Love ’em or hate ’em?
Wind generators… some people love ’em, others hate ’em. Or perhaps it’s just that people love to hate other people’s wind generators? Personally, I have never been bothered by them. Even the models that are considered to be the noisiest when they run don’t phase me. Like the sound traffic on shore, it’s there but I tune it out.
How efficient they are at charging your batteries depends on a lot of variables, I guess. The model of the wind generator, how/where it is installed, the consistency and volume of the wind… all those things affect the output. Whether it makes sense to invest the money to install one definitely needs to be carefully weighed against the estimated benefits. In our case though, we have a wind generator already on the boat, an Aerogen 6. For one reason or another though, the previous owner decided not to use it and deactivated it. Yesterday, I spent some time reading through the thankfully-in-English manual and I think I may try to hook it back up today. In my mind, if it adds anything at all to the battery bank, we are ahead.
Wind generators are good, particularly in conjunction with solar panels.
The panels are fine during most of the day, but not much use at night or when the weather is bad and heavily overcast.
Wind generators work well when the weather is bad, or just windy. This of course continues at night as well.
Use both and get a win/win situation.
Mike
Since it’s already installed, why not?
The noise drives me nuts.
So I guess you won’t be anchoring too close to us then. 😉
I don’t have one and normally other people’s don’t bother me. However, I spent a couple days anchored off Marathon FL next to one with bad beariings. It was a horrible sound that went on day and night. How they put up with it I’ll never know. They looked to be long term live aboards with no resources to spend on any boat repairs. I felt bad for them, but moved my boat further down the Keys.
I think that sometimes things get bad so slowly that when things get really bad, people think that’s how it’s always been.
A comment that is far wiser than its intended subject Mike and is something I see everyday …
🙂
My Four Winds does the job well enough when there is a steady breeze. In some anchorages it’s “all” I need. Mostly my meager solar is added to it and I still every few days have to run the generator or engine to top things up. I really would like to go much more solar but on a mono hull I don’t like how they clutter up the boat.
I appreciated you sharing that with me the other night when we were on your boat. You are a great story teller. YOU need to write a book!
We have one and love it..we love the sound cause then we’re making power!! When it’s windy, free power. Our boat has solar as well, and making more power. I’m adding another panel. In addition we have a small genset and finally the diesel..
I believe in having a belt and suspenders..
Fred
Sv Lady J
Yup, belt and suspenders.
I think they’re great and when mounted on the stern most of the sound is blown away aft. I second Mike Bruce’s comment about how they pair up nicely with solar. Also, it gives you another level of redundancy in the power supply department. This reason alone can save you having to buy one of those portable generators as a back-up.
On the stern to blow the sound to your downwind neighbor. 😉
I think electrical power is like money, you can’t have too much. And if someone thinks you do, they’re just jealous.
More power!
We love our SilentWind in conjunction with our solar. Although we don’t have a noise problem, they still do generate some noise – some much more than others. We generate quite a bit of power in the Bahamas with those steady winds. They key is using appropriate sound and vibration dampening. A lot of folks simply tack a pole to the deck or mount them on an arch without sound insulating the inside of the pole or using vibration dampening material between the deck and the pole and the rails and the pole mounts.
I guess we’ll find out how well ours has been installed once we spin it up. It didn’t happen today unfortunately.
Totally agree – wind and solar are an excellent match. We were solar only until we added a D400 in April. Prior to the addition we were running our generator an hour a day, since then we’ve only had to run it on the calmest of days, which have thankfully been rare so far this year. We expect to still need the generator down in Grenada on the cloudy, still days.
Another added bonus with the wind gen is that under sail we nearly always have at least 15 knots apparent wind and regardless of whether the sails are shading our solar panels we still have enough power to keep the chart plotter, auto pilot and any other instruments and/or lights up and running. We often arrive at our destination with our batteries topped up or close to full without engine or generator intervention.
The D400s are known for being particularly quiet.
Don’t forget– The world is flat.. Don’t fall the edge..
I doubt you will..
Off the edge,,
That’s why I only sail the Great Lakes. You can’t get to the edge from here.
😉
Like others say, wind and solar work hand in hand for a happy boat. The installation of the wind generator can be greatly enhanced if done properly with rubber grommet style cushioning to help dampen what noise there is. And putting the wind generator up high also helps. Ours is at the top of the mizzen mast on a hinged platform for ease of maintenance. (so it does not have to dangle)
D & Don
SV SOUTHERN CROSS
As you can see from the pics I have posted, ours is located at the top of the stern arch.
I’m not on a boat. I’m not an engineer. However, as a person who does have common sense. The question of wind generators I have been considering for many years. I cannot understand why this design is so prominent. A VERTICAL axis generator is not dependent on apparent wind direction, does not vibrate against the pole, is safe for birds, and is likely even cheaper to make. I can’t say if I hate them, or not. I would like to explore turning those spinners upright to do some research, if I ever get the chance. Oh, I’m loving that you are moving onto an Amel, that brand is at the top of my list, when I finally am in a place to cut the lines holding me to land.
Oh, I hope Kick ’em Kate doesn’t cause you any suffering. You may see the birth of a new island!
Fair winds!
I have only seen one boat with a vertical wind generator and it was large. Perhaps that’s the reason.
By the way, it’s Jenny, not Kate. Do you know of some explosive woman named Kate that made you think of that? 😉
Haha, I have no idea where I got the name Kate. Seems kind-a silly though.
I was just curious about the Vertical axis, it was a back burner project I had tinkered with when I was doing R & D work on hot tubs. Yes those go together well. Anyway, I did find this model, it’s pretty old though, and I can’t find much info about it. I just think it is sexy.
http://www.kronosenergysolutions.com/WindProducts/mastR1.html
Worth looking at.
Hello Mike,
Ric is spot-on correct. It makes a lot of sense. Here in the UK, more and more sailing vessels carry this model of wind-generator: http://forgenrenewables.com/buy-products/wind-turbines/vertical-axis/
All the best.
It’s cool. We have not seen them around here at all.