[Rhodes22-list] Generator

[Bill Effros]

Sorry about the lambasting.  I think I was on the lambasting side of the 
equation, although I think my role would better be characterized as 
ridiculing.

Then I stumbled across one, and was really surprised about how quiet it was.

Sadly, I had trashed all the email in this thread, thinking it would 
never apply to me.

Now I'm thinking it might be a really useful thing to carry aboard.  
Your situation is just one example.  But it also might be useful as a 
hybrid gas/electric propulsion system in a pinch.  We are already 
carrying the gas on board, so that's no big thing.  The small generators 
run on a thimbleful of gas.  The little Honda runs around $700.

As I remember, you and Wally (?) had some interesting storage and 
mounting ideas.

Again, sorry about the lambasting.

Bill Effros



brad haslett wrote:

>Bill,
>
>Yeah, I started that discussion and pretty well got
>lambasted for it.  The last issue of Practical Sailor
>did a review on small generators and chose the Yamaha
>by a slight edge over my Honda.  It was my intent to
>take it with me on this trip but was one of a dozen
>items left behind.  A small generator on board would
>have definitely solved our problem of low batteries. 
>I've thought about leaving it on the boat but it saved
>our arse at home during hurricane Elvis last year, and
>kept us from losing all our food after going without
>power for three days.  
>
>Brad
>--- Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>Brad,
>>
>>Weren't you part of the small portable generator
>>discussion?  The more 
>>I've thought about it, (and after hearing how
>>quietly they run) the more 
>>interested I've become in that idea.
>>
>>Did you decide against it?  Wouldn't that have
>>solved your problem?
>>
>>Bill Effros
>>
>>brad haslett wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Anne,
>>>
>>>Let's not be to harsh on the Bohemians.  I'm
>>>      
>>>
>>beginning
>>    
>>
>>>to think of myself as a Bohemian sailor.  My oldest
>>>boy and his friends survived Spring Break on the
>>>      
>>>
>>boat,
>>    
>>
>>>the boat didn't fare as well.  They stayed up all
>>>night partying while I slept in the aft cabin.  The
>>>second morning we cranked the engine and motored
>>>      
>>>
>>for
>>    
>>
>>>about 30 minutes until the wind picked up, and then
>>>raised the sails and a few toasts.  When the wind
>>>      
>>>
>>died
>>    
>>
>>>down we stowed canvas and attempted to start the
>>>diesel ginny.  Click, Click, Click!  My battery
>>>charger quit a couple of months ago (it was a
>>>      
>>>
>>salvage
>>    
>>
>>>unit off the Mayflower), the replacement is on
>>>backorder from Sailnet, and apparently we didn't
>>>      
>>>
>>motor
>>    
>>
>>>enough to recover from the gazillion hours of
>>>      
>>>
>>stereo
>>    
>>
>>>use.  "Not to worry boys!  Its a sailboat!"  The
>>>current was drifting us pretty quickly to a rocky
>>>shore so I unstowed the main, manned the helm, and
>>>      
>>>
>>had
>>    
>>
>>>Spencer man the halyard winch.  I'm not sure what
>>>happened but when the main was fully-up it had
>>>      
>>>
>>about a
>>    
>>
>>>two-foot tear in the top panel.  We sailed back to
>>>      
>>>
>>the
>>    
>>
>>>inlet to my marina with what wind (and sail)we had
>>>      
>>>
>>and
>>    
>>
>>>then flagged down a pontoon boat for a tow.  Not
>>>      
>>>
>>just
>>    
>>
>>>any pontoon boat, a 350 cubic inch V-8 powered
>>>      
>>>
>>pontoon
>>    
>>
>>>boat (didn't know they made such a thing).  I
>>>      
>>>
>>pulled
>>    
>>
>>>the main off the boat, threw it in a sailbag for
>>>repairs, and pressed on with the week.  I purchased
>>>      
>>>
>>a
>>    
>>
>>>cheap battery charger from Wal-Mart to finish the
>>>week's frivolities and sailed on the ginnies, both
>>>iron and fabric.
>>>
>>>Now here's the deal:  my old main was pretty tired
>>>anyway.  Last year I debated replacing it but sent
>>>      
>>>
>>it
>>    
>>
>>>to SailCare instead.  It came back still somewhat
>>>dingy and baggy, unlike the sails I sent to them
>>>      
>>>
>>off
>>    
>>
>>>the Rhodes-22.  You can only do so much with an old
>>>sail.  Replacement costs run from $900+ to $2000
>>>depending on the vendor and features.  I'm debating
>>>going to a Doyle StackPack.  They haven't given me
>>>      
>>>
>>a
>>    
>>
>>>quote yet but I understand its quite expensive.  Do
>>>you or anyone on the list have any experience with
>>>      
>>>
>>the
>>    
>>
>>>StackPack or know anyone who does?  If my boat were
>>>newer I might consider boom-furling but it doesn't
>>>make economic sense now.  Of course, I could just
>>>      
>>>
>>sell
>>    
>>
>>>the damn thing, get another Rhodes-22, and build a
>>>cabin on the lake which is what I wanted to do in
>>>      
>>>
>>the
>>    
>>
>>>first place!
>>>
>>>Brad Haslett
>>>s/v "CoraShen"  (Bohemian registry)
>>>
>>>
>>>		
>>>__________________________________ 
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>>>__________________________________________________
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>>>      
>>>
>>www.rhodes22.org/list
>>    
>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>__________________________________________________
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>>www.rhodes22.org/list
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>		
>__________________________________ 
>Do you Yahoo!? 
>Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
>http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ 
>__________________________________________________
>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>  
>