watt&sea vs solar

[admiralslater]

On our Outremer this season the ran into a rainy cloudy patch of weather in the Caribbean(an outrage) .and developed a partial state
of charge deficit that we could not solve on our solar alone . That got me thinking ,how could I spend several boat dollars to solve this issue . Before we get into don't use this or don't do that my wife does not like to camp and I like ice in my gin/rum/whiskey/tequila,.
I have 600 watts of solar, and 525 amp-hour of firefly batteries.
MY choices are more solar ,or a watt&and sea hydro generator ,the big plus on the watt and see is the high output no matter what the sun is doing .
Has any one used them . I did do a search

[Seeking Solace]

Starting around 3-5K $US that's a lot of cash for what little you get. Seems like wind would be a better option. I'm sure others will have an opinion based on real world use.

I'm unsure why it wouldn't be priced more inline with solar or wind gens.

[nwdiver]

Looked at them, but they are only good when sailing, don't help at anchor......... But a pair on the transom when running in the trade winds would replace a couple of wind turbines.......

[StuM]

How much time do you spend under way?

[sck5]

It isnt that cloudy in the Eastern Caribe very often during the season. Running your engine on those few occasions will be far more cost effective than anything else.

FWIW I would always go for more solar panels in the tropics (if there is a place to put them). Wind power seems like a good idea until you realize that a good anchorage is one without a lot of wind. Many of the islands in the eastern caribe have pretty high mountains and therefore pretty well protected anchorages.

[Bleemus]

You have enough deck space so my first priority would be getting to more than 1Kw of solar which will help a great deal even on cloudier days. After that a Superwind 350. WattandSea are fantastic units especially on boats that average over 7 knots but are useless at anchor.

[lifgun]

I've used a watt and sea 600 on my trip from Spain to Cape Town on a Luffe 45 - this thing is just great and with any penny - no idea how to do this without this highly efficient power plant. And from a esthetic point of view (compare to solar panels) - just great. Check Lifgun.com for more details.

[barnakiel]

I have considered a towed generator of the most recent style and stopped in my tracks as I looked back at our records that in our case the deficits came on overcast and slow days (wind less than 10 knots = our boat goes less than 5kts).

So try to match your extra juice converter well to the actual situation - if your boat is moving and fast then the turbine will be a good choice.

A Honda genset or a Fuel Cell generate juice in all propositions: anchored, windy or flat and no Sun. They are possibly your alternatives.

b.

[roverhi]

If you can get your solar output on a typical day to cover your electrical needs, running the engine with a high output alternator(s) and a smart regulator is by far the most cost wise nd convenient way to go. If your plans are to go to less sunny climate, a small diesel generator would be your best choice.

Water driven generators are great sources of electrical energy but you have to be moving for them to work. Perfect for a quick round the world sail but poor overall output for a 10 year circumnavigation.

[nwdiver]

When I looked at them, I realized their first and best market is racing boats....... They are always moving or they don't need power........

[Emerald Sea]

We operate solar and a W&S generator only on our cat. You will get a reduced charge thru clouds and would recommend you need additional panels ie 1200+watts. And a hydrogenerator is only at value when passaging, specifically at night when there is zero sun and you have a larger battery drain. Your answer depends on your amperage requirements and your style of cruising, passaging.

[owenrms]

I know it is a sample size of one however this Leopard 48 seems to have had none stop problems with their Watt&Sea....check out their blog

Burnettsahoy!