Generator for '82 SRV

[hughespat57]

I'm in a similar situation, older boat that never had a generator. There is two parts to this mostly economics. A new marine generator is going to be $12-15k and while nice, you need to be able to afford it and it will ad some value to the boat but you'll not likely get it back on sale. Used half that as mentioned, but you have to find a decent one, then what do you get? Likely high hours already since it is some kind of take out from another boat. And again as mentioned any generator running at anchor in calm air will have a high CO risk. Get CO monitors if not already installed, even the main engines can lead to CO issues.

I have not started yet but my plan is this; for that $6K I can get a good sized inverter/charger 6000W ($1,200) . And a good size LifePo4 Lithium battery bank (48v 200ah) ($1,000) with a battery management system ($250). That will let me run anything I want to. Even the AC for a short period like to cool the cabin a little before turning in at night. So far that's about $3k installed. Zero noise, zero CO. This is where I am going to start.

I don't want solar panels all over the boat. So to augment shore side charging I will add later as a second phase an extra 48v PMA, Permanent Magnet Alternator ($300). PMAs have no internal brushes or regulators just plain wires so no Ignition Protected issues in a gas boat. The PMA will feed into an MPPT (charge controller - $900) next to the Inverter. Whenever my main engine is running it will charge the batteries back up. And/or I can run the AC off the engines before anchoring and really cool the cabin down. So all in I hope to be around $4500.

I plan to start this project this summer and will post how it works.
After having this basic idea my research lead to this where I admittedly got a lot more details. So it being done but I cant see there costs.
https://www.morganscloud.com/2019/02/13/nigel-calders-generator-replacement-machine-part-1-what-you-need-to-know/
https://integrelsolutions.com/

 

[dtfeld]

Count me in the never a portable generator on a boat group. People end up dead around here every year doing that and that's why the response is so critical of that idea. Last year it was a couple of young brothers, a third man survived. --> https://www.nydailynews.com/news/na...0200810-c5ct3be4preonogu2skvc5kjge-story.html

However, depending on what your trying to power, you might be able to get away with 12V appliances, or if your pretty handy, an inverter can get you some power. There are small ones and large ones, but the biggest issue is battery capacity. Regardless, even a good sized inverter and batteries to support it, would be less than a generator install.

 

[JHornsby3]

Our biggest issue is the stock stove. That dang thing being alcohol/120v is a huge disadvantage. I searched for months for a seal or rebuild kit. Not a single thing could be found. 12v appliances from the truck stop was our first thought. So I started looking at adding 2 sockets to the cabin. While in the garage/pole barn, I was thinking and drawing it out when I looked over and there in the rest of the stuff in the piles was the old solar panels from our RV we sold. With two 100w panels, we could run the furnace, invertor with TV VCR (kids), Fridge and all the other stuff and charge the batteries from almost dead to full charge in one day of sun. And that was a 36' fifth wheel. This 300DA is not as much. So it should work.

With solar technology getting better all the time. Panels are getting higher wattage in a smaller panel. Ours are 100w in a 18" by 4' panel. I figured those would fit nicely where the deck lounge pad normally goes. Seeing as that was not with the boat when we got it. I figured out that a couple 12v sockets in the little compartment just below the electrical panel with the small 2000w invertor should handle all of our needs. Well at least the coffee pot and the electric skillet. You know, cause us fat kids like to eat too. And that would keep the noise to a minimum. More than the CO hazards, I don't want to hear a gennie running at all. Their only purpose is to provide power when the power goes out in the winter. And I hate the sound then too.

 

[dtfeld]

Some folks have a butane stove. Ive considered it just to heat water...1200W stove take forever.

 

[JHornsby3]

Some folks have a butane stove. Ive considered it just to heat water...1200W stove take forever.

We bought two of them. One for use and one for a back up. After discussing the use of one and the stories of them leaking the fuel when the little seal breaks down, the wife said she would only use one out of the cabin. I thought if that is the case then I would get the LPG conversion for one of the ol Coleman white gas stoves I have ( yeah I find then for cheap at garage sales and buy them) and she could use that out on the back. I was planning on just putting the divider in the cooler and storing the lil green cylinders in the cooler out on the swim platform. Yeah, she doesn't like the ol Colemans. So that got nixed.

I really think the panels mounted up on the rails would work like a charm with a couple new batteries. Put them in the space for the genset and let em ride.

 

[Blueone]

It never gets old