Wind Generator Mounting Location

[skipperaris]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

Is it taboo to mount the gen fixed facing forward on the mizzen? Stress loads too high as the boat sails back 'n forth while anchored? Whats your opinion? Thanks, Chris

I cannot imagine any taboo in these things but your gen would only work at its maximum when the boat is at anchor and facing into the wind.

Any other situation would give you seriously reduced performance.
Your output while sailing would be 70% of maximum, at best, when you are reaching fairly hard (45 degrees to apparent wind) and 0% (zero) with the apparent wind on the beam.

[Cowboy Sailer]

"Is it taboo to mount the gen fixed facing forward on the mizzen? Stress loads too high as the boat sails back 'n forth while anchored? Whats your opinion? Thanks, Chris"

I like the thinking out of the box that you have exhibited. When mounted on a stationary tower on land the designers want the rotational plane of the blades to be perpendicular to the wind. So they let it pivot around to face the wind. Since at anchor the boat tends to face the wind a fixed mount sounds attractive because the whole boat pivots into the wind.
The forces when the wind is at a big angle to the designed wind direction are complex. Let us call those off-axis winds. The manufacturer may have built in the necessary strength to cope with off-axis wind because in swirling, gusting winds the unit is often off-axis even with a freely pivoting mount. But I doubt it! In mild off-axis winds there should be no problem with a fixed mount. In high off-axis winds there should be big problems!
If a simple and quick method of lowering and storing the air turbine when not at anchor such that the only time the unit was exposed to the wind was at anchor and it was never left unattended, then it just might be a great idea. It may be that if the blades can be stopped from rotating that the unit could be left up all the time. But I doubt it!
So what about a quick raise and lower technique but holding a fixed direction when up? Does that simplify the mount? It certainly makes service and preparing for a storm easy. (but only if there is a way to stop the blades!)