Ben your statement about what do you do when you run out of fuel sparked an idea. As did Lochadios about a small foot print on the deck.
A. you hit the 2nd hand stores or yard sales for a used exercise bike. B. look for a small import auto alternator. C. car sized inner tube. D. contact cement. E. drive belt.
to start with take the rim off the bike and remove the tire. next cut inner tube into a long ribbon that will fit between the flanges of the rim. clean rim and rubber with a solvent and apply contact to both. when you stick the rubber to the rim you want it to run the same direction as if you were winding it up by peddling it. Start applying the rubber and pull it taunt as its applied. You will be able to make one wrap at a time before you need to put more glue down. Fill the rim so you have about a 1/4 inch lip above the rubber to trap the drive belt on the rim.
Make a mount for the alternator so the pulley is over the center of the rim and fit your drive belt. Wire it up and you have fuel less charging system. You now get your work out to stay fit and charge your batteries at the same time. You may wish to install a volt meter so you know how fast you need to pedal to keep the voltage up.
Yes this was done with a bit of tongue in cheek, but it does work. I think a PM alternator may work the best for this kind of thing because the cut in RPM is much lower.
Sorry I'm not a he 
Blessings All Kristine
--- On Mon, 10/17/11, Ben Okopnik <ben@linuxgazette.net> wrote:
On Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 07:18:25PM -0700, Lochadio Who wrote:
>
> The guy that started this thread was looking for options, and I gave him one.
> ...this was the guy that wanted to build something that was cheaper then rent
> remember?
> Just the slip space for the kind of boats you're talking about probably costs
> more then he spends on a months rent.
> I'm sorry if you don't like the idea (actually I'm not, but I defer to everyone
> else following this.)
I don't know if anyone appreciates the "kindness" that you're offering
by deferring, but I, personally, would find it much more kind - as well
as much more accurate - if you didn't straw-man "Femm's" posts by
turning them into some kind of an emotional drama, where liking and
disliking have any pertinence or influence.
It's not a question of liking or disliking. He's simply pointed out
where your idea is incorrect. It's the same thing that I pointed out,
and it's the same thing that Eric has pointed out. The simple physical
fact is that a 4HP engine cannot drive more than about 2kW worth of
electrical generation. You could hang a couple of dozen alternators off
that engine and spin them; you won't prove anything. All you'll do is
waste your money and resources, and make _less_ power by wasting it on
overcoming all that friction. A single 140A alternator will use up all
the mechanical output that a 4HP engine can produce - that's it, no
matter what anybody's emotions are, and no matter what anyone likes or
dislikes.
> It is a viable option if you want some cheap back-up power that runs on the
> same fuel as the Colman lantern and camp stove, could easily be converted to
> LNG or LPG if that's what you'd prefer to run the domestic systems on, takes up
> only 2.5 square feet of deck space and it beats the snot out of his plan for
> "towing a dingy with extra solar panels".
The two aren't comparable in any way. The solar panels don't require a
fuel supply; your solution does. It could well be said that his proposed
solution beats the snot out of yours for maintenance, fuel costs, ease
of use, hassle of resupply, cost-over-lifetime, etc. - but that would be
a bit unkind, so we'll just say that they're different solutions for
different purposes.
> Will adding another 80 lb of solar array generate power at night or on a rainy
> day?
Will your Briggs and Stratton generate power on a sunny day in the
middle of the ocean when you've run out of fuel? Will solar panels catch
fire and burn down your boat if you tip them over near an open flame?
The question is not whether you can come up with an edge case or lampoon
someone's suggested solution; anyone with even a modicum of imagination
can. The real question is, what's the expected usage scenario, and which
model best serves it? It may be that your small-engine-with-alternator
idea is the best fit; it may be that a raft covered with solar panels
is. You don't know - and it's not a case of like or dislike. All you can
do is suggest a model - and when you do, the people here (of whom a
number are technically competent) may point out the problems in that
model. By doing so, they're doing you a *favor* - and if you pay
attention to their critiques, you may learn something that will benefit
you. I find that I have learned quite a lot by being here, and have
appreciated every correction and critique that I've received.
Getting your back up when corrected is rather counter-productive, and
prevents learning. I'd seriously recommend re-thinking and changing that
dynamic.
> If you've got a $100 option that generates power in the dark with fuel already
> available on board and takes up the same deck space as a medium sized beverage
> cooler, I'd be happy to hear about it.
Unless you have a built-in oil well and a cracking plant on your boat,
you do not have fuel "already available on board" - you have to buy
every single ounce of it that you're burning, at a progressively
increasing cost. You don't have what you're claiming to have; therefore,
there's nothing there to compete with or compare against.
--
Ben Okopnik
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