Honda Portable Generator: Will This Work?

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Fiddlerman

These Honda generators make less or about the same noise as the water cooled Diesel generators. The only thing that makes a difference is that the Honda is kept outside, rather than inside the vessel. I get just as annoyed if someone with a diesel generator is close to us on anchor.

If you can afford a diesel generator and installation, and have the room for it, it's obviously the preferred solution.

Only if it's a really poorly done onboard genset install. For most built in generators, if you have a good exhaust system, they're really quiet. I've heard some with water separators that you can barely tell are running from 50 feet away. With an air cooled engine, no matter how quiet the exhaust is, the engine itself radiates a lot of noise.

On my boat, the generator is noisy onboard due to poor sound insulation, but from 50 feet away, all you hear is a hum from the bilge blowers and a bit of water splashing. There's no perceptible exhaust noise and you have to be very close to hear anything through the hull. At any reasonable anchoring distance, it's quite unintrusive. And my setup is far from the quietest I've heard. That said, I don't run it overnight anyway, as I don't want to listen to it and also for fume concerns.

[Fiddlerman]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I am run my 6,000 BTU AC without a soft start, but the 16,000 BTU’s locked rotor amps is 70 amps, and there is no way a Honda is getting close to that, but with a soft it will run it in Eco mode.

I run two Velair 16000 BTU AC units with our Honda 2200 Companion in Eco mode and no soft start necessary.
https://youtu.be/cua0ecXptbg

[ric8138]

No. Just no. There is equipment designed to do this chore, adapting something NOT designed for the task at hand is dangerous, and will usually end up costing more in the long run. It will certainly void your insurance, and maybe kill you or burn your boat down in the process. I’ve seen a sailboat blow up from a propane leak, Beaufort, NC, several years ago. Anyone aboard who was not killed instantly would be horribly burnt if they did survive. Personally I won’t even nap in the afternoon with my internal genset running, even with CO detectors.

[Sidney777]

No way......
Somehow get built in generator .

[Franziska]

Don't forget, not everyone has as deep pockets as you might have.
A marine genset might be nice, renewables are even nicer.

But, if your pockets are not deep, the Honda genset is very very hard to beat when it comes to generating power.

Apart from that, their power to weight ratio is great and beats each marine diesel genset installation by a huge margin.

[gatorman49]

I only get the digest and haven't read every post but.....didn't I read about this or is it in urban legend?


Sailors in anchorage, no wind, killed by CO from nearby boat's generator drifting across and entering their boat's spaces?


CO scares me to death. Thousands of terrible stories out there. I'd rather face a million no-seeums than worry about waking up dead.

[Franziska]

The amount of CO coming from a 1-2kW genset is very small if used outside. It must be way way less than any car or motor scooter. The risk of that amount drifting downwind and killing someone is infinitely small or zero.

There is only a big risk if you try to run it inside.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Franziska

The amount of CO coming from a 1-2kW genset is very small if used outside. It must be way way less than any car or motor scooter. The risk of that amount drifting downwind and killing someone is infinitely small or zero.

There is only a big risk if you try to run it inside.

CO from a portable generator is far more than a modern car. Once the catalysts are warmed up on a modern car, they put out shockingly little CO under most conditions. Any non-catalyst gas engine will put out many times more, even if it's a much smaller engine. I think the current version of the Honda 2200 may have a catalyst, but I haven't found anything to confirm that for sure.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Only if it's a really poorly done onboard genset install. For most built in generators, if you have a good exhaust system, they're really quiet. I've heard some with water separators that you can barely tell are running from 50 feet away. With an air cooled engine, no matter how quiet the exhaust is, the engine itself radiates a lot of noise.

This reminds me of one time, we were rafted up at a dock and another boater came by in their dingy and started lecturing us on the noise created by our little Yamaha on the back deck.

Funny thing was our generator wasn't running at the time and I couldn't hear any generator running. Upon checking our neighbor's generator was running (exhaust to the opposite side from us) and standing on the dock we had to really listen for it.

Later when we started ours, we went out a little ways in the dingy and you had to really listen for it to hear either.

[mfahrenthold]

Generators suck. They are noisy and disturb other people. Stick with solar. There is a 12V AC that will cool a cabin at night for sleeping. They run off your batteries.

[IanTrail]

This idea makes me think BOOOOM!
I run an air-cooled Honda generator too but I run it on deck (in the air).

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

If you are going to try and run it 200-300 nights per year...yeah get a dedicated built in generator. When we were doing the Great Loop, we used it maybe 1 night in 10 and were grateful for it. We tended to use it in remote areas where it was hot but no slips with shore power around or high rent areas where a couple gallons of gas was far cheaper than a $75-150/night slip.

I do agree on most boats, you either are running the air/con or you are quickly back to ambient outside temps.

If you are a tough southern boy who's happy to sleep in a stuffy 85F cabin, more power to you but don't expect me to do it.

We don't expect you to do it, obviously you won't accept that cut in your comfort standards, but you don't want to spend the money for a proper genset installation. So why don't you just stay home where you can be comfy all the time?

Frankly, it is not that tough to live at anchor in the tropics without air conditioning. We've done it off and on for well over twenty years (for example, right now). In port we turn on the air conditioning. At anchor we use fans. And we're from Seattle, not good ole boys from the south.

[GrowleyMonster]

I really don't have much to add. I have a similar unit made by Ryobi and it's a very nice little portable generator. I used it on my electric boat for a while, as a "get home" power source just in case I ran my bank down too far. I actually only had occasion to use it of necessity maybe twice. I also ran it on trial runs, dialing in my manual charging parameters which are kind of tricky when you are charging and discharging at the same time between 10 and 40 amps in/out of a 48v bank of golf cart batteries. It was ONLY used topside. I would never in a million years run it or even store it below. Same with the gasoline fuel. Same with any other gasoline equipment. Your personal tolerance level for explodey stuff in your boat might be higher than mine, I don't know.



Yes, CO is also a very real threat. An exhaust leak in your system could be disastrous, even fatal. Of course, same could be said about a diesel genset. Dry exhaust piping would be very hot where it exits the hull. Wet exhaust is not something you want to randomly design. You need sufficient cooling airflow, being it is an air cooled engine.



A plastic bin does not a generator enclosure make. You really should be looking at sheet metal and rock wool or other insulating material. Something that won't just literally add fuel to the fire in a disaster.



If your main engine is diesel, why not go for a used 3.5kw to 4kw diesel genset, already marinized? You could probably pick one up for maybe twice what your honda lunchbox generator would cost new. Of course a new diesel unit would be nice, but can't have everything.



Portable gasoline generators can be very useful and inexpensive, great backups, terriffic to have around the house or for camping and stuff. With some limitations they can be useful on your boat. As a permanent installation below, I have to say don't do that. I am absolutely certain that ABYC and USCG would agree if you asked.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Frankly, it is not that tough to live at anchor in the tropics without air conditioning. We've done it off and on for well over twenty years (for example, right now). In port we turn on the air conditioning. At anchor we use fans. And we're from Seattle, not good ole boys from the south.

It’s not tough at all. Because there is always wind, even early in the morning the wind is blowing, but get into the West side of Fl or the Panhandle, or on the ICW and it can be 90% humidity and 95F temps and not a breath of wind, smoke rises slowly straight up. Sun beating down.
That is what I call Africa Hot, from the movie Biloxi Blues, but anyway it’s unbearable, and it’s also the time of year we are at a dock, but some aren’t.

[reflectionsv37]

Make it simple for yourself. Have a metal rack built and install it on the stern pulpit. Have a cover made so you can protect it from the elements. The wind will keep the CO2 away and keep it cool. I did this 6 years ago. The Honda generators have a fuel pump so you can connect a external tank using a readily available replacement cap for the fuel tank.

I easily run an 8000BTU AC unit and, despite what others say, regularly run it overnight without problem. Do plan to anchor as far away from other boats as reasonably possible so you don't bother other boats.

I've included a couple photos of my installation. Your way may work, but it's complicated and may get you named in a premature obituary column!