Run Your Boat's Generator - Use It Or Loose It!

[@TheRetiredBoater]

Hi Paul, Frank here with Gr'Ah Sea Us, Sea Ray 340 Sundancer 2001 from Ottawa: I run my genny at least once a week for a couple of hours because I have to, but I now use your recent recommendation to reassure my wife that it's best to use the genny rather than let it sit. By the way, my genny used to work fine until last week when it uncharacteristically started to "hummm" up and down non-stop instead of its beautiful steady hummm when it runs. I happen to go for a swim and I noticed that the swim platform was a few inches lower on the port side where the (full) black water tank and the heavy 15 hp mercruiser on the dinghy reside. I emptied the full waste tank and immediately the genny worked fine: I think it might have been the genny's carb floats that were off-balance due to the boat's off-weight distribution. The swim platform is now almost level (but not quite because of the outboard on one side and dinghy load). Maybe the off-level was the issue? Also and while on vacation, of course lol, and to your point about having tie wraps aboard... I was laughing that you were right about that and I could hear your voice from your "What Tools + Spare Parts" video: So there was a fissure the thickness and width of a fingernail that developed on the genny's muffler side (though it made no extra noise from it) where water was shooting almost like a water hose in the bilge while I was on vacation on the Rideau Canal in July 2023. I got my tie wraps, tied them together to make them longer to be able to surround the round muffler and I pressed an extra rubber band that I had (which is used to seal battery wires at the terminal) against the muffler and "voila", no more leaks, vacation saved (or made better). I need to replace the muffler soon. Just wanted to share that story and a cheers to tie wraps my friend, thanks :)

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

That's an excellent story - and a pretty cool MacGyver solution!! Didn't I tell you that ya can't have too many zip ties? 😂 When you're replacing the muffler, look at possibly adding an additional auxiliary muffler as well. Really knocked down the sound on our current Sundancer, and the last one, and the 400 Sedan Bridge 👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6a5ZoOvdrCemMU

[@TheRetiredBoater]

Hahaha... yes I'm right there with you: I now carry a sh_t load of zip ties 😇. Feels good coming up from the engine room, dark streaks across the face looking like a coal miner and responding to my wife as I wipe my hands: "It's fixed!" and getting a big hug. So I pass that hug on to you... virtually! 😅Looking up the additional auxiliary muffler video now, thanks for that tip.

[@LITTLEROCKSHORES]

Far better for the generator especially the armature, to run it with a load on it.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

I did that this past weekend - 45 minutes with load 👍

[@eternitysshore]

I'll add my 2 cents that 100% supports your conclusions. First, the previous owners of our boat ALSO spent several thousand dollars trying to repair their little used Westerbeke generator in preparation for selling their boat, including getting the thing removed from the boat etc. In the end the could not, and agreed to provide a new one to us as their expense. We ended up with a brand new diesel powered Next Gen UCM2-5.5...which retails for over $10,500. Moral of their story, RUN YOUR GENERATOR. So we run ours every other time out on the boat (which for us is about once a week) for at least 30 minutes with at least a small load i.e. battery charger and microwave or stove for making a lunch or snack. For anyone in the market for a brand new generator, we love ours and it's crazy more fuel efficient than we thought it would be. It's been run about 38 hours over 1+ season and 80% of the time it's running the AC and yet it has only burned about 7 gallons of diesel.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

A very insightful tale, thanks for sharing this with everyone. And it's my understanding that diesel engines prefer running under load, so I guess the more you can make it work,the better?

[@eternitysshore]

@@BoatingWithBoogaboo That is my understanding as well.

Hello Paul!, wd love ur videos! We have a 29 ft 2015 Chapperal Cruiser that we bought in Feb2023. The generator worked at the BoatSurvey inspection day but not really when we brought the boat home, so we called a boat generator mechanic who came out three times to replace the impeller bc it dried up (FL Summers) one time was just after 45 days!.Frustrating!! He said to get water in it regularly, so we started running it EVERY 30 days. The generator guy said, you dont even have to run it long, just briefly to get water in .(And close the seacocks after use!). Since the last time he came out(last Summer), it works great! Will be using it more, longer, this Summer. That’s our experience w/ the generator. Very true, use it or lose it! We love our boat!! Spent the night on it last weekend (2nd time) on St John’River- was a fun experience! Tree frogs sing 🎶 loudly after dusk-what a performance! . 🐸

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Hello!! Glad you got it figured out, but I'd strongly suggest that not only run it regularly, but run it with a load on it. As I mentioned in this video, the previous owner had to spend a lot of money to have the alternator side rebuilt due to lack of use. And in case you missed it, check this video out from the fun we had lwith the genny last summer 🫣; kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6nGaZKeoNB4j68

Great!! Will watch your suggested video and put a load on every time. ❤️ Love ur videos! U r a true avid boater!

[@nicvanorton6795]

Many people automatically assume low hours on an older gen set is good but as Boogaboo states, it's not. It's also good to put a load on it (running appliances off of the ten set) as it was designed to do. Also, since these generators are carbureted, there are o-rings and seals within the carburetor that can been destroyed by the ethanol in gas. It is imperative to put something like Stabil 360 in the gas tank that feeds the generator (its good to use in general as well) which neutralizes ethanol. When winterizing, run your gen set out of gas by disconnecting the electric fuel pump! This is great way to save your carburetor by keeping the bowl empty so ethanol and sitting fuel cannot ruin anything within by sitting all winter. These are great ways to avoid thousands in repairs so you don't have to Bust Out Another Thousand (BOAT).

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

I've been using Seafoam during every fuel fill, throughout the season, for the past few years; kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3TYiIuYoq-NipI

[@markburley4901]

Maintaining a gennie is much better, and cheaper, than replacing one! They aren't cheap. I did the same Paul, ran it every weekend whether at dock or out overnight. They are there to be used! Plus ya gotta keep that air going...

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Yes! Keeping the air conditioning powered up when away from the marina is of paramount importance 🥵

[@user-Bruce_B]

Handy reminder Paul.😊

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Better safe than sorry 👍

[@plakeplays6420]

absolutely agree Used to have a 290 Amberjack with the 4.5 BT whatever westerbeke generator. Bought it with only 200 hours and had mostly sat for 20 years. Generator ended up getting Water into the cylinder and a Rod Snapped in half with a Hole in the Block.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

That sucks. Another good reason to run them things regularly.

[@BobEstler]

Thanks Paul.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Thank you 👍😊

[@davidcolon7781]

I just started to restoring a 2000 sea ray 330 just like yours exact same generator

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Cool, but we don't have a 330, as this genny is on our 370 Sundancer. Similar generator to your 330, but bigger. Check the description for all the boat's specs :-)

[@EastTNflyer]

We run our generator quite a bit on our 2005 340 Sundancer. It has a little over 1000 hrs.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

1,000 hours on your genny, that's awesome! Our hit just under 140 hours for its lifetime, but we're hoping to have a chance to add to that significantly in '24 and beyond 😃

[@timgreen4137]

The diesel generator on the boat i bought a year ago, hadn't been run in over 6 years. Wouldn't start, because the rings wouldn't seat. The valve faces were worn down oast the first layer of metal. Many, many hours on this generator. Hour meter only showed 1200 hours. I'm replacing it with one that was just serviced by Western Branch. The gas generator in my RV gets run for an hour every month. To prevent issues from stale gas and leaky gaskets and o-rings.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

I'm not familiar with Western Branch...

[@timgreen4137]

@@BoatingWithBoogaboo Western Branch Diesel has shops in various parts of the country. Top notch work. They do heavy truck and marine work.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Ahh, that's why I've never heard of them - because they aren't in THIS country 😉

[@timgreen4137]

@@BoatingWithBoogaboo Ah. I'm in Virginia.

[@ampegor]

Also carry spare parts. My generator blew a belt this weekend. Had it running in 45 minutes with new spare belt. We mostly run ours about an hour a day around supper time to use the microwave, heat water and charge the batteries a bit. Great video. Btw I have a westerbeke 6.5 bcg and the manual says one gallon per hour at full load. We rarely ever get over about 1/3 load and never really notice the gas use,

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Yes, spares are also a good thing - including a couple of impellers. Westerbeke 6.5 you say? What's the run speed on that unit, as ours screams at 3,600 rpm, constantly. The last 4.5 did the same, but on our 400 Sedan Bridge, the 9.6kw ran at only 1,800 rpm 🤔

[@ampegor]

@@BoatingWithBoogaboo pretty sure it’s 1800 I’ll check next time at boat It’s not that bad

[@ampegor]

Yes 1800

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Nice. That would be nice with ours, but oh well. With the constant 3,600 RPM, there's never a surging sound when loads are applied. And never any slowing down... At least the auxiliary muffler helped a lot. And carpet in the cockpit 👍

[@everythingreviewsandnews1229]

Good idea. Goes out to boat. Hard time starting. Oh, the previous guy broke the choke. Oh, the impeller has no fins. Oh, the zinc is completely gone. Oh, he never changed the fuel filter. Oh, plugs are all fouled. Well, let's go shopping.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Let's go shopping. Where have I heard myself say that before 🤣

[@sailingcarat4054]

We just bought a 2001 Formula 41pc. Generator needed a starter. No problem. Husband replaced it. No bueno. Squeals and smokes. Only has 480 hours on it. :(

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Squeals, you say? First thought that comes to mind is either a bad belt, or quite likely the water pump. I had to replace the water pumps on both our last 330 Sundancer (4.5 kW Westerbeke), as well as our current 370 Sundancer (7.2 kW Westerbeke). If you think that's the culprit, do yourselves a big favour and don't waste your time trying to rebuild the pump. I tried that on the last boat, but it only lasted a year or so before I bought a brand new, complete pump through Westerbeke. They're not cheap, but IMO,well worth it.

[@sailingcarat4054]

Thank you for the info. Husband says it was the brushes as we think the unit sat for a long time. Next day on the boat it fired right up and ran great! Strange. I was expecting a fire. Now to replace the 150 amp breaker that keeps overheating and tripping and take out the entire head system….pump, black tank and all. Toilet already in the dumpster. Lol Chasing down the infamous sulfur smell in the boat is driving me nuts!! Can’t find the source. Putting a compost in so no more pump outs or duck valve failure. Your videos of black tanks and duck valves are very informative. My husband now knows how to take the system out the right way without getting poo everywhere. @@BoatingWithBoogaboo

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

@sailingcarat4054 That smell is more than likely coming from the poop lines, as they begin to leach stink after about 15-20 years.

[@DrVaneaton1]

I start my generator before my engines and run them when my engines are running. The Admiral likes the AC and frozen food.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

And, what about cold beer? 🍻😂

[@danadiggins793]

I had to remove the granny on my 370 and had the lower end rebuilt….$5200 plus the cost of pulling and reinstalling it. If I’m not staying out overnight I run it underway. Paul did you address your cooktop burners? I was thinking replacing with a glass top if I can figure it out…or just sand the rust off them and cover with a high temp paint? Curious how you would do it.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

We actually bought some black plexiglass and four stainless steel 'legs' to elevate it off the top of the stove, but ended up leaving everything as is. Our burners are in surprisingly good condition, so they are okay as well. The breaker to the cooktop is always off, as we really don't have need to use it

[@starshiptrooper7520]

I run mine at least once every 3 weeks. Being a petrol powered genset, I don’t think it is necessary to put a load on it, unlike a diesel equivalent. Having said that, I will always run the air-con while I’m there to get all its moving parts into moving. It’s also good not to have salt water sitting stationary in the plumbing for extended periods. Not a problem that you have Paul. 😊 BTW, did you ever do a shift cable replacement “how I did it”. I can’t seem to find it in the list. Cheers, Phil

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

I haven't had a chance to do my cable replacement video yet, but that one is on my list! Stay tuned...

[@MikeMagadiayourhomesold]

Good afternoon Mr Paul, thank you so much for doing all these video. It’s helping me maintain my Boat, I wanted to ask if you have experience your generator keep stopping when you turn the generator on?

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

I can't say for sure, but it could be one of the sender units. They are designed to shut down the engine if there's a problem with overheating, low oil pressure, etc.. I had to replace a couple on our boat last year which solved the problem of the engine refusing to keep running after starting it.

[@richardbanks6025]

or it could just need a carb clean and new plug, generators are very difficult to diagnose and repair at times, use an expert in genset repairs

[@KMT15]

2018 Westerbeke 6.5kW. If I’m not on shore power, generator is running. Over 3,000 hours so far

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

3,000 hours? That's awesome!

[@jonkinsey2307]

I noticed you hit the Preheat/On button when starting it. Do you have to do that since its not a deisel? I thought mine had a bad salinoid because I couldnt start it from the switches on the genny itself or the Start on the panel. Wondering if I did it wrong. Thoughts?

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

On our gas Westerbeke that Preheat switch is actually a by-pass for the oil pressure warning. I usually have to hold it down (with the start button) for roughly 5-10 seconds when starting to let oil pressure build while the engine cranks over. Otherwise, the oil sender will see low pressure and not allow the engine to start.

[@jonkinsey2307]

Thank you that worked, started right up. Switches on the genny dont work at all. I now have a spare salinoid if you need one! @@BoatingWithBoogaboo

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

That's great! Glad it helped. When we had our 400 Sedan Bridge, the big 9,600 watt Westerbeke had start switches right on the unit, but they didn't work either. I think those units came with the switches by default, but we're bypassed (and redundant) because of the switches in the panel...

[@mikecochrane5813]

I’d love a how to keep a cat on a boat video! I’m trying to convince my wife we can do it as well.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Although I don't have a featured video on the subject , I have recently posted the insightful story on my Blog. Have a look at it here - and leave me a comment while you're there; boatingwithboogaboo.wordpress.com/2023/07/17/living-with-a-cat-on-our-boat/

[@BigBadLoneWolf]

I've often heard the term use it or lose it about something else

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

😉

[@josephcrutch8846]

I have a question. i have a 240 sea ray sundancer 2007 i can't find my waste discharge for my waste tank can u You give me any advice thanks

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Technically, there shouldn't be a discharge port for the waste tank. Instead, there'll be a fitting on the deck to attach a pump-out hose. That can be done at most marinas.

[@jeffthomson1777]

On our 390 I run generator every time we go too make sure it’s in good running shape

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Good idea

[@airman6822]

Great advice! Any idea how much fuel the generator uses under load?

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

I have no idea, as the fuel is drawn from same tank as starboard side engine. It's not much...

[@scottkolbe2047]

@@BoatingWithBoogaboo my Kohler 5ecd has fuel burn rates based on load in the manual. It is around a gallon an hour. Just under that actually. Side note when we bought ours new in 07 - the service manager said run at a minimum of every 3 weeks for an hour under load and will have little issues. That is what I have done and knock on wood... has worked well for me. I have never slept with it running. I should be more comfortable with that. We have the carbon monoxide detector plus a second one that gives the level. So I should be more comfortable with that. Curious if you run overnight.

[@HRB7272]

Thanks for the video! So what's the system that prevents overloading the batteries if both motors and generator are running at the same time? Is there a regulator for multiple alternators? Thanks for all the videos Paul.....long time viewer!

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

The generator doesn't provide any charging to the batteries per se. The only charging that would come indirectly from the genny would be via an A/C powered charger. If the charger is up too snuff - like the smart charger installed on this boat, as well as our 330 (video in my HIDIBRAU playlist) - will only send enough charging to the batteries as necessary. In that case, the charging would be negligible... Thanks for following along with my ramblings! And bonus points if you figure that acronym 😂

[@HRB7272]

@@BoatingWithBoogaboo Excellent, thanks!

[@HRB7272]

@@BoatingWithBoogaboo What acronym? You mean the axiom: How I did it boating Repairs and Upgrades???????

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Two points! 😂

[@Sgtkode]

Question from a Non-Boat owner(Yet). Do you run the generator while cruising or do the engines supply power?

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

The engine(s) only provide 12v/DC power - same you would have in a car. The generator will provide 120v/AC power, same as you would have in your home. Yes, we can run the genny when underway, but 99% of the time we dint need it,other than the rare occurrence when we're underway really early and I wanna prepare my breakfast oatmeal and a tea for the road.

[@Sgtkode]

@@BoatingWithBoogaboo I see! Thanks!

[@louisg4845]

Thanks, good info, can you/do you run the generator when you are underway?

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

On our boat, absolutely yes! We don't do it often, but sometimes if leaving an overnight lock first thing in the morning, will prepare my oatmeal breakfast, green tea and coffee for Anchor Girl 👍

[@richardbanks6025]

Generators should always be run under load! A/C , stove, etc.

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Under load!!

[@starshiptrooper7520]

Why?

[@richardbanks6025]

@@starshiptrooper7520 because they will eventually fail and will be very expensive to repair

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

Bingo

[@starshiptrooper7520]

Why will a petrol (gas) generator eventually fail if not put under load. I’m aware that diesels don’t take kindly to not being put under load.

[@danadiggins793]

Genny

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

👍

[@eddyangueira4369]

Wish mine would start that easy...but I know it's my own fault

[@BoatingWithBoogaboo]

It might just need a tune-up...