Honda Generators

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Quetzalsailor
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Honda Generators

Post by Quetzalsailor »

We spent a delightful week, 26 June - 4 July, aboard Quetzal. Got some great sailing in, despite the forecasts for little wind and lots of rain.

But what is it with some folks?

1) In a popular day stop and anchorage in the Magothy River: matching 30' powerboats rafted together, each with their Honda generators on the swimstep; ran for hours for the air conditioning when the nighttime temperature was in the 60s.

2) In that same anchorage, another powerboat with the same toy, but he went home at sundown.

3) In our home mooring field, on the sailboat on the next mooring (west), our neighbor, his pit bull and his Honda. At least he did not run it all night, and he at least put it on his side deck next to the cockpit so that he, too, could enjoy the sound of power in the making.

4) A transient 38' sailboat on the next mooring (south), ran his Honda for hours. He was much more sensitive so he put it on the foredeck as far from his cockpit as he could get it. This was, I think, so that he could enjoy watching his teenaged kid, in training for I can only fear what, firing a cap pistol for several hours (true!) at attacking forces.

5) A transient 30' powerboat (the kind that looks like a used bar of soap) (east) that ran his genset for hours, and played Christian rock, as well as the lesser kind, on his CD player (fewer hours than the genset, though).

6) Several years ago, but I have to box the compass, a 45' transient sailboat (two moorings away to the north) who ran his main engine all evening and night for air conditioning while he and his family sat in the cockpit eating inner and watching the fireworks. This was a large enough boat so that the idling engine would dump a 5 gallon bucket of water out the exhaust at irregular intervals and from about 2' up.

What is it with these people? Or is the quiet night, the sunset, fresh air, the view, the critters and all, not what it's all about? Not to mention common courtesy to one's neighbors.

I'd wish that they'd go to a ball game!
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Tim
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by Tim »

A couple years ago, this boat, called Chessie, chose to run its Honda generator in a quiet harbor beginning at 7 in the morning, ruining (for me and probably others) what was a very still, peaceful early morning on the water. Learn to make coffee without electricity, folks.

I take a very dim view of this level of selfishness and wonder why people can't at least wait till so-called "acceptable" generator/engine running hours. This goes for people who run their engines to freeze their cold plates at inappropriate times also. One must do what one must, but please consider how it may impact others.

So obviously I'm not a fan of the portable generators when used rudely. If one simply must have the conveniences that come along with these noisemakers, at least follow generally-accepted social and cruising protocol and keep its use to a minimum, and to those hours your neighbors might consider acceptable. (i.e. 8am - 5pm)
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cmartin
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by cmartin »

It sounds like you were behind Dobbins Island.

I'm right off the Magothy and know exactly what you mean. I have yet to find a civil way to bring such offenses to the creators attention.
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Bluenose
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by Bluenose »

We must have been lucky on the 4th of July since we only had two groups of rafted up power boat running their generators. We did have a group of 5 old derelict power boats with a bunch of drunks shooting off fireworks in all directions. I guess the professional show just wasn't good enough for them.

It was nerve racking enough that we left a light on and headed home leaving Bolero to fend for herself. No burns or bumps the next day so we lived through the 4th, the scariest day of the year for boating in Fisherman Bay.

On a more positive (and off topic) note, we did get to use some of our new battery powered portable lights and they worked great. We got two Brunton Gorb lanterns

Image

and a pair Petzl Zipka headlamps.

Image

This might be all the light we need. And the Brunton lamp was still burning the next day when I rowed out to clean and check on Bolero. Pretty sweet alternative to those gorgeous but dim Weems and Plath lanterns.
Quetzalsailor
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by Quetzalsailor »

Actually, cmartin, we normally go 'round to the northeast and anchor in the little bay (Sillery?) across from the horse farm, north of Gibson Island. It's quieter, prettier (no faker lighthouse and no pilings along the north shore of Dobbins), and since there's no beach, far fewer drunks in runabouts. 76°26'5.80"W 39° 5'21.46"N
cmartin
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by cmartin »

Good spot, I'm there quite a bit. Just keep an eye out for a few rowdy neighbors, there are quite a few!

My boat if in Deep Creek, across the the river from Dobbins.
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by Oscar »

Hi, my name is Oscar and I own a Honda Generator......

Yes, let the peaceful mist in the morning be, make coffee with propane. When the huffers and puffers start on land join in if you need to charge batteries....(see PM)

PM I pre-cooled the cabin during other peoples belly slapping happy hours. After dishes I ran the sleeping quarter AC on an inverter and a LARGE battery bank which I charged in the morning.

Also, in anchorages I will go to the downwind edge, so the sound travels away from the others.

I was always aware of who may be impacted.

Personally, having grown up in "the old country" without AC I have a higher tolerance. My lovely Texas bride of 18 years not so.....
Out there, alone, there is only truth.
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by Maine Sail »

I too own a Honda generator but it NEVER, EVER comes on our boat, nor will it. Having been impacted far to many times in the last ten years by rude & selfish boaters, ruining what cruising in Maine should be, quiet & peaceful. I vowed to reduce my consumption by converting to all LED's, adding solar and increasing bank size so I don't need to run my engine during the peaceful hours..

I'm with you guys it is just plain rude.
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preserved_killick
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by preserved_killick »

I too have noticed this, and many similar situations of people utterly distroying the peace and quite of their neighbors with no regard. I one lived next to a couple of vacation homes (this was in a rural mountain area). Every weekend these neighbors would come up and make absolutely the most noise possible. Music, harleys, 4-wheelers, yelling ect. All the time. I hated it, could not understand it. Then by chance I visited where they lived "full time" and it dawned on me that the chaotic noise was normal for them. They actually felt comfortable with it. I had a friend who moved to the mountains from Boston. He often complained that the lack of background noise drove hime nuts.
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Quetzalsailor
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by Quetzalsailor »

Yes, it's funny how this sound perception stuff works. We live in Mount Airy, a residential district of Philadelphia. On a quiet night, there's always a background of white noise. Our perception is that it's a very quiet night. Down on the boat in Swan Creek, a quiet night really is quiet. Not only is the surrounding water reflective of sound, there is little to absorb sound. One can occasionally hear (and even understand) speech on boats or docks hundreds of feet away. (It does not take much wind or water movement to mask the effect.)

We've taken to leaving food in the ice chest overnight, if we arrive after, say, 6:00, and charge the batts and cold plate in the morning.
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by Oscar »

Down on the boat in Swan Creek, a quiet night really is quiet.
Except for Thursday Night Karaoke at Waterman's....Image
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Quetzalsailor
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by Quetzalsailor »

Watermans, Harbor Shack and other dives fronting on Rock Hall harbor are a long way through trees from Swan Creek. It's the live band at Osprey Point Marina and Restaurant that we can hear, occasionally all too clearly, on some weekend evenings, but they go home at 11:00 or so. http://www.ospreypoint.com/index.php
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Re: Honda Generators

Post by s/v Faith »

FWIW,
We used a Honda 1000 aboard Faith on our Bahamas cruise. We were anchored away from other boats 75- 80% of the time, but each evening when I took the dog ashore I noticed I could generally not hear the generator running until I was 20-40' from the boat (on nights when I rowed, of course motoring it was quite a bit closer... I could hear installed gensets and wind generators from much farther away.

On still nights, I would not run it anyway. I did learn to avoid the moorings rental cats. They put big stereos on those things, and for some reason the patrons seem to favor running them loud.
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