Does anyone have experience installing a wind generator on their 365? I am looking for recommendations for a wind generator and a mounting solution. I am looking for the most amps for my dollar. I am not too concerned about noise, but I don't want it to be shaking my mizzen mast. I think I have narrowed down the choices to an Air-x, Air Breeze or KISS.
In terms of mounting I think the front of the mizzen mast is going to be the only choice I have. The mizzen boom seams like it would interfere with a tower on the transom. There is a bracket I saw for the Air-X which would allow it to swivel 360 degrees, but it was pricey. Any recommendations on brackets or where too get them.
Thanks,
Chad
KISS offers a mount to put it on the mizzen. KISS is probably the smaller company, but they have a very good reputation.
just installed my KISS wind genny this morning on my 365 mizzen.... I bought mine through hotwire and also got their "vibration isolating" mizzen mount (which is basically just gunked with what looks like a white silicone to absorbe the vibration)... well whatever works right... so I drill the holes in the mount as the instructions say 5 x 1/4 bolts per side evenly spaced no closer than a half inch to the outer edge of the mount... no problems...
up the mast we go... i drill and tap the holes in the mast using a 3/16 bit and tap to 1/4... no problems... mount goes on level and aligned... no problems... then we hoist the genny... she's on... but wait... the mount is bolted centered on the mizzen but when the KISS genny is mounted on the mount the tail fin overlaps the mast by about 2 inches... what the heck!!... did i mount her too far back on the mast... they dind't mention this in the instructions i presumed the mount was engineered to be mounted with the bolts (about 1/2 to an inch from the back edge of the mount to be centered on the mast where there is a flatish section to the oval... apparently not... so I had the hacksaw hoisted to me and off came the aft two inches of the tail fin... shouldn't really affect performance but this is something to be aware of... if you get a KISS and use their provided mnizzen mount be sure to mount her as far forward on the mast as possible otherwise the she won't be able to spin 360 to face forward.
Obviously not a big deal I've talked to the guys at hotwire and they will add this note about mounting her far enough forward on the mast to their instructions... on that note They do have great customer service and are always accomodating and patient in providing instruction and advice.
How did you route the wires down from inside the mizzen? The mizzen is deck stepped and under the cockpit floor is the thick laminated wooden beam that you can't get to. Where do the wires exit the mizzen to get to the batteries? I want to figure this out for both my Air-X and Radar. My only solution so far is to make a hole for these wires/cables at the base of the mizzen? How did you folks do it?
Jack
There is a white tube through the base of my mizzen to route the cables. Of course, it does create a 90 degree cable bend directly above the engine, so you need to route carefully.
I have seen a gooseneck that exited near the base of the mizzen too, on another 365 based here in Portland.
Mine doesn't have the white tube... a previous owner just clipped the mizzen flood light wire (so that it wouldn't interfere I presume) and ran the radar through the same hole... when mounting my wind genny I first tried sqeezing in over the engine with a right angle drill and punching up through the foot of the mast (through that thick block) but hit something metal... I am guessing they nailed or screwed that block together before they epxy and glassed it... so I just ran my wind genny wire down the scroud as you would do on any boat with a solid wood mast... it's actualy not particularly noticalbe unless you are looking for it and it put the throuch deck clam nice and close to the controller .so it's actually a pretty short run.
Just as an update... I'm now sitting moored off the Isles of the Shoals and the wind genny is a crankin... the diverter water heating element I put in is a huge blessing... it's cold and blustery here but I'm down below, just finished cooking dinner, so the cabin is warm and was able to take a hot shower earlier thanks to the wind genny topping up my batteries and then heating my water tank as well...
definitely a great purchase, and when she's not free-wheeling in a gust she's so quiet you wouldn't know she's eve running.
Thanks for the info. I think am leaning towards the Air Breeze after PS last review. They produced roughly the same amps in the review and the Air Breeze is a bit less expensive considering the need for a battery monitor or diverter with the KISS. I guess hot water is a nice benefit with the KISS though.
I am looking at the same vibration isolating mount that you got though. Do you get the sense that it really does keep the mizzen from vibrating or would a solid mount do the same thing? I would have made the same mistake centering the mount, so thanks for sharing.
Isles of Shoals is one of my favorites. Don't miss the aquarium and lime rickys at the snack stand if they are open yet.
Nope this place is a graveyard... I don't think the hotel is even open, only the daily mail ferry coming and going to show there is still life here...
You can actually install the dual voltage water heater element as a diverter to any wind genny... not sure if anything will come up on google... if not it was like 20 bucks I think from S.V. Hotwire enterprises (they named the business after their boat) ... I think they made the one I have and looking at it I now Know I could make one myself as well... heater elements are just a heating coil.. .you put wires on it and it gets hot.. simple as that... so you basically just add a second one and plug it into your 12v diverter instead of 110... theirs is neetly all in one unit with two coils on one doohicky so you don't have to go installing a second element you just replace the original but either way
would work.
and yes unfortunately I do recommend the vibration isolating mount... there isn't enough vibration that I think it would actually hurt anything without it but when she gets cranking (especially when she free-wheels in a squal) you can still, even with the soft bedded mount, feel the vibration through the whole boat, which is a bit disconcerting.. I don't wnat to know what it would be like without the soft mount... and I am confident that my blades are very well balanced... as I said, in normal less than gale winds she is absolutely silent, if i look strait up at her she doesn't even look like the blades are spinning she is so well aligned, only when you go to an angle can you see they are a buzz and normally only feel the vibration if i touch the mast itself.
Is there a brake on it to stop it from spinning in high wind?
no, in very high wind the thermal coupler gets hot and tells the magnets in it to stop resisteing which means it just start spinning with no resistance (freewheeling)... this is a bit disconcerting but suppposedy is not bad for the genny.