Buying Fiesta Vee 242 (2000) tomorrow - Electrical question

Jimbo3067

First boat so be kind...

Stupid/Dumb/Smart/Crazy Question but here goes.

 

Since the batteries charge while hooked up to shore power am I crazy to think if I run down my batteries (say while overnight camping) that I can just whip out my Honda EU 2000 and plug it into the shore power outlet and charge my batteries that way?

 

Just wondering the does/don't of this idea.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Jimbo3067

PartsMan

yes it will fire up the battery charger. I would just run the house battery down NOT the crank battery

Jimbo3067

Thank you for the reply PartsMan,

 

I understand what your saying. I was just curious if my idea worked or was it stupid to have a portable generator onboard.

 

Have any idea (I know it would depend on a lot of curcumstances) how long on shore power it takes to recharge a pretty dead battery? I know age of battery, condition, etc....but just an educated guess. Surely someone here has had to charge their battery thru shore power. Is it fast, slow, a trickle charge? Just curious...as if I didn't have enough other things to worry about LOL

 

Thanks in advance to any replies.

 

Jimbo3067

TikiHut2

Your charger will detect the rate of charge the batt needs and will adjust it to a higher initial rate. A few hours will help most issues while overnight should be enough to top it off, even if it's abused by excessive discharge.....unless it's old/tired.

Be very careful with a portable generator. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is very deadly stuff. Multiple/redundant CO and smoke detectors are the only way to keep your crew safe from a horrible loss if something goes wrong.

Welcome to the forum. Be safe and have a great time on your new boat. Mike

brianluck

For dead battery issues I keep a jump box on my boat, it's plugged into my ac outlet while my boats plugged into shore power to keep it ready for emergencys, 

Jimbo3067

Thanks Brian Luck for your reply.

If I sit a day or two in a cove I wont have shore power, hence the need for a portable generator

 

Jimbo3067

brianluck

have you looked into solar pannels to maintain your batteries while on the hook?

Jimbo3067

Solar panels sounds interesting. Got any websites where I can check them out?

vyborny1

Congrats on the new boat I have the 2001 version, it is great boat You will be happy useing the eu 2000, I do have 3 co2 detectors on board. 1 movable in the back right cup holder, a movable in the head (always keep the porthole colsed) and a stationary above the aft cabin. I have never had any of them go off. If you have any questions about the boat or any thing else, let me know.

brianluck

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/WestAdvisorView?langId=-1&storeId=11151&page=Charging-with-Solar-Panels#.UdgUJkB4xmg

Jimbo3067

Thanks for the info vyborny1.

Is the EU2000 as quiet as they say?

Are u saying to keep the hole above the cabin closed at night while running generator? I was planning on having it open (hey it is hot here in Florida - even at night) and running a fan to push the air up and out the hole. Is that a big mistake?

 

Thoughts/ideas?

 

Jimbo3067

TikiHut2

I think we both assumed u had the generator to run a small ac at night not just fans. Either way if a genset is running for longer than a few mins youll need to think about where any fumes might get in and seal it off.

Obviously if its not running then youll need all the air movement you can find. We were longtime sailors who always anchored out and didnt use an ac or genset in sw fl and Id say that a nice tall wind scoop is a huge help if theres any breeze at all.

I recently saw a small cruiser with a 2kw honda rigged inside an igloo cooler mounted on his swim platform. It was really quiet but make sure you respect those exhaust fumes.

Take care and do your homework on this one. Hope that helps. Mike

vyborny1

The EU 2000 is about as loud as the engine running. For safety, I make sure that all the ports are closed. If your a/c is like mine, it should be like a refrigerator down there. I have had the a/c, battery charger and microwave running with no problems, but when I turned the hot water on, it tripped the genny.  I keep it on the ext. swim platform on anchor. Never use 2 anchors when running the genny. You want to the breeze to carry away the fumes. I have ran it overnight once and the tank lasted around 7 hrs. Again, CO2 detectors are your friends. Let me know if you have any other questions 

sxmislandtime

Good day, I am a new 242 owner and is wondering if anyone can help me find original parts like new panel and gauges?

Cableguy Greg

Try Great Lakes Skipper or Cindy Scott at Rinker.

sxmislandtime

Good day, I am a new 242 owner and is wondering if anyone can help me find original parts like new panel and gauges?

jhofmann

Just remember a potable generator since it is not subject to Coast Guard approval and therefore may not have the necessary safety measures such as double clamps on fuel lines, or spark arrestors. Having said that, I am on my third year with my 2000 Rinker 242 and love it. I am thinking about that generator in a cooler on the swim platform idea for overnight A/C use!

MarkB

Portable generator will energize your 110V circuit, which your charger is on, so yes. But as others have pointed out, you do not want your batteries to dip below 12V for too long. It kills crank batteries, as you probably know.  I'd turn on the genset the minute I saw 12V on the meter.