Anyone Put a Generator or A/C on a CD Powerboat?

[Walt Bilofsky]

Autumn is in the air, and the green leaves turn brown; can my green boat budget dollars do otherwise? Sanity is fled, for the project mania is upon me.

I am thinking about putting a generator and an A/C - heat system in my CD 30 diesel powerboat. Has anyone done such a thing? Any experience to share - where to put it, noise, trim, cost, etc.?

Thanks,

Walt



bilofsky@toolworks.com

[Frank Boal]

We put an AC unit on the port side in the first locker aft of the head. The return comes out under the settee with one supply ducted back to and out of the third locker with the second duct running through the head into the hanging locker and exiting on top of the locker. The first locker containing the AC unit must be sealed (bulkheaded)to contain the unit and draw return air only from the cabin area. We used the standard AC ducting (flimsy foil stuff). To do it again, and I might, I would use something rigid and or insulated. Maybe even PVC pipe! You don't need to cool those lockers and lose cold air into the engine room. The duct was run thru the outboard area behind the lockers. The raw water cooling pump is in the engine room and the condensate line runs to the bilge (bad idea). I would opt for the better pump as it pulls out the condensate along with the cooling water. To do it again I would pull the cooling water from the thru hull for the head as I will be flushing with fresh water (it smells much better when the boat is left for a while) and use a salt feed for my LECTRA/SAN.

As for a generator! We don't have one, YET. I intend to put one where the hot water tank is. We really don't need it and it is very convenient on the CD 28.

GOOD LUCK
Frank & Deb on "HUNKY DORY"

Autumn is in the air, and the green leaves turn brown; can my green boat budget dollars do otherwise? Sanity is fled, for the project mania is upon me.

I am thinking about putting a generator and an A/C - heat system in my CD 30 diesel powerboat. Has anyone done such a thing? Any experience to share - where to put it, noise, trim, cost, etc.?

Thanks,

Walt

ccmlake@mmsn.com

[Walt Bilofsky]

As for a generator! We don't have one, YET. I intend to put one where the hot water tank is. We really don't need it and it is very convenient on the CD 28.

I hear the Fischer Panda generators are very small and quiet (but pricey).

On the CD 30, there's a flat platform aft in the engine room between the engines, which I think is intended for a generator. But it would block access to the transmissions and stuffing boxes. I wonder if anyone has a generator in that position on a twin-engine CD and how it works out for access.

How do you run the air conditioner without a generator?

- Walt



bilofsky@toolworks.com

[Frank Boal]

As for a generator! We don't have one, YET. I intend to put one where the hot water tank is. We really don't need it and it is very convenient on the CD 28.

I hear the Fischer Panda generators are very small and quiet (but pricey).

On the CD 30, there's a flat platform aft in the engine room between the engines, which I think is intended for a generator. But it would block access to the transmissions and stuffing boxes. I

wonder if anyone has a generator in that position on a twin-engine CD and how it works out for access.

How do you run the air conditioner without a generator?

- Walt

>We haven't gotten around to putting in a gen set yet, but the panda is what
>I'd like. I don't know if I can afford one they are about $8,000 plus
>installation. We just run the air at dock. I would like the oppurtunity to
>run the air underway but !!!!! Do you have any other projects? I'm always
>up to doing something as an improvement. WILL THIS WORK BILL?




ccmlaake@msn.com

[Walt Bilofsky]

>We haven't gotten around to putting in a gen set yet, but the panda is what
>I'd like. I don't know if I can afford one they are about $8,000 plus
>installation. We just run the air at dock. I would like the oppurtunity to
>run the air underway but !!!!! Do you have any other projects? I'm always
>up to doing something as an improvement.

Frank -

Powerboat Reports recently did a comparison of five 8KW generators - the Panda was pretty expensive per rated KW, but it turned out to deliver about 40% over its rated load so was not a bad buy after all. It was quieter than all the others - by 10 db!! So I'm thinking about the 4kw Panda. My boat yard said they were about $5k but either they're giving me a great discount or they're wrong - the list is up over $8k.

The 4 kw Panda is also smaller and lighter (230 lb.) than any other diesel generator I'm aware of. There's a platform in the CD 30 engine room between the transmissions which I believe is intended for a generator - but would make it really hard to get to the fuel filters and stuffing boxes. So I'm thinking about tucking it forward of the port fuel tank - there's some room there but it would put the weight way off the centerline.

If you're thinking about running the A/C underway, as opposed to at anchor - have you considered getting a high output alternator and an inverter? West Marine has alternators that put out 77 amps at 2500 rpm for $500, or 120 amps for $1000. Add an inverter and you're still way under half the price of the generator. Add a few hundred amp hours of battery and you can run the A/C for a couple hours even with the engine off - people say that running A/C off battery is no good, but I can't see why it wouldn't work.

What model air conditioner did you get? What's the power draw?

I've done so many projects on this boat it's amazing it still floats. Put in a radar mast and radar. Put in a lower helm station - had the cabinet done and did all the rest myself. Added counters for the bilge pumps - very handy to know when the stuffing boxes need tightening or if there's a leak. Most recently, I read that 80% of boat fires start in the engine room, so I added an automatic fire extinguisher. This was challenging because with a diesel you also need an automatic shutoff for the engines and blower - otherwise they will suck the extinguishing gas out before it can work.

Just today I was talking to my shipwright about expanding the cabinet space in the galley. I didn't think it was possible but the guy found places to almost double the cabinet space. (Some years back I had him put in shelving under the sink that doubled the effective storage there, and add access doors on the sides of the island berth so the storage space is accessible without removing the mattress.)

And this afternoon I replaced the three plastic mushroom through-hulls under the sink with bronze ones. Plastic can crack - in fact one of mine did crack once - and a hole just above the waterline is not something you want. Just so you won't think I'm a fountain of energy - in 1993, when I got the boat, I bought nine bronze through-hulls to replace the plastic ones with. With the three today, I've replaced seven and have two more to go. Maybe next millenium!

- Walt Bilofsky



bilofsky@toolworks.com

[Walt Bilofsky]

The 4 kw Panda is also smaller and lighter (230 lb.) than any other diesel generator I'm aware of.

Having looked further into small diesel generators - there was a discussion on rec.boats last month in which several owners cited problems with the Panda's reliability and support. There were also some recommendations for the Entec West 4.2 kw generator. It uses the same Farymann engine as the Panda, is just about as small and light, and people liked the support.

... in 1993, when I got the boat, I bought nine bronze through-hulls to replace the plastic ones with. With the three today, I've replaced seven and have two more to go. Maybe next millenium!

They're all replaced! Job's done. (Must be time to sell the boat ...)



bilofsky@toolworks.com