Duogen Wind Generator

[southace]

Hi crew, is there any proud owners here using the Duogen to charge batterys?? Im close to making the big decision to fitting one .

[Vasco]

You must have lots of money. Over $4000!

[southace]

Originally Posted by Vasco

You must have lots of money. Over $4000!

The price scares people ....I did the sums.....for a stainless steel targa strong enough for D400 wind gen quote $2200 +$2400 D400= $4600 also adding weight to my GZ stabilty and looks of the vessel I think its a resonable price if it lasts me 10 years!

[southace]

10 years @ $400 per year thats cheap electricty bill

[Vasco]

Depends on where you're going to cruise and whether you have long passages to get your money out of the water bit. I did not get solar panels when I bought my boat eight years ago due to cost and am regretting it now. I'm seriously thinking of getting a couple of panels now. Right now relying on a KISS and a Honda eu20000i. Most of my time cruising is spent at anchor in the sun. Wind itself doesn't do it in the Bahamas. It's either feast or famine.

[southace]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Depends on where you're going to cruise and whether you have long passages to get your money out of the water bit. I did not get solar panels when I bought my boat eight years ago due to cost and am regretting it now. I'm seriously thinking of getting a couple of panels now. Right now relying on a KISS and a Honda eu20000i. Most of my time cruising is spent at anchor in the sun. Wind itself doesn't do it in the Bahamas. It's either feast or famine.

I have a 80watt pivoting solar pannel it runs most of my electrics when the fridge is off it will keep my 300amp hours batterys on charge but with the fridge working I need more charging and less battery replacments!

[44'cruisingcat]

I know people with one. These days they never use it as a towed generator, always as a wind gen.

When you think about it - around 90% or more of the time you're at anchor. A towed generator won't be much use.

When there's wind for sailing, a wind gen will usually work OK.

When there's no wind you'll be motoring, and the engines will do plenty of charging.

[southace]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I know people with one. These days they never use it as a towed generator, always as a wind gen.

When you think about it - around 90% or more of the time you're at anchor. A towed generator won't be much use.

When there's wind for sailing, a wind gen will usually work OK.

When there's no wind you'll be motoring, and the engines will do plenty of charging.

Whats with all this Anchoring?? Are people sitting round getting overweight?? I want to go places,use my sails, maybe its becouse Im younger than most here. But 90% I would have barnicles growing on my anchor!!

[Bash]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

When there's wind for sailing, a wind gen will usually work OK.

The big exception, in my experience, is sailing a deep broad reach. On that point of sail my wind generator will generally not produce a great deal of power.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by southace

Whats with all this Anchoring?? Are people sitting round getting overweight?? I want to go places,use my sails, maybe its becouse Im younger than most here. But 90% I would have barnicles growing on my anchor!!

When you go places, don't you want to see them? I mean not just as you sail past?

We sail a fair bit - over 7000 miles in under 2 years. But the fact is, you still spend more time sitting still than moving.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Bash

The big exception, in my experience, is sailing a deep broad reach. On that point of sail my wind generator will generally not produce a great deal of power.

Yep, there are exceptions. But this guy said he really didn't see it as worth switching to the water generating mode for those exceptions. On a long passage it could be though.

[southace]

ok this is how I plan to use it: When in Marina working to top up my kitty, my duogen will be nicelly packed away making no noise,no wear,no ugly towers and my batterys will be on charge from shore power.

Before I depart Marina for say a weekend away I will have it set for water mode. when I arrive at overnight anchorages I will remove from water till following day and run on house batterys which can last me 5 days till 50% with the help of some solar.

If doing a long transit it will be used in water mode and upon arrival to my new destanation I will resort to wind generation.

Its seems like the perfect way to travel....

Im thinking now I may even fit 2!

[Bash]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Yep, there are exceptions. But this guy said he really didn't see it as worth switching to the water generating mode for those exceptions. On a long passage it could be though.

I guess it depends on the passages. From here to Baja, I'll have no problems relying on wind alone except maybe for a day of light air in SoCal. From here to Hawaii, I'll probably need solar to augment the wind because so much of the trip is DDW.

[44'cruisingcat]

Only telling you what someone who owns one says. But I guess it wasn't what you wanted to hear....

[southace]

The D400 weighs 15kg try lashing a jerry full of water to the first set of spredders and go for a sail see how a mono hull performs.... to me this is one advantage of the Duogen......someone was very smart to get the wind gen right but i see no one seems to see the light! haha