----- Original Message -----
From: "ken" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, September 14, 2009 2:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] St. Augustine local transport Samaritan?
>I presume there is a good reason why you must use an "oil" powered
> generator rather than solar or wind. As you likely know, there are ways
> of reducing energy usage without impacting lifestyle so that you are
> much more able to rely solely on alt power and not have the inevitable
> crimping of options that will occur every so often when reliant on "oil".
>
> I presume you are aware of the methods and have chosen the "oil" option,
> but your experience does highlight some of its disadvantages. -Ken
Hi, Ken, and list,
As a matter of fact, we do have both solar (370W) and wind (KISS)
generation. However, the last couple of days, if you were here, you'd
recall were pouring rain and no wind, not very favorable for charging with
alternative energy sources. Some day we might have a water-powered
generator if we expect to be in high current places a lot, to take advantage
of that energy, as well, but we've not even investigated that. Towed, they
have a fairly serious speed penalty, but perhaps at anchor it could be
useful..
Back to the rain/calms, there will always be such times, no matter where we
are, so we have a backup. It's not the "oil option" - it's belt and
suspenders. It also allows, should we want to, us to run heavier 120VAC
loads, like the microwave or mini shopvac, without stressing the batteries.
Now, if we weren't full-time liveaboard cruisers, and without great numbers
of power suckers which, at anchor, due to the other inactivity (or activity;
Lydia's doing the last year or so accounting and I'm getting into the last
year or so of pictures to put up in the gallery, long neglected) producing
other power-hungry pursuits, having the boat unoccupied at anchor, the wind
and solar would very easily keep up with our refrigeration and other small
loads present.
And, in conditions with bright sun and good wind, such as we experienced in
Georgetown this winter, we can actually equalize our batteries through the
solar and wind controllers, having an ample sufficiency to do so.
But we still have the Honda for the inverse times :{))
L8R
Skip, having found a source for my outboard parts and a local cruiser who'd
love to meet us and give us a ride if we need it.
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog
"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in
its hand
(Richard Bach)
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