Great idea about putting solar panels on the hatch cover. I have a small solar panel that I use to keep the battery topped off but I just set it outside when it is sunny and hope for the best. The only issue I really see is that I typically remove the hatch cover when raising or lowering the mast on our M17. I wonder how long you would have to run a generator to put a decent charge into a battery. Perhaps it might make sense to add a second battery. Our boat is wired for a second battery but we have never ran into an issue where the battery went dead in the first place, of course we have not owned the boat very long either . . . --Chad On Oct 22, 2007, at 11:30 AM, Howard Audsley wrote:
Before I'd buy a gas generator for a boat of this size, I'd consider a solar panel. Less weight, less money and much safer. At one time many of the universities with engineering programs were racing solar powered cars. We had one locally. The skin of the car itself was the solar panel. They bought the individual cells, wired them together and glued them to the skin. I've never done much about it, but have always thought the top of the hatch cover could be used like that. Generally, it's protected from damage and if the boom is kept out of the way, would get good sun, and would normally get a lot of sun when underway. Enough to keep a group 24 or 27 battery charged up for the minimal electronics these boats normally pack. Put a regulator on it and it would pretty much take care of itself.
Howard
On Oct 22, 2007, at 11:16 AM, Tom Jenkins wrote:
I looked into adding an optional alternator to my 5 hp Honda, but the output is so small that it seemed a waste of money. I plan to buy a 1000 watt Yamaha generator, which I think can be slipped through the forward (cabin) opening of the big port locker and carried upright. The comparable Honda generator apparently has no fuel cutoff like the Yamaha, so draining the carburetor would be more difficult, but the dimensions and specs are nearly identical. One of course has to be careful with the exhaust onboard, but at a weight of less than 30 lbs, one of these units would be good insurance without undue bulk.
Tom Jenkins
-----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Jim Sadler Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2007 6:01 PM To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: M_Boats: M-15 charging batteries
Any of you skippers carry a small gas generator on board for charging batteries? Are you using outboards that have charging cabilities?
Thanks
Captain James Albert Sadler skipper sailing vessel Pelican M-15 jimsadler@jascopacific.com
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