Turbine worth it???

[lsheaf]

Hey folks,

So my batteries need replacing ASAP. I’m looking at 2 lifeline 4D AGMs. I’m concerned My current 200 watts solar isn’t going to be enough for the refrigerator which runs 24/7. Current batteries were pretty much junk when I bought the boat so not sure what to expect with new batteries, I just don’t want to destroy them! I also have an autopilot.

30 foot ketch, not a lot of room for solar... turbine worth it?
Any thoughts?

[Mike OReilly]

You definitely need more charging capacity. Whether a wind gen is worth it is really dependent on where you cruise. If you anchor in a windy area it might be, but in my experience wind is an intermittent power source while at anchor.

I'd first make sure you have maximized your solar panel system. Then, if you really can't get more capacity on board, only then would I consider a wind gen.

My system includes 400 wats of solar and a 400 watt wind generator (SilentWind). I have a 320 amp-hr battery bank. Fridge/freezer, lights, instruments, other miscellaneous draws. My system keeps the batteries charged almost all the time. I estimate solar accounts for about 80-85% of the charging duty, with wind picking up the rest.

[Allied39]

Just answering the OP's question.
Yep, absolutely worth it. Generally when the sun is not shinning the wind be a blowing. I have had an air x for must be over 14 years now. Am happy with it and always have been. The added amps have been welcomed.
Absolutely awesome in tradewinds!!
The added advantages are that at three am I can tell you wind strength without opening my eyes. The sound of batteries charging is soothing and brings happiness.
Downside(to some) is that wind gens create noise in varying degrees, dependent on models and wind speed.
Oh, and some folks feel that they have the right to say whether your wind gen is acceptable to them ....or not. I sort them out pretty bluntly pretty quickly.
Some folks are also terrified of things that spin. Not me, but some folks.
I do have some solar as well, I think hybrid system is a must.
This just my opinion based on my experience, not interested in arguing or dealing with the trolls.

[Jim Cate]

Re Mike's post above: Mike cruises only in the summertime (so far). If one plans to be relying upon solar in the darker seasons, life changes dramatically if not in the tropics. The days become shorter and the sun angle lower, both of which adversely affect the solar output.

For us, wintering over in Tasmania (roughly latitude 43 south) has been a real awakening, for instead of the easy maintenance by solar alone that we enjoy between the spring and fall equinoxes we have required supplanting charging with many engine hours (no gen set on board). When stormy conditions prevail, our Air-X wind gen does help out, but in practice that isn't often. Now as the equinox approaches, life is improving, and some days have good enough sun that supplementary charging is not required (and I don't shiver as much).

FWIW, we have 400 W of fixed horizontal panels on an arch astern with minor shading issues with the turbine above and aft of the panels. That location means that it shades a panel only when the sun angle is quite low, and at such times there isn't much generation to be lost, so not such a bad trade off.

So, cruising seasons and location are factors in designing one's battery charging plan.

Jim

[Sailing Drummer]

I have both solar and wind. As said above, solar will give you more, during the day. Wind can augment what you get from solar during the day and under the right circumstances. At night, if the wind is blowing enough for the wind gen you get, it may run your refrigerator plus charge the battery bank. A lot depends on where you cruise. For me, summers in the Chesapeake are not great for my wind gen, but as soon as I’m in S FL on the east coast or the Bahamas the wind gen plays a large part of my charging system. If you do decide to install wind, figure out where you’ll be cruising before you figure out where to put it. You’ll want to make sure it won’t block any solar panels. In my case I have and arch with some panels on it, and I cruise between the US and the Bahamas. So in my case the wind gen is on the port side stern. If you plan on cruising the South Pacific there may be a different approach to where it goes due to N vs S of the equator and also the prevailing winds. Bottom line, for me it’s worth it. It also would be worth it to determine why refrigerator is running 24/7 and how fix that.

[Mike OReilly]

Jim is absolutely correct. I do only cruise in the northern summer months. Highish latitude (~50ºN Newfoundland) so northish. I certainly notice the diminishing solar as we go into the Fall. I'm sure a winter in Newfoundland (even if that were possible on the boat) would be terrible for solar, and likely much better for wind. But I'm not tough enough to put this to the test .

This is why everyone is saying it really depends on where you plan to cruise.

I really do like having both. I think they're a great combination. And even though solar does most of the heavy lifting, often wind excels just when solar is sucking.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by lsheaf

Hey folks,

So my batteries need replacing ASAP. I’m looking at 2 lifeline 4D AGMs. I’m concerned My current 200 watts solar isn’t going to be enough for the refrigerator which runs 24/7. Current batteries were pretty much junk when I bought the boat so not sure what to expect with new batteries, I just don’t want to destroy them! I also have an autopilot.

30 foot ketch, not a lot of room for solar... turbine worth it?
Any thoughts?

In port or on passage?

On passage a towed generator is a wonderful thing.....

My LVM Aqua4Aerogen is worth its weight in gold...... 5 knots = 4 amps 24 hours of the day... week in week out.

Sadly no longer made...

[CarlF]

Unless you love anchoring in the windiest spot in the harbor - find room for more solar instead of a wind generator. Try attaching long narrow panels to the lifelines that can be set up at anchor and folded down at sea.

Do not get the Lifeline AGMs - or any AGM if you anchor out a lot. AGM's need to be recharged to 100% regularly - which usually means plugged in at a marina. Otherwise they will fail quickly - sometimes within a year. It's called PSOC (Partial State of Charge) damage. You can search on threads about this. Charging to 95% isn't good enough.

I replaced my Lifeline AGMs with FireFly's which don't suffer from PSOC - but they are expensive. If you want a less expensive solution, get a high quality deep cycle flooded battery. One popular route is to wire four 6 volt Trojan T105's into two 12 volt banks.

[lsheaf]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

You definitely need more charging capacity. Whether a wind gen is worth it is really dependent on where you cruise. If you anchor in a windy area it might be, but in my experience wind is an intermittent power source while at anchor.

I'd first make sure you have maximized your solar panel system. Then, if you really can't get more capacity on board, only then would I consider a wind gen.

My system includes 400 wats of solar and a 400 watt wind generator (SilentWind). I have a 320 amp-hr battery bank. Fridge/freezer, lights, instruments, other miscellaneous draws. My system keeps the batteries charged almost all the time. I estimate solar accounts for about 80-85% of the charging duty, with wind picking up the rest.

I’ll be in the Caribbean for another year or so then to Panama. I haven’t read a whole lot about how turbines do in the pacific but I am curious if anyone has
Personal experience. It sounds like I should maybe try to squeeze another 200 watts on somewhere, probably looking at building a hardtop dodger or something.

[lsheaf]

Originally Posted by CarlF

Unless you love anchoring in the windiest spot in the harbor - find room for more solar instead of a wind generator. Try attaching long narrow panels to the lifelines that can be set up at anchor and folded down at sea.

Do not get the Lifeline AGMs - or any AGM if you anchor out a lot. AGM's need to be recharged to 100% regularly - which usually means plugged in at a marina. Otherwise they will fail quickly - sometimes within a year. It's called PSOC (Partial State of Charge) damage. You can search on threads about this. Charging to 95% isn't good enough.

I replaced my Lifeline AGMs with FireFly's which don't suffer from PSOC - but they are expensive. If you want a less expensive solution, get a high quality deep cycle flooded battery. One popular route is to wire four 6 volt Trojan T105's into two 12 volt banks.

Carl, I’m pretty much always at anchor. I do not like marinas. The partial state of charge issue is what put the brakes on buying the new AGMS.. At the same time I really don’t want to put Trojans in my boat. I’m very concerned about them gassing and corroding my new electrical system. I have heard of the firefly AGM but none of the local marine store on St. Thomas USVI carry them. Not sure how I would ship. What are your thoughts on the Trojans gassing off while charging?