Re 12 volt lights:
Every single room, including the engine rooms and generator room, on my 1965 boat has both 120v and 12v lighting. Generally the overhead room lights are 120, while the reading lamps over each bed are 12. Each head has two sets of switches, with two lamps. Hatteras designed her with totally redundant systems. We lose the luxuries if the generator quits, but all the important stuff (fresh water, toilets) runs 12. I added the inverter to keep the fridge cool--have not been so spoiled as to add the ice maker yet.
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Thread: Westerbeke Generator Problem
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Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
Jim Grove, Fanfare 1966 50MY Hull #22 (Delivered Jan. 7, 1966)
"LIFE IS JUST ONE DAMNED THING AFTER ANOTHER." Frank Ward O'Malley, Journalist, Playwright 1875-1932
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Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
WOW! I can not even imagine sleeping on our boat in the summer without A/C. This means that we either have to run the ac or not fish overnight. I think we will run the genset. I have 4 co2 detectors. One in each Stateroom and one in the Salon. I will take my chances. there is not any more risk to that then having a fire at your house and not being able to get out cause you are sleeping.
Ever been to a mooring in florida with non sailboaters? Every non sailboat has a genset running. There is a reason for that.Pat Bustle
Palmetto, Florida
1984 38 Topaz Express "Aranmore"
Broker, United Yacht Sales
Visit My Website
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07-31-2006 10:07 AM #13Bird
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Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
I wouldn't worry that my co2 monitors didn't have a marine certification. I have found from past experience that "marine" monitors are notorious for falsing. I've owned several boats with factory installed alarms only to find the previous owner had installed a toggle switch to be able to shut these damn things off. There are home units available which operate on 110v ac with 9v dc back up batteries. I can't remember the name of the ones I bought, but I bought them at Lowe's (go to Home Depot if you're a Tony Stewart fan, I like Jimmy Johnson myself). You can bet your life that these things are going to be trustworthy. Why do I say that? Can you imagine the size of the settlement the manufacturer would have to pay if somebody croaked because of a faulty alarm? So crank up that genny and do some comfortable snoozin'.
1974 58TC "Freebird", 1965 41DC "Nancy Cay", For Sale - Click HERE for info - sosectn@aol.com
Randy Register - Kingston, Tennessee - aka Freeebird aka Sparky1
www.forumlychallengedboaters.com
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Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
If I am not at a dock my generator is almost always on. In part this is because I have gotten water backflowing from the waterlift muffler into the generator cylinders when rolling in very rough seas. I quickily learned it was cheaper to run the genny than to rebuild it!Dan
End Of The Line II
1967 34C
EOTL II Rebuild Web Page
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Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
same thing happened to my norpro 18 after i installed an inverter and i started running the boat without the genset. 2 issues... improper exhaust routing, muffler was in original location against hull with a long uphill run from bottom of sound shield to muffler (fixed by moving the muffler close to genset) and also a lower than the orignal Onan exhaust manifold, too close to water line (solved by adding syphon break).
Pascal
Miami, FL
1970 53 MY #325 Cummins 6CTAs
2014 26' gaff rigged sloop
2007 Sandbarhopper 13
12' Westphal Cat boat
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07-31-2006 01:46 PM #16
Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
I agree with Pascal. I run my generator anytime I am out of port. Anchored or not. If I can't trust the safety devises that I or Hatteras have installed on My boat. What good are they. Runaways can happen anytime. IF you do your maintenance Like you are supposed too. You can enjoy the comforts. C/O from a diesel is less dangerous than gas. I worry more when the admiral cooks than anything else. It's the boats that are moored improper with the wrong air flow that run into trouble. Rafting with generators is a real danger anytime. I WILL KEEP COOL.
BILL
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Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
I'm not affraid to run the gen at night either. There is some risk, but I believe it is minimal and if you have CO detectors, it is almost zero. As long as I can wake up, I can always make a quick exit out the escape hatch if necessary.
Now as far as low voltage lights: I think Hatteras set all boats up with both low and high voltage lights in every cabin. My 1985 had some of those 32v lights rewired to 110v. I promptly changed those back to the original design. It wasn't always easy, though. Some of the old 32v wires were just cut and taped and laying in the headliner. Some things that people have done to my boat in the past really make me mad. I wish they would have just left it alone. It takes at least twice as long to fix something that someone else did wrong than to fix the original problem.Sky Cheney
1985 53EDMY, Hull #CN759, "Rebecca"
ELYC on White Lake--Montague, MI
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Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
Dan--
You are right-it was fairly cheap to fix the waterlift muffler so it didn't back flow into the generator. Ended up moving the muffler, and installing a siphon break clear up through the gen room overhead, so it is now under the galley seat. Had to remove the end of a drawer to make room. That was 28 years ago. Since this forum wasn't around I regret that it took me about a year just to figure out why the generator was failing as it did not happen often. Had to be in really super rough seas which I now try to avoid. I think we would roll so much that the generator oil pump would suck air, in which case the low-oil pressure switch automatically shut the thing down. It cost me a new generator, a rebuild, and a lot of trouble. I have had no problem since--but I still never turn the generator off when I am at sea. I might once the anchor is down, but that's when I need the hot water heater, stove, AC, icemaker and lights, so I mostly don't.
As I think about this, I guess I have to say that I believe the location of the original waterlift muffler was a design flaw. It was in the generator room, just about at the waterline, on the far outboard side of the hull. The old Onan was two feet below it on the centerline. Thus the water inside the muffler had a pretty good drop when at extreme roll angles, particularly if the generator had suddenly stopped while running under load, so it was really full of cooling water. But that is about the only design flaw I can think of in the whole boat. That's not a bad record for Jack Hargrave. Just wish I had figured it out sooner, as it ruined several trips. (I had a bunch of boatyard guys and the Onan people thinking about it too with few suggestions.)
I also find that for the last few years I have been staying at docks more often. Probably due to the presence of small grandchildren who function better if they can get ashore for exercise. My generator needs exercise too, and I'm just going to try to give it more in the future.Jim Grove, Fanfare 1966 50MY Hull #22 (Delivered Jan. 7, 1966)
"LIFE IS JUST ONE DAMNED THING AFTER ANOTHER." Frank Ward O'Malley, Journalist, Playwright 1875-1932
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07-31-2006 10:59 PM #19Bird
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Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
Originally Posted by SKYCHENEY1974 58TC "Freebird", 1965 41DC "Nancy Cay", For Sale - Click HERE for info - sosectn@aol.com
Randy Register - Kingston, Tennessee - aka Freeebird aka Sparky1
www.forumlychallengedboaters.com
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Re: Westerbeke Generator Problem
most of the lights on my 53 are AC, unfortunately... dont' know if or when some where converted but i dont' see why anybody would consider it...
re your generator, how old is it ? it helps to provide all the info when asking a specific question. dont' know how close it is, I had a 7.5 gas wstbk,98 vintage... the safety switches were bypassed by holding the run switch when starting so if the genny stops when you release the switch, it has to be either the oil press or the overheat switch.
i can't think of any reason why "playing" with the stop switch would keep it running. Speed is controled by the governor, i'm guessing that's where you problem is... i doubt there is a magic answer.Pascal
Miami, FL
1970 53 MY #325 Cummins 6CTAs
2014 26' gaff rigged sloop
2007 Sandbarhopper 13
12' Westphal Cat boat