Using a generator while on the hook?

[jalmberg]

If you run a generator after 9 pm, you are a jerk, by definition. Some people are okay with that and have a set of excuses ready, or just don’t give a damn. There’s another word for them, but this is a family site :-)

[Chotu]

I have a very difficult situation coming up soon.

I have to run the generator, a construction generator but a quiet one, every single day all day long. Not at night or anything, but all day long for working on the interior of my boat. Plenty of tablesaw running and circular saw running also.

Otherwise, it’s too hot to get anything done. I’m in a harbor with probably a dozen other boats. We are all fairly close by, but it’s many boat lengths from one to the next.

The harbormaster said everything is just fine. Just don’t run it after 10 PM. I still feel bad, and I did get one complaint last year. More like a passive aggressive comment. Not a true complaint.

It stinks, but I don’t really have a choice about this. There is no power available and this is what I have to do. Everyone in the harbor runs a generator, but they don’t have to run it all day long. I feel bad about running mine all day long.

Should I feel bad?

[JRO]

Anchoring in a flotilla is not a place to find silence and bonding with nature. It’s a parking lot.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Chotu

...It stinks, but I don’t really have a choice about this. There is no power available and this is what I have to do. Everyone in the harbor runs a generator, but they don’t have to run it all day long. I feel bad about running mine all day long.

Should I feel bad?

The fact that you've asked the question, and are obviously aware of the impact you're having on others, and are doing what you can to limit these effects, tells me you're one of the good guys .

This discussion isn't about being perfect, or about never impacting other people. It's about being aware that none of us are the centre of the universe, and that other people's needs also matter.

It's about living together civilly and respectfully. It heartens me to see that all but a very few here understand this simple principle.

[CaptWho]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

It's about living together civilly and respectfully. It heartens me to see that all but a very few here understand this simple principle.

...and it's the "very few" that really screw it up for the rest of us that are trying to do the right thing.

[At Peace]

I would move just from the A-hole neighbor you have.

[CruisingCouple]

We have a Cummins-Onan QD27 diesel on our boat with a dry stack exhaust. Can't tell the generator is running on the boat, much less a boat length away unless we go down in the engine room and look at it. However, depending on the wind it might be able to be heard a few hundred feet away, but usually the wind is louder than the noise from the dry stack.

We try to be as courteous as possible, but we also are not going to adjust our comfort level for other's benefit. It is a fact of live-aboard life that boats, both at sea and on an anchorage, require onboard power, hot and fresh water, and heat or A/C. Either learn to live with it, don't anchor so close to our boat, or move into the marina and get a slip with shore power and live with the masses. When I see other boats running non-marine portable generators on the rear deck of their boat I just shake my head in disbelief that anybody would do that. Put in a decent generator, installed to ABYC standards, and don't bitch about mine.

[CaptWho]

Originally Posted by CruisingCouple

We try to be as courteous as possible, but we also are not going to adjust our comfort level for other's benefit.
/snip/
Put in a decent generator, installed to ABYC standards, and don't bitch about mine.

It's nice that you can apply your standards to other people, but other people can't apply theirs to you. Some people are totally incapable of putting themselves in other people's shoes.

[aclmck]

Noise can be different to different people, I’m a retired construction worker so my hearing has been damaged somewhat by noises in construction ie jackhammers ,grinders. So certian pitch noises I can’t hear well or don’t hear at all , my sons however can hear everything.

So if I’m in an anchorage and I make noise that I assume is acceptable,my sons might disagree.

Before assuming the worst of someone running a generator maybe they don’t think it will be heard by others, maybe they have issues with their electrics, maybe they have a great need for power to run medical devices.

I understand that noise can be an issue but I’d rather have a generator going on a boat nearby than head banging music, that is loud enough that everyone around gets to listen too wether they like it or not, and they are mostly pissed when it gets turned up so nothing to be gained by speaking to them.

We get lots of sounds in anchorages water slap,noisey rigs, TVs,radios of all types and gettoblasters, then the generator.

With a bit of wind blowing we hear very little ,it’s mainly on still hot nights we hear most of the noises that keep us awake so that’s when most of the cruisers want to use a generator I find and I would too I guess if I had air conditioning .

[capn ken]

Originally Posted by chrisr

we have a well sound proofed gennie (water cooled diesel, in a sound proof box, in a sound proof cabin), and have only had the odd grumble...no serious complaints

however we are careful not to run the gennie after dark plus make a point of 'apologising for the noise' to anyone who is nearby

amazing how far a little goodwill will go

cheers,

kindness and empathy a vanishing commodity!

[southatlantic]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Totally depends on the generator. Some of them are inaudible -- heavy duty low speed generator with sound enclosure and water separator muffler simply cannot be heard in many cases. Just be careful not to be fumigating anyone downwind of you. I have one of these and run it day or night without concern -- no one can even tell it's running -- hell I can't tell myself whether it's running, if I'm on deck.


But if you have a noisy one then don't disturb people with it. Anchor off away from the crowd and don't run it early in the morning or late in the evening.

Same thing here. I have a Kohler generator with sound enclosure and water separator muffler that cannot be heard from inside the boat and can barely be heard from the deck. Since the exhaust fumes are mixed with cooling seawater, some of the gases and most of the particulates are scrubbed (dissolved in water) so the exhaust fumes cannot be detected from another boat. When at anchor, I run it 24h/day for air conditioning, except in the winter months.

[Richbayle]

Ouch, that last post came from a hot place.
I run my Honda petrol mgen from 07.00 to 10.00. Tops up the heavy overnight drain. After 10.00 the solar panels more than cope. Never had a complaint, mind you I do apologise for the noise to anyone who has had the nerve to park close to me.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I keep waiting the thread of boats showing up at an anchorage and ruining the boats there view!

Why wait? There was a thread here about a year or two ago about some skipper anchored across from Seattle and some larger boat came and anchored and, ach, spoiled his view!

[Richbayle]

Sorry guys, my comments were to a previous post, not the last in the series.

[Pania]

Had someone flashing their hand spotlight at us one night,not sure if it was the noise of the yamaha portable genny on deck or my laughter watching a comedy movie