Anyone not using Honda portable generator?

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Tspringer

I have a Honda Eu2200i gas generator.

It is the ONLY truly reliable source of electricity aboard. I cannot stress enough the importance of this. The engine alternator is ok but does not make enough power. I have a Westerbeke 7.6BTD diesel genset. Total piece of garbage. It has 919 hours - has always been maintained to specs, definitely no maintenance deferred and it is an absolute horror of unreliability.

The Honda runs every time. Even the ONE time it was running rough - I was able to correct the issue with some simple carb cleaning in less than 10 minutes. CRAZY reliable. I have no idea how many hours on it - MANY. It runs all the time when the big genset is broken which is always.

The ONLY way we go to cruise this season at all in the Bahamas is due to the Honda. Westerbeke totally let us down - Honda kept the boat going (but no hot water...)

I would recommend the Honda - in fact get 2 - over a diesel genset every singe time.

I have a Westerbeke 27 HP B30 Diesel in my boat,
The alternater in it keeps my batterys fully charged after running for about an hour,
Its a Mitsubishi motor, L3C Motor,

I took my alternator into a car electrical repairer and had it fully rebuilt for $130-00.
It now charges my 920 Amphr batterys to 12.4 volts in an hour, from 11.4 volts,

I put a cheap 12 volt hot water pump, ($20-00 Chinese) in the line from the motor to the hot water tank,
The Bypass from the motor to the hot water tank was near non existent till I put the hot water pump in the line,
After an hour, It will scald you without cold water added as well,
Cheers, Brian,

[Mr B]

Im sitting in Kiah Inlet, Towamba river, 100 metres from the Ocean, Tasman Sea, Eden, NSW, Australia,
No wind, No waves, almost perfect silence, Magic spot,
Friday, public holiday here, Out come the crowds,

Some Moron starts a portable generator, Very noisy,
Sounds like a chainsaw cutting wood with a blunt blade, But continuous,
Runs from about 1-00 PM till Midnight, 11 hours, Till I spat the Dummy,
So I start my diesel with the covers off, Its quite noisy,
The sound carry's across the water very well, Very Loudly,
I Ran it for about an hour or so till about 1-15 AM, Sat Morning.
Charged up my batterys as well, ,
Turned off the diesel, WOW, This noisy Generator had stopped,
Appears they got the message,
Peace has resumed once again in the Inlet, I went back to bed,

I approached the only campers any where within a mile from my boat, The next day,
Hi, You off the the yacht out there, Yes, thats me,
I said to them, Do you know who the AH's were with the generator running last night,
No, Not us, We didnt even hear a generator running, Hahahahahaha
The generator hasnt run since,
This camp site is 2 miles down a single overgrown dirt track with no exits on it any where,
And no where else to camp,
I have walked up it,
I can see their campsite from the boat, They were using torches last night,
But no noisy bloody generator,

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Tspringer

I have a Honda Eu2200i gas generator.

It is the ONLY truly reliable source of electricity aboard. I cannot stress enough the importance of this. The engine alternator is ok but does not make enough power. I have a Westerbeke 7.6BTD diesel genset. Total piece of garbage. It has 919 hours - has always been maintained to specs, definitely no maintenance deferred and it is an absolute horror of unreliability.

The Honda runs every time. Even the ONE time it was running rough - I was able to correct the issue with some simple carb cleaning in less than 10 minutes. CRAZY reliable. I have no idea how many hours on it - MANY. It runs all the time when the big genset is broken which is always.

The ONLY way we go to cruise this season at all in the Bahamas is due to the Honda. Westerbeke totally let us down - Honda kept the boat going (but no hot water...)

I would recommend the Honda - in fact get 2 - over a diesel genset every singe time.

Now you equal your Westerbeke to a diesel genset in general but that is silly because a decent Northern Lights blows the Honda screamer away in every aspect except price

[smj]

Originally Posted by Mr B

I have a Westerbeke 27 HP B30 Diesel in my boat,

The alternater in it keeps my batterys fully charged after running for about an hour,

Its a Mitsubishi motor, L3C Motor,



I took my alternator into a car electrical repairer and had it fully rebuilt for $130-00.

It now charges my 920 Amphr batterys to 12.4 volts in an hour, from 11.4 volts,



I put a cheap 12 volt hot water pump, ($20-00 Chinese) in the line from the motor to the hot water tank,

The Bypass from the motor to the hot water tank was near non existent till I put the hot water pump in the line,

After an hour, It will scald you without cold water added as well,

Cheers, Brian,

Your battery at 11.4V is dead. If you run your engine for an hour and it’s showing 12.4V your battery is still dead and you’ve barely entered a charging cycle.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Some Moron starts a portable generator, Very noisy, Sounds like a chainsaw cutting wood with a blunt blade, But continuous,...

Yes indeed. I accept that sometimes they're necessary, but no one should pretend any of these generators are quiet. I own one, and very occasionally use it. But I only do so when absolutely needed, and only during mid daytime hours. I also try very hard to only use it when I'm alone in the anchorage.

[carlosproa]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Im sitting in Kiah Inlet, Towamba river, 100 metres from the Ocean, Tasman Sea, Eden, NSW, Australia,

No wind, No waves, almost perfect silence, Magic spot,

Friday, public holiday here, Out come the crowds,



Some Moron starts a portable generator, Very noisy,

Sounds like a chainsaw cutting wood with a blunt blade, But continuous,

Runs from about 1-00 PM till Midnight, 11 hours, Till I spat the Dummy,

So I start my diesel with the covers off, Its quite noisy,

The sound carry's across the water very well, Very Loudly,

I Ran it for about an hour or so till about 1-15 AM, Sat Morning.

Charged up my batterys as well, ,

Turned off the diesel, WOW, This noisy Generator had stopped,

Appears they got the message,

Peace has resumed once again in the Inlet, I went back to bed,



I approached the only campers any where within a mile from my boat, The next day,

Hi, You off the the yacht out there, Yes, thats me,

I said to them, Do you know who the AH's were with the generator running last night,

No, Not us, We didnt even hear a generator running, Hahahahahaha

The generator hasnt run since,

This camp site is 2 miles down a single overgrown dirt track with no exits on it any where,

And no where else to camp,

I have walked up it,

I can see their campsite from the boat, They were using torches last night,

But no noisy bloody generator,

So you basically bullied them and feel proud of it? That is to be an *******.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

So you basically bullied them and feel proud of it? That is to be an *******.

So you run a noisy generator at midnight, You feel proud of your self,

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

So you basically bullied them and feel proud of it? That is to be an *******.

Sometimes, a point has to be made.

I got stuck in a tiny Anchorage a few years back. You could easily swim across it. One of the new houses that was built around the anchorage had a stereo. He pointed the speakers at the boats (24 hours a day) so we’d move along. There was a storm.

So, I let out scope (I was upwind of the House) to get closer to the house with the speakers.

I had a 6kw construction generator still on the boat. A generator that doesn’t even try to be quiet. Loud as hell. So I fired this thing up right near his place for a few hours before dawn.

Never heard the speakers turned on again.

[sailorboy1]

when you become the thing you hate in order to take the higher ground?

on the other hand aholes generally are aholes because they don't get called on it

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Im sitting in Kiah Inlet, Towamba river, 100 metres from the Ocean, Tasman Sea, Eden, NSW, Australia,
No wind, No waves, almost perfect silence, Magic spot,
Friday, public holiday here, Out come the crowds,

Some Moron starts a portable generator, Very noisy,
Sounds like a chainsaw cutting wood with a blunt blade, But continuous,
Runs from about 1-00 PM till Midnight, 11 hours, Till I spat the Dummy,
So I start my diesel with the covers off, Its quite noisy,
The sound carry's across the water very well, Very Loudly,
I Ran it for about an hour or so till about 1-15 AM, Sat Morning.
Charged up my batterys as well, ,
Turned off the diesel, WOW, This noisy Generator had stopped,
Appears they got the message,
Peace has resumed once again in the Inlet, I went back to bed,

I approached the only campers any where within a mile from my boat, The next day,
Hi, You off the the yacht out there, Yes, thats me,
I said to them, Do you know who the AH's were with the generator running last night,
No, Not us, We didnt even hear a generator running, Hahahahahaha
The generator hasnt run since,
This camp site is 2 miles down a single overgrown dirt track with no exits on it any where,
And no where else to camp,
I have walked up it,
I can see their campsite from the boat, They were using torches last night,
But no noisy bloody generator,

By your own admission, there were TWO boats running noisy generators . . . What was it you called the OTHER person running a noisy generator?

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by BlueH2Obound

By your own admission, there were TWO boats running noisy generators . . . What was it you called the OTHER person running a noisy generator?

One noisy boat at Midnight, Mine, I ran it for an hour,

One very noisy Generator in a camp site on land, 200 yards away,
11 hours of continuous running,
Till they turned it off after midnight,

[Tspringer]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Now you equal your Westerbeke to a diesel genset in general but that is silly because a decent Northern Lights blows the Honda screamer away in every aspect except price

I do agree with this and you are correct.

I have not owned a Northern Lights but I do know about Lugger engine reputation and the quality of their gensets. I wish I did have one.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

that is silly because a decent Northern Lights blows the Honda screamer away in every aspect except price

That's a lot like saying a Ferrari blows away the performance of your average compact car...when the guy was shopping for an affordable commuter vehicle.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

That's a lot like saying a Ferrari blows away the performance of your average compact car...when the guy was shopping for an affordable commuter vehicle.

Based on my experience with my installed diesel generator that gave up after 3years and only 700 hours it is better to get the Ferrari or get the compact car (a Honda). Everything between is just not worth the money and time.

And getting a Honda verse something else is close the difference between a Toyota Corolla and a Hugo. Is it worth the price savings ?

[OneKoolCat]

I don't have a generator, I am in the solar/battery/inverter camp. However, a friend of mine just got a Generac 7127 iQ3500-3500 from amazon. Cost him a $999. He claims it is quieter than the Honda, but I have not heard it yet. I don't know if it is marketing or is honestly quieter, but he thinks so.

As others have said do what you need to do, but put forth the effort to be mindful of others in your anchorage.

Cheers,
Peter