Wind turbine advice

[trebby12]

Hi All.

Thinking of fitting a 300 watt wind turbine on my boat.

Is it worth it?

Regards, Brian.

[bottle]

Only if you have the boat in a windy place and the wind speed is sufficient to give a good output.

 

Check specification as to the output and what speed of wind is required to get that output. You may be suprised.

 

Have to be mounted correctly, there are reports that they are noisy inside the boat.

[KJT]

Personally I think you would be better off spending the money on solar instead. Despite the current windy conditions, generally canals tend to be quite sheltered places. Unless you have a regular mooring in a particularly exposed spot, I think you will be disappointed with the output.

 

Ken

[Dinz]

I have one.

On K&A have only found a few places where it worked well.

On present mooring it spends more time body spinning around looking for wind than actually blade spinning.

If elsewhere may put up again but not erected at the moment.[for the last year in fact]

Had i known where i was going to end up would have been better off buying more solar.

However if my mooring was 100ft further east even that would be questionable as i would be under a bloody big tree!

If you cc then can be good but you need to sort out a way to rig and drop easily & safely.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Dinz

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Is it worth it?

 

 

No

[Loafer]

+1

[Ally]

We were given one, free.....which speaks something in itself. In perfect conditions it's ok. Not too noisy unless it breaks,(as in puts it's break on) but if you're not in an open position, or the wind is turbulent, they really aren't up to much imo. We have solar which sees us through February to November, then we add the turbine occasionally if we are in the right kind of spot. At this point, the wind drops, until we take it back down to cruise, when the wind promptly returns!

We're glad we didn't pay for it!

[Ricco1]

Not worth it really, unless you just fancy one. I fancied one, and don't regret it. I just like them. The output is pretty poor. It's fun though, trying to find a mooring spot that offers phone signal, internet signal, t.v., open for solar and fairly undisturbed by trees for wind, depending on which direction it's blowing from!

[Loafer]

An old sailing mate of mine, having just installed a noisy wind gen, said 'Don't think noise - think Amps!'

 

I wonder how long it was before he got fed up of the vibration and whistling.

[metanoia]

Vibration and whistling.........................IYD, Loafer....!!! Let's keep you up all night...................................

 

Seriously,v bad here - still rockin' and rolling - G'night Jon BOY

[Loafer]

Vibration and whistling.........................IYD, Loafer....!!! Let's keep you up all night...................................

 

Seriously,v bad here - still rockin' and rolling - G'night Jon BOY

 

I have earplugs at the ready. I have to use them for the sodding DUCKS mainly!

[bizzard]

When the wind only blows lightly and your wind turban doesn't do much a big increase in wind speed would be nice. This wind velocity can be achieved by squeezing it to speed it up. A large cone with apertures at both ends can be made. By fixing the cone with the turbine blades a close fit into the small end of the cone with the large end of the cone facing into the wind it will squeeze and increase the velocity and speed of the wind sufficiently to really make the turbine buzz round, perhaps even at double the speed and power than it was without it, depending on the length and conicalness of it and your workmanship. And of course a large wind vane of a size to make the arrangement follow wind shifts and so keeping the large end of the cone presented to it. THE POWER!

[nbfiresprite]

Wind turbines don't last long at Foxes, due to shell fire from other boaters.Did note when I arrived back before dusk, that the wind farm over the river had only two turbines turning out of nine. What a waste.

[bizzard]

Wind turbines don't last long at Foxes, due to shell fire from other boaters.Did note when I arrived back before dusk, that the wind farm over the river had only two turbines turning out of nine. What a waste.

They need cones on em. It's quite obvious they don't understand the technology.

[Neil Smith]

Great idea biz, have you thought about getting a patent on some of your well thought out ideas.

 

Neil

[Dinz]

Not worth it really, unless you just fancy one. I fancied one, and don't regret it. I just like them. The output is pretty poor. It's fun though, trying to find a mooring spot that offers phone signal, internet signal, t.v., open for solar and fairly undisturbed by trees for wind, depending on which direction it's blowing from!

Yet only a week ago AWESOME!http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=80578

[bizzard]

Great idea biz, have you thought about getting a patent on some of your well thought out ideas.

 

Neil

Thank you. Erm surprisingly, I don't really think out my ideas at all they just sort of happen spontaneously. I shan't bother with patents its too much bother to visit their office and they wouldn't let me have a fag in there anyway.

[tidal]

An old sailing mate of mine, having just installed a noisy wind gen, said 'Don't think noise - think Amps!'

 

I wonder how long it was before he got fed up of the vibration and whistling.

 

This sort of comment always puzzles me

I've used them on sailing boats for many years and apart from one make (notoriously noisy) I have hardly ever noticed any noise from them.

Mind you by the time they are turning fast enough to make any noise the noise from other wind-generated sources, waves slapping against the hull, mooring lines creaking and some idle beggar's halyards rattling would drown out most things

I wouldn't bother with them on an inshore boat though, especially on the cuts

[Loafer]

 

This sort of comment always puzzles me

I've used them on sailing boats for many years and apart from one make (notoriously noisy) I have hardly ever noticed any noise from them.

Mind you by the time they are turning fast enough to make any noise the noise from other wind-generated sources, waves slapping against the hull, mooring lines creaking and some idle beggar's halyards rattling would drown out most things

I wouldn't bother with them on an inshore boat though, especially on the cuts

 

I was a sailor myself at the time, and also nearby. I heard it for myself! Maybe it was a particularly noisy one - but they weren't very popular in Falmouth Marina.

[tidal]

 

I was a sailor myself at the time, and also nearby. I heard it for myself! Maybe it was a particularly noisy one - but they weren't very popular in Falmouth Marina.

I've heard noisy ones too and, apart from some with design flaws, largely they are the result of poor fitting/maintenance or build quality.

The former is most likely to occur when they are mounted aloft. (Unless they go wrong few owners will climb up to them) and the latter is easily cured with a bit of preparation before they are mounted (sanding off burrs and irregularities especially on tips and leading/trailing edges). It makes a surprising amount of difference to the noise levels (such as they are)

Even how level your boat sits at the mooring can make a significant difference with some generators.

 

But my point about relative noise is still valid. These generators only make a noise when turning and only increase in volume with higher wind speeds.

By which time other noises linked to wind speed make them harder to hear........ unless you are particularly intent on listening to (or for) them

 

And yes some marina berth-holders do complain about them (as people will) and some marinas prefer them to be locked off when moored. Sadly the latter tends to make generators more noisy when they do operate.

 

I've never had my sleep disturbed by them but then I can sleep though most things including engines being run to generate power in the small hours or even fishing boats setting of for a pre-dawn tide change