FROG'S LEAP

I first set out to purchase a 6kW genset. Big boat, big generator, what the heck. I soon realized that I did not have a large secondary engine room type of space in the current layour of the boat. One solution would have been to condemn the aft head, but is something I will do later, not now. I found that the Next Generation Power 3.5 kW unit fit just right in the back of one of the lazarettes, situated over the starboard bunk. After a mock up of several 6kW units using cardbord showed the problem first hand, the new unit mockup found a perfect place and I could see that it fit dynamically during installation, without having to take anything apart.

The installation is similar to a whole new engine: New fuel lines, fuel filter, cooling water, exhaust, and electrical panel, as well as battery switch. This is a simple enough installation, but it took a number of days routing averything neatly and reharnessing all the lines in the bilges, setting up cushioned clamps to support the lines, etc.

The ability to de-humidify the boat in muggy weather, and run hot water up to temperature and charge the batteries in the morning for an hour or two, in relatively no or little noise, adds greatly to cruising comfort. This also provides a backup means of recharging batteries. I plan to add a battery dedicated to the genset eventually, so that the system becomes completely redudant separately and jointly.