Do we need a generator?

[jrc]

We've been shopping for a bigger boat and the subject of generators came up. The size boat we're looking for is on the borderline of what normally has a generator. On the ocean or most other large lakes, people anchor out overnight and the need and usefulness is obvious. Things like air conditioning and hot water are almost impossible without one. Cooking and TV are a lot easier with one.

On Winni I'm not going to anchor overnight, every night I'll be in a slip with electricity. So the only time it would get used is while anchored during the day. The microwave and stove would sure be nice, but grilling ain't horrible. I guess it would be nice to have a cool cabin to retreat from the heat, but the water is always right there. And who needs a TV during the day?

Who has a generator and how often do you use it? It's a $10,000 option.

[GWC...]

Since you are trading now and probably will again, resale value would improved or at least creature comfort features would be enhanced, lending to an easier resale or trade at sometime in the future. Meanwhile, you have a great battery charger, should the batteries fail.

AC is great when it is 90 - 95 and humid at anchor, kind of like frost on the pumpkin days. :D

[brk-lnt]

For use on Winni, you might want to look into a bank of house batteries and an inverter. Will probably run about the same amount, but you can charge up at the dock, and still run many/most 120V devices while out for a short trip.

You might not be able to run the A/C constantly with the inverter setup vs. genset, but it is also (generally) lower maintenance, silent, and serves the same purpose.

[Paugus Bay Resident]

I can say that we have more hours on our gen than we do on the engines. I think it adds quite a bit in terms of resale, and if you spend a lot of time on the hook, its great to have. Ours burns about 1/2 - 1 gallon / hour. Plus, its a lot cheaper to get one initially than to retrofit one later.

Our 280 trade had a factory gen, and sold within 1 day because of it (there were 5 others for the guy to choose from, but he specifically wanted a genset).

Good luck with your search.

[Kamper]

If you go with an inverter, be sure to isolate one battery from the system when the motor is off so you can re-start.

Also, some inverters cant be used when the battery is beinng charged. Make sure you plan accordingly when you make your selection.

Good luck!