T-Pain Is On A Boat: Re: [Electric Boats] Gas vs. Diesel

Monday, October 26, 2009

Re: [Electric Boats] Gas vs. Diesel

I'll second that. My el cheapo gas generator will leak gasoline if I leave the fuel line open with the motor off. That's one of the reasons converting to CNG (search for earlier post) came to mind. Even keeping it on deck there are places where gas could theoretically get inside

I also had the joy of troubleshooting it this last weekend - motor on, but no electrons. Taking the generator side apart, looked for obvious corrosion (surprisingly little considering how many waves the little thing had taken in the face) - fully expecting to end up with lots of parts and still no sparks...but noticed the brush commutators looking a little dodgy. Took that apart, made sure the brushes were springy, and bingo - came back to life (and only 3 extra screws)

Arby - if you're going to mention jet-powered kayaks you must provide youtube links! Quit teasing!

-Keith

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Arby bernt <arbybernt@...> wrote:
>
> Gas or diesel, buyer beware! Equipment designed for use in the marine industry is built for corrosive and explosive conditions. Although my experience with a utility Honda engine in a jet powered kayak didn't lead to a sunburn, it was a close call when the side-draft carb flooded the "bilge" with a half a gallon of gasoline. The motor was not designed for maritime use, and I suspect 99% of all gasoline generators aren't either. Marine gasoline engines use down-draft carbs. At least with a diesel, the chance of a spill is just messy, not life-threatening. I'm currently re-powering my own 25' Skipjack, and will probably use a gasoline genset as I have a 100 gallon fuel tank. The genset will be Marine UL listed, and mounted fully enclosed with a explosive fume detector, not sitting on the bow dribbling fuel.
> Please spend the extra bucks to enjoy the safty and security of a job done right.
>
> Arby
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Eric <ewdysar@...>
> To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Mon, October 26, 2009 12:20:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Gas vs. Diesel
>
>
> The weight and size of a diesel genset are other considerations. While diesel fuel may be less volatile, if the diesel alternative is too large, heavy and expensive, then taking the extra precautions for using gasoline may be justified.
>
> Along those lines, a diesel engine may not be that much safer than a gasoline engine anyway. Here's a link to an opposing perspective:
>
> http://yachtsurvey. com/GasDiesel. htm
>
> I personally know of hundreds of boaters that have operated their gasoline powered vessels for many thousands hours collectively and none of them have had an explosion or fire onboard. I think that the dangers of using gasoline in boats (and cars) can be overstated and other commonly accepted aspects of our transportation should be a greater concern than the choice of fuels.
>
> Kind of ironic to have this debate on an electric boat forum...
>
> Fair winds,
> Eric
>
> --- In electricboats@ yahoogroups. com, James Sizemore <james@> wrote:
> >
> > The talk point on these was the 1000 dollar price. The diesels are
> > safer and last about twice as long but at 5 times the price. If you
> > can even find a 48 volt DC at 5 times the price I would be surprised.
> > I might be interested in a $5000 dollar diesel.
> >
> > On Oct 25, 2009, at 4:22 PM, Rob Johnson wrote:
> >
> > > Why not source a diesel powered generator , and eliminate the risk
> > > of using a volatile liquid on a boat ?.
> > > Safety should be paramount , and petrol and LPG are inherently
> > > unsafe , on a boat.
> > > There are plenty of purpose built diesel powered marine generators
> > > on the market.
> > > Regards Rob J.
> > >
>
> > >> > On Oct 22, 2009, at 10:12 PM, marselectric1 wrote:
> > >> >
> > >> > > I just got back from the Canton Fair in China where I found a
> > >> > > supplier of Gasoline DC Telecom Generators. There is one that
> > >> looks
> > >> > > like a Honda Portable Inverter Generator. The unit is rated at
> > >> 1.6
> > >> > > kw, weighs 50 pounds, and it looks to be very quiet (variable
> > >> speed
> > >> > > type). The output is 52.5 VDC at 30.5 Amps....
> > >> > >
> > >> > > John Fiorenza
> > >> > > Mars Electric LLC
> > >> > >
> > >> > >
> > >> >
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Get more done like never before with Yahoo!7 Mail. Learn more.
> > >
> > >
> >
>