Wind Generators

[akopac]

<div>Hi Everyone,My name is Eric Peterson and I just took delivery of a 1982 383 on 12 Jan. This is my first sailboat and after a lot of research and searching I think I have made a good decision with the Morgan. My question is this: Are there any resources, web sites, etc. where pre-owned equipment can be found? Specifically, I'm looking for a wind generator. Does anyone have recommendations on a particular brand or does anyone have a wind generator for sale? Thanks.ep
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[ashapiro]

<div>Eric, You might try to keep an eye on the usenet newsgroups rec.boat.marketplace bulletin board as they have items for sales such as wind vanes, etc. Personally, I haven't seen anything in that group lately, but then again, I haven't been looking for one either!

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[budkarins]

Eric
Have you ever considered solar power as an alternative to a wind generator? I did my research and found that solar would suit my needs better than any kind of wind generator. I have a solar unit that gives me 125 amp hours per week. My refrigeration is run off of my engine so my power source does not have to be gigantic. I have never been without enough power to run anything aboard the boat. I have 2 batteries dedicated to house power and 1 battery dedicated to engine. My solar unit keeps all three batteries charged to 100%. I have ZERO shore power aboard the boat. I am totally self sufficient with my 12 volt systems. I installed the solar system 4 years ago and I have been nothing but overjoyed by my decision to go to solar.
And the instaloation is so simple. Not to mention the cost of both units.
If you need more info. e-mail or ask me here. I would be happy to help.
Where are you located? I am in Va. Beach, Va.

Truly Capt. B

 

[budfet]

I have a Windbugger on the stern that starts pumping out valuable amps at 10 kts. In 15 - 20 kts. of breeze, it is
outputing 7 - 10 amps. It is dependable and reasonably quiet. I would recommend it or the Four Winds unit that
our friends have had for years. I would also recommend solar panels in addition for those windless days.

 

[capnrichard]

I've used the AMP-AIR 100 for several years. It's a very tried and true unit used by live-a-boards and blue water cruisers around the world. They are as quite as any on the market I believe, and although not as efficent as some they are maintenance free and can withstand hurricane force winds without worry. I plan to add solar as well. While spending a winter in Key West I found lots of wind and plenty of power except for a week of beautiful "sunny" weather when my neighbor with solar did better than I.
Let me know if you'd like more info.

 

[bschnur]

I just returned from a two week trip to southern Mexico, on the Pacific side, where I was in three different ports on friends boats. I heard from several of the cruisers there that their solar panels performed far, far better than wind generators, largely because there's not a lot of wind in the Sea of Cortez and points south. From what I heard, all of those people with wind generators would be glad to sell their unit to you.
If there is fresh and constant wind where you will be (most units seem to need about 15+ knots to begin producing useable amounts of power), I'd suggest you look for the Practical Sailor issue from a year or two ago that summed up the results of several months of testing wind generators. I don't recall which models were better than others, but there were large performance differences between the models tested.
Good luck...

 

[capnbrown]

We use a four winds and are quite satisfied with performance and noise levels. Our unit has a high speed brake system which is both noisy and necessary when the winds pick up. We begin to generate useful amounts of over at 10 kts. We also have a 75 watt solar panel. I believe the combination is best for our cruising locations (east coast & Bahamas). At anchor in '97 in George Town, Bahamas, we were able to keep up with all our power needs with the generator and solar system for three weeks before we had to start the main. We use 12 volt refer, watermaker, SSB, VHF and stereo. After that the wind died some and we needed to start every third day or so. If I had a new boat, I would buy another four winds and an even larger solar array. Good luck finding a used one.