Pocket Cruiser or wind generator

[barnakiel]

I would get the small boat. This way you buy more time on the water.

What do you buy with the windgen if you already have shore power and the boat can't go past the bridges. NOTHING.

Buy toys that make you move it.

barnakiel

[Seeking Solace]

Hrmm. Another boat? That seems like a huge expense. That is unless it's easy to load and unload and you've got a place to keep it when you're out playing with other toys.

A wind generator. That's interesting too. I've stood 10 feet from some around there and didn't notice them running other than the shadow going by. It was nowhere near 20knts outside. It seems that the rigging makes far more noise than most I've been around. I've read the vertical ones are noisy and have seen one tied up while someone was away. Pretty rude to go on another persons boat and tie up the power generator because it was noisy.

I guess I'm a bad neighbor. I'd get the generator and get some power on those days solar wasn't enough. The newer models have better brakes on them (although I hear none of them are perfect and you have to secure them). Another boat is an expense that you can't use at the same time. You can only skipper one at a time right? Towns behind bridges are for cars. Sailing is meant for the outside and where the bigger bridges are. I guess there's a following for gunkholing too.

I guess the best question to ask is what is going to bring me more pleasure and can I picture myself with one over the other. That's where the answer has to be with any purchase. Let some other guy enjoy that other boat is my opinion. Spend a little more than the bottom of the line and get a quiet generator so you can enjoy it too. FWIW

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Seeking Solace

.... have seen one tied up while someone was away. Pretty rude to go on another persons boat and tie up the power generator because it was noisy.

Well, two things to note here:

1. I tie our wind generator off before I leave the boat because I have to. It is not suited to unattended operation, and I found out the hard way that I should have believed the manual about this. So it could be the wind gen is tied off by the owner for maintenance reasons.

2. It is also,possible that the owner tied off the generator for politeness and consideration of others. If so they are truly all that is good in boat ownership and I wish more people were like them.

I think, if I am honest with myself, that I am more likely to take to my neighbours evil screaming banshee of a wind generator with a baseball bat than a length of line. But I never claimed to be perfect.

[Seeking Solace]

Originally Posted by GILow

Well, two things to note here:

1. I tie our wind generator off before I leave the boat because I have to. It is not suited to unattended operation, and I found out the hard way that I should have believed the manual about this. So it could be the wind gen is tied off by the owner for maintenance reasons.

2. It is also,possible that the owner tied off the generator for politeness and consideration of others. If so they are truly all that is good in boat ownership and I wish more people were like them.

I think, if I am honest with myself, that I am more likely to take to my neighbours evil screaming banshee of a wind generator with a baseball bat than a length of line. But I never claimed to be perfect.

Just curious what happened to yours when it was left unattended. I've heard of birds striking them and destroying them in a catastrophic failure, although I've never seen it. They said it made a considerable mess and happened at sunset.

I couldn't imagine taking a bat to someone's equipment. (Although I did once consider shooting a kids basketball with a .22 while he left it in the driveway) They don't have to be running all of the time I'd suppose, especially in the marina.

Does yours have a good brake so you can stop it easily before you tie it off? Was it worth the investment to even have it and would you trade it for a gunkhole boat? (Not needing a wind generator myself, just asking for the sake of the thread)

[GalleyHo]

Originally Posted by KenH

70 people have looked at this and no comment? come on peoples, I want to hear youre input...

How did you determine this?

[GILow]

GalleyHo, the Aerogen 6 manual says not to leave unattended but it does not say why.

The why is as follows:

In a big storm that hit our marina there were 60 knot gusts. I had left the generator shorted out for braking. The current melted the brush pack on the pivot point. At this point the voltage at the generator produced over 500 volts which nuked the bridge gate rectifier. Then some time in the same storm something large hit the solar panels on the arch, shattering the glass, bending the panel and then, probably ricocheted up into the generator and knocked a blade out of alignment.

So I am much more careful to remember to tie it off now.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by GalleyHo

How did you determine this?

Shows on the thread browing screen.

[a64pilot]

My neighbors screaming meme killed a sea gull, only good thing about it, although it threw the bird guts all over the 45' Hatteras Sportfisherman that was on the other side of him.
Sort of comical cause they showed up and had no idea what had happened, it looked like someone had decided to sacrifice a seagull in their absence, on their boat.
Think of running over a sea gull with a lawnmower, that's what it looked like