Portable Generator

[BigDog98]

I need your help guys, I am purchasing a 1999 SeaRay 270 that has a AC/Heat unit that i believe is 7000btu , fridge , microwave , head and much more electronics. Since the boat has a AC/Heat unit but does not have a generator then i was thinking of purchasing a portable generator that is not too noisy and can power everything on the boat including the AC unit with a few electronics. Which one would you guys recommend? I would like it to cost in the $500 area but will consider all. Thank You

 

[alldodge]

1K min. 5K max. Doesn't matter how many electronics you have, you shouldn't be running then on the GEN. 1K will run your AC/Heat but need 3K to run the microwave

 

[BigDog98]

1K min. 5K max. Doesn't matter how many electronics you have, you shouldn't be running then on the GEN. 1K will run your AC/Heat but need 3K to run the microwave

Well i would be running the AC unit and probably the fridge at the same time with occasional usage of the microwave only when needed. Everything can run off the house batteries since i will have the gen plugged into the shorepower and it would charge the batteries at the same time

 

[mr 88]

Yamaha or Honda are the only quiet fuel efficient ones that I would put on a boat. They are not cheap and you get what you pay for in this case. Probably looking at a minimum of 1500.00 unless you can find one on craigslist . The good part is the resale value of these when your done . The loud obnoxious ones are a dime a dozen used and if you buy one you will hate it in no time...
Now I see you are going to use it for charging only,you need the wattage draw of your charger to get the appropriate generator. A 1000 watt Honda ot Yamaha might do the trick and they go for around 6-700. Check ebay etc. I have one and you can't hear it running and it runs for maybe 6 - 7 hours on a gallon of gas along with you being able to plug a computer etc directly into it because of the sine wave technology.

 

[mr 88]

Before I got the Honda I had a Chinese knock off. I think it was a Kipo or something like that it was yellow and worked good for about a month,then started to fall apart and you couldn't find replacement parts as they were Kipo specific,ended up throwing it out,it was half the cost and what did I save by going that route ?

 

[RGrew176]

For my last boat I purchased a Honda EU2000i portable generator. My boat had a 10000 BTU reverse cycle AC/heat system. The Honda was able to power the AC when needed. It should have no problems with your 7000 BTU unit. could not run much else with the AC on. When not using the AC I could run my microwave, water heater and battery charger at the same time on the Honda. I would recommend either the Honda or the 2400 watt Yamaha. Both are going to be more than the $500 you want to budget but IMO either one of them is worth the extra $$. I also use my Honda when the power goes out at home so it has a dual purpose for me.

 

[BigDog98]

What are your guys inputs on the [h=1]Yamaha EF2000iS 2,000 Watt 79cc OHV 4-Stroke[/h]

 

[Scott Danforth]

Are you sure the sea ray doesn't have a marine genny already?

 

[bruceb58]

What are your guys inputs on the Yamaha EF2000iS 2,000 Watt 79cc OHV 4-Stroke

I have the 3,000W version of it but I wouldn't use a generator like that on a boat due to not wanting to getting killed with CO.

Buy a marine generator and have it properly installed.

 

[BigDog98]

Are you sure the sea ray doesn't have a marine genny already?

Yeah I checked and asked the broker. Just AC unit. Unfortunately

 

[BigDog98]

I have the 3,000W version of it but I wouldn't use a generator like that on a boat due to not wanting to getting killed with CO.

Buy a marine generator and have it properly installed.

I looked into a marine generator and they quoted me 6k for just the generator plus installation, not worth it for a 25k boat. And they only install kohler generators.

 

[BigDog98]

I have the 3,000W version of it but I wouldn't use a generator like that on a boat due to not wanting to getting killed with CO.

Buy a marine generator and have it properly installed.

So what generator would you recommend to get? I am not paying 5k plus for a marine generator. Maybe the Honda or Yamaha portable generators?

 

[bruceb58]

So what generator would you recommend to get? I am not paying 5k plus for a marine generator. Maybe the Honda or Yamaha portable generators?

So where do you plan on putting this generator when you are operating it?

 

[RGrew176]

I put mine on the swim platform when running. I never ran it at night while sleeping if anchored out. If I was tied up somewhere where I could put the generator on shore off the boat I would run it all night. With my 2 50' power cords I could put the generator 100' from the boat if running it at night. On my current Carver the Honda does not have the power to run the A/C as it is a larger unit.

 

[BigDog98]

So where do you plan on putting this generator when you are operating it?

On the swimming plat form.

 

[shrew]

Lights, Electronics, pressure pump, starter all run off of 12VDC (Battery) Fridge is typically dual-voltage (12VDC/120(110)VAC) . AC, Heat and Battery Charger are 120VAC only. So the AC will never run off of the batteries regardless of whether you have the boat plugged into shore power or not. To run the AC off of a Genny, you will need 20A male to 30A Female converter and a shorepower cord to connect the Genny to the shorepower inlet.

I use a Honda 2K to run a 7000 BTU genny. A marine genny is nice and I would prefer it. Plenty of people run portable generators. You just have to be careful about Co2. CO2 is heavier than air, so if its on the bow the hatches and portholes need to be closed. Particularly those below and downwind. You'll also want to close all the isinglass to prevent gas from running through the cockpit. It's easier but a little louder out on the swim platform.

For those worried about CO2:

I place mine just in front of the windshield, turned sideways with the exhaust pointed outboard and just slightly aft. I anchor off of the bow only, so the bow is pointing into the wind. I close all my isinglass along with the hatch beside the genny and the porthole below it. I leave the portholes and hatches in front of the genny open to allow air to move through the cabin. I have a CO2 detector in my cabin and it doesn't go off running it this way. I'll run it for 2 to 4 hours per day with no issues.

 

[BigDog98]

Lights, Electronics, pressure pump, starter all run off of 12VDC (Battery) Fridge is typically dual-voltage (12VDC/120(110)VAC) . AC, Heat and Battery Charger are 120VAC only. So the AC will never run off of the batteries regardless of whether you have the boat plugged into shore power or not. To run the AC off of a Genny, you will need 20A male to 30A Female converter and a shorepower cord to connect the Genny to the shorepower inlet.

I use a Honda 2K to run a 7000 BTU genny. A marine genny is nice and I would prefer it. Plenty of people run portable generators. You just have to be careful about Co2. CO2 is heavier than air, so if its on the bow the hatches and portholes need to be closed. Particularly those below and downwind. You'll also want to close all the isinglass to prevent gas from running through the cockpit. It's easier but a little louder out on the swim platform.

For those worried about CO2:

I place mine just in front of the windshield, turned sideways with the exhaust pointed outboard and just slightly aft. I anchor off of the bow only, so the bow is pointing into the wind. I close all my isinglass along with the hatch beside the genny and the porthole below it. I leave the portholes and hatches in front of the genny open to allow air to move through the cabin. I have a CO2 detector in my cabin and it doesn't go off running it this way. I'll run it for 2 to 4 hours per day with no issues.

I think if I run it off of the swim platform then I don't have to worry about any of the CO problems , and there are monitors in the cabin , 3 to be exact. With it sitting on the swim plat it will be out in the open and the wind can take the CO where ever it wants , especially if in running the genny while cruising.

 

[alldodge]

You should be good, heck I had my CO detector go off from just us sleeping. It was a cool night and hand the hatches closed, we breathed out enough to set it off.

 

[bruceb58]

You should be good, heck I had my CO detector go off from just us sleeping. It was a cool night and hand the hatches closed, we breathed out enough to set it off.

I didn't think humans exhaled CO.

 

[bruceb58]

For those worried about CO2:

I place mine just in front of the windshield, turned sideways with the exhaust pointed outboard and just slightly aft.

That sounds like a very dangerous way to do it. CO(not CO2) will go through the tiniest of cracks in your windshield, canvas and seep into your enclosed area. If I was going to run a portable genny on a boat(I wouldn't), it would be on the swim step only.

You should also completely drain the gasoline from the generator when you bring it back on board since the fuel system is not sealed and will vent while you are driving your boat. These fumes will enter your bilge and are an explosion hazard.

Doesn't take much CO to kill you. I would never run it while I was sleeping in a cabin.
http://www.doubleangel.org/documents...il2008_000.pdf