,
and I can't help but advise you on a bulletproof vest

This had me laughing throughout the day!! It's a hilarious image. This is the sort of thing that would annoy me to no end if I was just out trying to enjoy peace and nature.

If I do pull this off I'll be VERY far from civilization because I definitely don't want to be "that guy."

[sailandbail]

Originally Posted by Jules_M

There are some boats passing by on our canal that sound like a rock concert. If the music is good, I'm good.



But this is an idea that may require a raft off party. Get a few boats anchored out and tied together and spread out the watt load. We used to do raft off parties with as many as 20 boats. Possibly the best parties I ever attended.

This is a really fantastic idea. If the band was playing on one, would you suggest just running several extension cords from other boats?

Of course there will be plenty of planning involved to make sure that we're not bothering a bunch of people. I know if done correctly, safely, and respectfully, it would be a really amazing and memorable experience!

Thanks so much for your input.

[sailandbail]

Originally Posted by scotty c-m

My band, Cruzin', used to play on a truck every 4th of July. 2 guitars, 1 bass, drums and 3 microphones. All powered by a Honda generator. Never had a problem, played loud and long!!

On your boat, make sure the generator is away from people and Down Wind! Think it through for safety, and go for it!!

Maybe I could just keep my Honda generator in my dinghy, downwind...? It's not very loud, and if it provides enough juice to power the band, could be great!

Thanks!

[Yellow bird]

Originally Posted by sailandbail

This had me laughing throughout the day!! It's a hilarious image. This is the sort of thing that would annoy me to no end if I was just out trying to enjoy peace and nature.

If I do pull this off I'll be VERY far from civilization because I definitely don't want to be "that guy."

[rbk]

I heard second hand that the White Stripes did this out east on the back of a fishing boat and the crowd was on the wharf in eastern Canada (Halifax I think) They were notorious for throwing impromptu free mini shows the day before their actual concert.