Mahe 36: Wind Generators

[cburger]

Originally Posted by atoll

windbugger

Windbugger's no longer being made any others out there. As far as the towed behind types I am familiar with teese, however looking for someting I can generate amps with whilst on anchor without having to build an oil platform on the back of a classic boat.

[kiltym]

Originally Posted by SimonV

I also have the Air Breeze and cant fault the operation......although I do have a most enoying tick when the fan is turning realy slow, sort of a plastic sound....I will lower it and see what it is. I am just having too much fun up here in the Whitsundays to do work.

Its the nose cone.

Apply a bit of silicone at the three tabs when you put the cone back on. Once it cures, turn the Breeze back on and the noise will be gone.

[SteveT]

Originally Posted by Mark Johnson

The notion that wind generators, (like the most noisy brands from SWWP), are necessary to fill in for when it is cloudy, and solar doesn't work, is an often repeated myth. It is simply not true...

If this has been the case for you, you don't have a proper solar array and battery capacity. We have had all solar for 15 years, and get all of our energy back to 100% charged, about 350 days a year. On the 16 remaining days, we crank the engine for 45 minutes or so.

The key is to have a solar array that produces bit over TWICE your normal daily consumption. If you start out with a super efficient boat, and minimize your consumption, this is entirely within reason.

Solar panels don't drop to near "0" output on extremely overcast days, they drop no more than 50%!

With our daily need in the range of 45 Ah, our 340 Ah Trojan L-14s can cover us for several REALLY overcast days if necessary, and by cycling them very shallow 90% of the time, we can easily get > 10 years out of the batteries with a VERY high reliability.

Wind generators often create extra shade on your best solar panels, which negates their supposed advantage, they only last 1/3rd to 1/4th as long, and like any other form of 24/7 noise brought into an otherwise bucolic anchorage, they are very inconsiderate to those of us who went cruising to avoid this very sort of thing.

We used to supplement with a wind generator on our last two boats, but after switching to all solar, we never looked back. Our neighbors in the anchorage appreciate it too.

M.

Can't say that I agree there, not if you are on the west coast of the UK. We just do not get that much sun through the winter whereas we do get a reasonable amount of wind! We have a lot of commercial wind farms over here (vile things but...) but nary a solar array to be seen.