Small boat generators?

[RaymondR]

I used an 18" 12V radiator fan mounted in a piece of plywood with sliding bolts in a forward hatch to blow cooler air into the boat and it worked well. Had to run it from 6V because it blew in to much air and was too noisy and generally had to turn it off during the night as it was too cold in the V berth under it.

[Tango_51]

generac iq2000... about $700 and rate at 2kva , and 2db quieter than the Honda.. and cheaper

[brownoarsman]

Originally Posted by Tango_51

generac iq2000... about $700 and rate at 2kva , and 2db quieter than the Honda.. and cheaper

That's a good point. Excepting the obvious cheap knock offs only available online, a number of reputable manufacturers make 1k and 2k gas gens now (Honda, Ryobi, etc.). Anyone know if Honda's are really worth the premium? I've been thinking of acquiring one.

[newhaul]

Yanmar makes a few diferent small generators .
https://www.yanmar.com/us/product/ydg3700/
Yanmar YDG 2700 Diesel Generator

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by newhaul

Yanmar makes a few diferent small generators .
https://www.yanmar.com/us/product/ydg3700/
Yanmar YDG 2700 Diesel Generator

93dB! Yikes; I hope no one uses one of those in an anchorage where I am (or anywhere within a couple of miles).

Construction site generators are not generally a good idea on a boat. Where do you store it? How do you lug it out of storage at 188 pounds? It will rust to dust if you leave it on deck. And they are extremely noisy -- certainly no one would leave one of those running overnight.

The Honda suitcase generators (and similar from other manufacturers) are much better choices, in my opinion.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

93dB! Yikes; I hope no one uses one of those in an anchorage where I am (or anywhere within a couple of miles).

Construction site generators are not generally a good idea on a boat. Where do you store it? How do you lug it out of storage at 188 pounds? It will rust to dust if you leave it on deck. And they are extremely noisy -- certainly no one would leave one of those running overnight.

The Honda suitcase generators (and similar from other manufacturers) are much better choices, in my opinion.

Never said they were light or quiet both of which can be delt with. Being diesel and your mains is diesel means you dont need to carry multiple fuels.
A better muffler will quiet the unit down considerably.

[TooCoys]

Good point raised! I never thought about it but it's almost always windier on the wate than it is in our campground where our RV is parked.

I'll start with 12v fans and do a few nights anchored out locally before I make a jump into any generator.

[fallingeggs]

Originally Posted by brownoarsman

Anyone know if Honda's are really worth the premium? I've been thinking of acquiring one.

I looked into this and went with the Honda. There aren't any remotely scientific studies of quality among the choices, so don't bother looking.

For me, I want a quality generator as it is a core component of my electric galley.* Having an issue while I'm out of the US will be expensive and will take time. The Honda is KNOWN to be dependable. It has proven itself over and over and over.

The others? They are fairly new and just starting to build track records. If I were in the US, I wouldn't have a problem saving the cash and trying something cheaper. Ditto if the generator was only used occasionally for charging or power tools (ie, no big deal if it didn't work for a week or two).

*fwiw, the Honda is not completely necessary... I can cook food if it does actually break.

[brownoarsman]

Originally Posted by fallingeggs

I looked into this and went with the Honda. There aren't any remotely scientific studies of quality among the choices, so don't bother looking.

For me, I want a quality generator as it is a core component of my electric galley.* Having an issue while I'm out of the US will be expensive and will take time. The Honda is KNOWN to be dependable. It has proven itself over and over and over.

The others? They are fairly new and just starting to build track records. If I were in the US, I wouldn't have a problem saving the cash and trying something cheaper. Ditto if the generator was only used occasionally for charging or power tools (ie, no big deal if it didn't work for a week or two).

*fwiw, the Honda is not completely necessary... I can cook food if it does actually break.

That's a good point. Everyone does swear by them. I'm reminded of the Engel vs winter vs waeco, etc. debate where there really doesn't appear to be a ton of differentiation even down to some of the units using the same compressor, but when you want ice cream in the middle of the Atlantic ... Trust the one everyone has been using for multiple decades!

For my part, home depot has been the one feeding me advertisements for multiple different brands of 1k and 2k generators. Since home depot's warranty and return policy is so good, I might experiment with something cheaper as I'll be sticking to coastal US. I don't really need one, but was thinking it might be good to have after eliminating the diesel engine.

[44'cruisingcat]

Hella fans can make a big difference, are pretty quiet and use very little power.