Using a generator while on the hook?

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by dalemann

I have never understood a boater who goes to such extreme lengths to escape the noise and confusion of civilization celebrates his arrival by starting a generator and letting it run for hours to entertain his neighbours.

It's the same guy, or his cousin, who has to run a generator all night in a campground. If either a boater or camper needs big power all night, they need to be in a motel or hookup to shore power. Or move far away from other folks. They should be the one to move, not the person seeking solitude and silence.

We run generator nearly every day at anchor, but only mid-day for no more than 3 hours and it is pretty quiet (engine room, sound shield, water muffler), and I try to anchor where the exhaust is not upwind of any boat. I never had any complaints, but if I did I would move.

[malbert73]

Air cooled generators are not quiet on exhaust side which is what everyone faces out. I just listened to one this weekend on a stern platform at least 200 yards away. Very loud. They also are not marine compliant or necessarily safe though widely used. I feel if you are to run a genset in a busy harbor or anchorage it should be a properly installed one. Or point the noisy exhaust pipe back toward your cockpit [emoji3]
As for mine- it’s a next gen and if we plan to run it I try to find a space with no one astern. All you can hear at 10 yards is water splashes from the exhaust under my stern overhang. And I tie my inflatable up to my stern to whichever side the closest boat is which pretty much cancels that sound also.
We much prefer open air. And even on Chesapeake in summer usually it’s cool enough by 30 min after sunset to kill the AC and genset and run some fans. Once in a while it stays 85-90/85-90 temp/humidity all night and then we choose to sleep with AC. When we anticipate this we try to anchor well away from others and if someone comes in afterwards nearby we ask them if the genset bothers them because we likely will run it all night. And amazingly when asked that way folks seem pleasantly surprised and always say it’s not an issue in our experience
Cheers!

[Bluechart]

We have articulating solar panels, which keep our batteries nearly 100% if we have sun all day at anchor (freezer, fridge, etc on 24/7).

We do run the genset (diesel, water cooled, belowdeck) from time to time, to charge batteries if needed, vacuum, or other high energy demands (blowing up the dinghy and floaties, etc.)

So, we never need to run the Yanmar engine while at anchor. The genset only uses a liter/hour.....vs the Yanmar at a gallon/hour.


I’ve spent lots of time rowing around the boat with the genset running, and I don’t need to get very far before i can’t hear it. I’ve asked neighbors if they can hear it, and they have reported no. Maybe due to the muffler? The generator exhaust is just above the water, next to the engine exhaust.

Love having the genset,,,,,We lost our charging capacity due to a failed alternator regulator a month ago, but no worries, between our solar panels and genset, we kept the batteries charged up.

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I can't believe adults are having this discussion... Arriving first doesn't give you ownership of a common space.

If your generator is loud, yes, turn it off during quiet hours, or as others have flippantly suggested, move. Or here's a thought, if you must run it all the time, then go around and ask if anyone minds.

Does arriving second give you ownership of common space? I can tell you that if I choose an empty anchorage so that I can run my generator and my a/c all night I’m not giving the boat that decides to join me veto power.

[RickG]

We run our Honda 2000 generator to charge the batteries occasionally, sometimes at night. Our nearest neighbors are early to bed and early to rise types. When they anchored I mentioned that if our generator bothered them they could call on the radio and we would be happy to turn it off. He has never been bothered and mentioned he cannot hear it at all four boat lengths away on his boat.

The truth is that most boats don't have enough real estate to always depend on solar to charge a battery bank big enough to run a refrigerator. Cloudy days happen. We were at 50% on an 812Ah Firefly bank this morning. I'll run the engine for a bit to make hot water and charge the batteries. I'll run the generator tonight to charge the batteries and watch Away on Netflix. We only turn on the air conditioning if someone is not feeling well an needs a break from the heat.

Cheers, RickG

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

Does arriving second give you ownership of common space? I can tell you that if I choose an empty anchorage so that I can run my generator and my a/c all night I’m not giving the boat that decides to join me veto power.

No. That's the point. No one has ownership. The second boat has as much right to a space unpolluted by noise as you. You are placing your apparent needs over everyone else's.

This is a pretty basic civil (and civic) principle. What did your mother teach you about sharing and being a good neighbour? Did she say, "Screw everyone and do what you want?"

I really can't understand how adults don't get this. As the saying goes, your right to swing your arm end at my nose. Your right to run a noisy generator ends at my ears.

If you must run a generator all the time, install a quiet one. Many here have discussed their properly installed setups. I've been beside a few, and I know they can be quiet.

[tarian]

What a farce , about some noise in a place you do not own probably a guest to the country and telling people not to run their generator. It is those of the better than thou that are indeed selfish . Sailing etiquette is a mine field of countries nationality and person one etiquette to one is a nonsense to others get a grip you sad bunch of peoples. Put your benny on next to me , i really do not care and if I did I would move this thread is rather sad full of nimbes not in my back yard but it's not you yard

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by RickG

We run our Honda 2000 generator to charge the batteries occasionally, sometimes at night. Our nearest neighbors are early to bed and early to rise types. When they anchored I mentioned that if our generator bothered them they could call on the radio and we would be happy to turn it off. He has never been bothered and mentioned he cannot hear it at all four boat lengths away on his boat.

Good on you Rick.

See how easy it is? If you must run the generator -- and there are certainly times when it is necessary -- then do your best to mitigate the noise. And if it must be run through the quiet hours, just ask the neighbours.

It's about being respectful of other people -- something some here don't seem to understand. Put another way, it's about Rights AND Responsibilities. Everyone seems to demand "MY RIGHTS!" but few remember that these come with responsibilities.

[boatpoker]

Love it when the idiots show up.
Always entertaining.

[CaptWho]

Originally Posted by tarian

Let people have a genny. On and a party if they like . Put ear plugs in.

In addition to his poor syntax, this guy represents the worst of us. I hope he stays far away from any anchorage that I ever stay in! He probably throws his plastic in the water with the philosophy that if you don't like it, just look the other way.

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

BTW, anyone who believes their little Honda is quiet is delusional. I own, and do run, a Yamaha 1000 gas generator at times. It was the quietest on the market (which is why I bought it), and it is still pretty damn noisy. And as any boater knows, noise travels long and easy over the flat calm of a still anchorage.

Mike, the following is for CURRENT Yamaha and Honda generators. Not guaranteed to be true for older models . . .

Yamaha IF1000iS is rated at 57 dB(A) @ rated load 47 dB(A) @ ¼ load
Honda EU-1000i is rated at 50 dB(A) @ rated load 42 dB(A) @ 1/4 load

* Just for comparison, the new Honda EU-2200i is rated at 57 dB(A) @ rated load 48 dB(A) @ 1/4 load

Note: While every 6 dB SPL represents a doubling of amplitude, a non-exact rule-of-thumb is that every 10 dB increase is a doubling of perceived loudness. Generally understood as noise doubles with every 7 dB(A) of increase.

So based on the above, your Yamaha at full rated speed was exactly TWICE as loud as the Honda at full rated speed, and at 1/4 load, it is over 70% louder than the Honda at 1/4 load . . .
*and the Honda EU2200i is just as loud (or quiet) at full rated output as the Yamaha IF1000iS

Either way, neither generator is particularly loud.

https://www.yamahagenerators.com/EF1...p/ef1000is.htm

https://powerequipment.honda.com/gen...models/eu1000i

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

No. That's the point. No one has ownership. The second boat has as much right to a space unpolluted by noise as you. You are placing your apparent needs over everyone else's.

This is a pretty basic civil (and civic) principle. What did your mother teach you about sharing and being a good neighbour? Did she say, "Screw everyone and do what you want?"

I really can't understand how adults don't get this. As the saying goes, your right to swing your arm end at my nose. Your right to run a noisy generator ends at my ears.

If you must run a generator all the time, install a quiet one. Many here have discussed their properly installed setups. I've been beside a few, and I know they can be quiet.

My generators have water lift mufflers and sound shields.

It seems that you feel that the most restrictive and sensitive person is the one who sets the standard for everyone else. The person who is the most easily offended is the person that everyone else should cater to. How is that fair?

In my example I have already moved away from everyone else for the express purpose of running my generators. Am I expected to move again? Or perhaps the person who has anchored near a boat with generator running should accept that they have chosen to anchor near a boat with the generator running and simply STFU?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

My generators have water lift mufflers and sound shields.

It seems that you feel that the most restrictive and sensitive person is the one who sets the standard for everyone else. The person who is the most easily offended is the person that everyone else should cater to. How is that fair?

In my example I have already moved away from everyone else for the express purpose of running my generators. Am I expected to move again? Or perhaps the person who has anchored near a boat with generator running should accept that they have chosen to anchor near a boat with the generator running and simply STFU?

You seem intent on taking offense. I clearly stated, many times, that running a generator is not a problem if its noise is mitigated. It's the same with running a stereo; run it at a reasonable level and there's no problem. It's the self-centered folks who blast noise at all times of day and night, without consideration for others, which cause all the problems.

Your setup sounds like it will be very quiet. How then would anyone even know you're running a generator? If it's set up as you describe, it should be barely audible a boat length or so away.


BlueH2Obound, good to know. My generator is now over a decade old. It was the quietest one back then. And it's still pretty quiet. But I've never heard any of these gas generators which would not be obnoxious in a quiet anchorage after dark.


As someone suggested, maybe point the exhaust toward your own cabin, instead of away as we all do. That would help with the noise, and motivate people to limit their use.

[JRO]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

Why is this so difficult? I also have and sometimes use a Honda EU2000i generator. I do try to limit my use to daytime and to keep the rpms in the eco mode so as to not disturbed others. What’s so difficult about be kind?

Everyone, all the time, should make efforts to be kind. That goes without saying... But if you anchor yourself in the middle of a flotilla you should understand that fully functioning yachts are going to be fully functioning. A flotilla is a Walmart parking lot. It’s where you shop for previsions for your next peaceful anchorage. If you base all your activities in a Walmart flotilla... You are really missing the boat.

[Capt Gill]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

It's heartening to see the vast majority of people here recommend basic civility and common courtesy as the guiding principle.

Be considerate and respectful of others and you'll be fine. Those who can't comprehend that rights come with responsibilities are the ones that screw it up for everyone.

It's really that simple!