Allan Buchan
04-26-2006, 06:06 AM
I have just purchased a Chaperral Signature 270 at the London Boat Show and I wish to fit a silent generator to run the cooker, microwave and fridge.
Is there someone out there that can advise me as to which generator to purchase and what power output I will need. I am pretty new to boating and am a little confused by advice I have received in the UK. As this is a Canadian boat I would prefer to hear from someone who has experience of this craft.
Regards
Allan Buchan
marshmat
04-26-2006, 01:07 PM
Welcome to the forum, Allan.
There are a number of approaches to the problem of onboard gensets. One school of thought says to buy a generator that will handle all the loads you can conceive of using at once; another says get a small generator and use batteries and an inverter to power your gear.
I'm a fan of the latter option myself. Being in England, I imagine you also wouldn't mind a bit of cabin heating to extend the season into spring and fall. Take a look at this thread http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11138&highlight=whispergen for mention of a little Stirling cycle generator/heater that might do what you're thinking of.
A few good deep-cycle batteries, wired correctly and with a decent charge controller, can last quite a while. The generator can slowly top them off, but you still have enough power on tap for the high-drain appliances. If you want 120/240 V AC power, an inverter is a good idea- Xantrex makes some of the best; always go a bit oversize.
Start by looking at each appliance- how many watts does it use, and how many hours a day will it be run. Multiply these to get watt-hours per day, and add all your loads together this way, then you have some idea how much power you need to make each day. Divide that by the number of hours per day you want to run your generator, to get the appropriate generator size range. For battery sizing, you have to go to manufacturers' specification tables.
Chaparrals have a well-deserved reputation as being good, solid and reliable boats.
