use of generators on canal boats

[Guest]

One of the biggest disapointments is travelling to a nice popular mooring out in the sticks, then come 6pm a cachophony ( no idea how to spell that) of generators, engines, and rocket fueled boilers starts up, ruining the peace and quiet you came all that way for, most of the time the owners are just watching telly. Sometimes they put the generator nearer your boat than theirs so they can't hear it !

 

It's a bit anti social isn't it ?

 

However as the OP is new to boating and for the avoidance of any confusion - entirely within BW's rules. If you need to generate power with your genny or engine you are allowed to do exactly that between 8am and 8pm.

 

Ideally of course after a days cruising you won't need to - but you can if you want.

[Babyjune]

Thank you

[Chris Pink]

... I would not want to disturb anyone with its use, but would like the option should it be needed.

 

It's always nice to have the option of disturbing people in reserve for those moments when nothing else will quite hit the spot.

[bowten]

It's always nice to have the option of disturbing people in reserve for those moments when nothing else will quite hit the spot.

Nice one.

[Babyjune]

Ahh I always have been an options person, you never know who you may meet

[Pretty Funked Up]

If you leave a honda suitcase jobbie out on the towpath I doubt it would last long, even chained I wouldnt go far from eyesight.

 

[LoneEcho]

Would there be any potential insurance problem with a petrol generator being on board? I only ask, because recently there was a nb fire locally and the tow path rumour (I stress it may only be a rumour) was that the insurance company had refused to settle the claim because there was a petrol genny on board.

[Babyjune]

Would there be any potential insurance problem with a petrol generator being on board? I only ask, because recently there was a nb fire locally and the tow path rumour (I stress it may only be a rumour) was that the insurance company had refused to settle the claim because there was a petrol genny on board.

[Guest]

Would there be any potential insurance problem with a petrol generator being on board? I only ask, because recently there was a nb fire locally and the tow path rumour (I stress it may only be a rumour) was that the insurance company had refused to settle the claim because there was a petrol genny on board.

Checked with mine some time ago and it was fine providing petrol and genny were stored in accordance with boat safety.

[Babyjune]

Definitely something to check out, seems that unless I find I reaaaaaly need one probably better off without, I am not a live aboard and plan to have a mooring with elecy so should be able to manage again thanks to every one

[Canal Rat]

If you moor up in the middle of nowhere and there are no other boats or buildings around then you can use your generator after 8pm, according to the BW regulations. It's all down to uncommon sense again

 

I have a Honda EX650 which I use when I'm out cruising but I always moor in the afore mentioned spot. It's the quietest genie that honda have ever made and for me it's worth twice it's weight in gold. I have a 3KVA diesel genie but I'm still working on the silencer for that so I use it minimally and only through the day (1500 W vac and 2 moulting dogs). I try my best to be tolerant of people but find most to be intolerant of others IMHO. I'm working on getting more battries and a pure sine wave inverter ...... soon

 

[larkshall]

Carefull, somebody may take offence, and heave your genny in the cut...

 

 

Then the perpetrator goes in the cut as well, no probs simples

[Canal Rat]

Then the perpetrator goes in the cut as well, no probs simples

 

Rock on Larkshall Have a greenie

[blackrose]

I have a Honda EX650 which I use when I'm out cruising but I always moor in the afore mentioned spot. It's the quietest genie that honda have ever made

 

Really? I used to have an EX650 but I'm sure my EU30i is much quieter.

[jenlyn]

Really? I used to have an EX650 but I'm sure my EU30i is much quieter.

The eu30i is quieter than the eu20i, I have had them side by side.

[Lady Muck]

Get solar panels

 

Yep. We have both (panels and genny) Last time we were out we spent 5 nights moored up just outside Hertford, even with the stereo going all day (we had to as the batts were full and our cheap as chips Maplin regulator kept tripping) we didn't need to run the engine once.

[MtB]

If you moor up in the middle of nowhere and there are no other boats or buildings around then you can use your generator after 8pm, according to the BW regulations. It's all down to uncommon sense again

 

I have a Honda EX650 which I use when I'm out cruising but I always moor in the afore mentioned spot. It's the quietest genie that honda have ever made and for me it's worth twice it's weight in gold. I have a 3KVA diesel genie but I'm still working on the silencer for that so I use it minimally and only through the day (1500 W vac and 2 moulting dogs). I try my best to be tolerant of people but find most to be intolerant of others IMHO. I'm working on getting more battries and a pure sine wave inverter ...... soon

 

 

I am intolerant of posts which display six different combinations of font, size and colour.... (including the signature)

 

Sooooo hard on the eye. Pleeese stop it!

 

')

 

Many thanks,

Mike

[Barry]

I am intolerant of posts which display six different combinations of font, size and colour.... (including the signature)

 

Sooooo hard on the eye. Pleeese stop it!

 

')

 

Many thanks,

Mike

 

Have a greenie that man!

[Guest]

Have a greenie that man!

 

Been commented about on here before and it's not changed...hey ho...

 

It just makes me skip over what Canal Rat posts.

[Ange]

Yep. We have both (panels and genny) Last time we were out we spent 5 nights moored up just outside Hertford, even with the stereo going all day (we had to as the batts were full and our cheap as chips Maplin regulator kept tripping) we didn't need to run the engine once.

 

It really wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that having two solar panels has transformed our lives. We no longer worry when we got out for the day that we won't be back in time to run the engine for 3-4 hours before 8 0 Clock, we use far less diesel which will pay for them in no time and it's just so nice not to have to fire the engine up every day and run it for hours at a time.

[Canal Rat]

Got a board here with lots of features for what? Nothing! Don't use the features of this board just go default all the way. Conform to your personal wishes. You tell me what you want me to do and I'll just roll over and do it?!

 

I wish my life was so boring that all I could do was grumble about someones use of non default font on a message board

 

Can you smell that?

[Guest]

Got a board here with lots of features for what? Nothing! Don't use the features of this board just go default all the way. Conform to your personal wishes. You tell me what you want me to do and I'll just roll over and do it?!

 

I wish my life was so boring that all I could do was grumble about someones use of non default font on a message board

 

Can you smell that?

 

Are you pissed???

[Canal Rat]

Are you pissed???

 

Not yet but I'm working on it

[Ex- Member]

It really wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that having two solar panels has transformed our lives. We no longer worry when we got out for the day that we won't be back in time to run the engine for 3-4 hours before 8 0 Clock, we use far less diesel which will pay for them in no time and it's just so nice not to have to fire the engine up every day and run it for hours at a time.

 

Although we're not quite on the water yet your experience of solar use and generator is exactly in line with my thinking and the way We're setting up our power requirements. With the use of solar even on very dull days, with a common sense approach there should never bee a need to run a generator in the evening or post 8pm. I have worked out that even on bad overcast days the time to run the generator if so required would be somewhere between 12 noon and 4pm, this of course based on our projected requirements. Having said that by lunch time a boater should know based on your average power requirements how much energy you'll require to last the rest of the day. So to me it makes sense to charge batteries earlier rather than later especially if the SOC is low. You then charge enough to last comfortably until the following morning, and then reassess your power usage requirement for the remainder of the day.

 

 

When we were on the water last, I found it difficult to understand why boaters, even those that don't have solar panels, seem to run engines or generators late evening.and even into the late hours which used to annoy us no end. Even if someone doesn't get home from work until 6 pm, they still have 2 hours of charging opportunity so not to run engines after 8 pm. Even more annoying when paying for a BW winter mooring in Bath for 6 months, the boater in front of us would be with his boat all day out and about scavenging for wood and back to the boat and spend hours chopping it up. Almost every evening though after 8pm the engine would be fired up ran in gear for several hours. Why he didn't do this in the day time whilst chopping wood was a complete mystery and made no sense a all.

 

We have 500 watt's of solar ready to put on the roof at launch and I'm currently rigging up a small inboard diesel generator for back up power, running a full size boat engine for energy on a boat is utter madness, and even worse when done late evenings and in gear.

 

Those who do, STOP IT NOW!

 

Edited July 28, 2012 by Julynian

[alan_fincher]

If you moor up in the middle of nowhere and there are no other boats or buildings around then you can use your generator after 8pm, according to the BW regulations.

This is not strictly true.....

 

The condition requires that you don't do it....

 

unless you are moored in isolation, out of earshot of other people

 

so, (being pedantic), even if there are no other boats, and no buildings, but there are people, you still shouldn't do it.

 

This begs the question if you'll turn it off, if you see someone approaching, in order to still comply!