Thataway

Bob,

Our new TC255-48 had the door wedge installed by Wefings, before we picked it up. The door has worked beautifully, so far.

Also, our open-door latch has worked well. No need for "fine tuning" the latching mechanism, so far.

gcharlie
 
It is the 24 gallon Action Packer by Rubbermaid. We picked up one today, and it barely fits--you have to have the generator offset to one side, so the handle fits into one of the concavities of the inner top.

Definately the Action Packer is the way to go--you can sit and stand on it.
There is still room for the cord in the box. We have some high tensil strength cordage thru the "handles" which will clip into U brackets on the side of the cockpit to keep this boxy in place when under way.
 
Bob-

Thanks for the research! I've got two 24 gallon Action Packers in the RV Barn.

Never have tried to put the Honda 1000i in one, but I'm sure it will fit if the 2000i does.

Will you ventilate the Action Packer, or just leave the lid off?

Joe.
 
I hope that I did not leave the impression that I would run the Honda in the Action Packer--I'll hoist it out of the box, onto the platforms on the crates on the transom. I don't see any reason to ventillate the box with the gas cap closed on the generator. The boxes are not air tight.
Another poster wondered about my plan of putting one gallon gas cans in the fish boxes. (one with oil for the dinghy outboard and one straight gas to be sure the Honda is topped off--I have the 6 gallon auxillary tank. I don't see a problem--just no one smokes on the boat. We would have the genset on the swim step when cooking--and the gas cans also would be on the swim step--no barbeque near the gas cans or fuel vents.
 
Bob-

I'm thinking of actually bolting the generator down to the floor of the Action Packer, and securing the Action Packer to the boat in such a way that removing the lid and opening some vents and/or turning on some fans will provide fthe needed ventilation so the unit will not have to be moved and will be in a (relatively) secure place when the lid is installed with locks on it. Exhaust ventilation and dissipation will have to be provided for as well as /CO monitoring. I'd like to not have to move the unit around and wire it up in order to use it, nor worry about rain, salt water, etc. I think I can mount it in the center rear of the cockpit if I can arrange for an exhaust extension. There's some discussion of this adaptation on the Honda EU 2000 Generators owners group site: LINK

Joe.
 
I hate to make generalized statements--but in general....I think it is a bad idea to run one of there non marinized generators anywhere but on the swim step--or in some cases on a tower, or foredeck--where there is plenty of ventillation and the breeze is blowing back from the boat.

True that Glacier Bay makes a box with vents and an exhaust for the generator to sit in on the swim step--but it is out of the boat's cockpit.

I don't know what type of method you would use to secure the exhaust hose (there is some talk on the link you provided of high temp silicon hose to connect a welded on nipple to exhaust tubing). But what if this fails, and the cockpit/boat fill up with CO?

Like I said--as an MD I am really worried about CO poisoning--I have seen too many deaths from it--probably because my practice was centered around the boating community....

What can be done in RV, trucks and even gargages cannot be translated to boats. We occasionally use our honda (although we have a larger contractors type) generator after hurricanes--and they are outside--not even at the edge of the large gargage.

Regards,

Bob
 
I would have to agree with Bob. Under another topic I mentioned our experience with having the generator in our cockpit (on the floor) and stale air collecting in the area. Because we would keep our cockpit bimini up to keep dew and rain off the generator, the only way to avoid this would be to anchor with the stern to the wind and I would be afraid to do that in case a storm were to pop up during the night. We have run the generator over the splashwell using a backboard designed by Wayne McCown and this seems to work very well. We do have a CO monitor in the cabin just in case.
 
Well we were ready for our first "overnighter" on the Tom Cat--but gremlins snuck in. I attempted to light the Wallas stove. All sorts of flashing lights, checked the connections etc--about 2 hour of trouble shooting--then on the phone for half an hour with Scan Marine (I think it was Carl?)--who was extremely helpful--after about half an hour he said take a 12 mm wrench to the input fitting of the fuel pump and tighten it. The fuel column was only moving a fraction of an inch with each pulse--we pulled the end out of the tank to get a bubble to follow. I put my hand on the nut--was not even finger tight! Another part of carelessness by some employee who didn't take the time to put a wrench on this fitting and make it tight--Carl--said this was a C Dory probelm.

So--we will not get the boat packed and ready in time--and will have to wait for another day for that overnighter...
 
Bob and Jim-

Thanks for your concern about the generator operation. I know it is a difficult matter to place the generator where the lethal exhaust is rendered harmless. Will be thinking your advice though over and over again as I struggle with this issue.

Thanks! Joe.
 
Bob and all-

How about mounting the generator in the Action Packer box with an intake vent fan one one end of the box and a large (5-6") swiveling PVC elbow on the other, so that when placed at the center rear of the cockpit, the exhast and heat can be vented out through the transom door, perhaps aided with an extension insertable into the elbow?

Set up for easy removal to allow access to the engines under the floor panels, this set up could also be hoisted over the transom when desired for operation down on the swim step platform.

As such, it could be used on the cockpit deck during the day and when motoring, then put over the transom at anchor for the night.

Joe.
 
Joe,
You lost me on the transom door thing. I am not aware of any C Dory product (except perhaps the C Ranger?. There is little clearance in the Action Packer on each end--certainly not room for a blower. The exhaust would melt the plastic of the action packer. The exhaust would have to be attatched--(nipple welded to the exhaust of the EU 2000i--and that joint probably has to be flexiable--I have had problems (as many others have) with rigid connection of exhausts (exception is clamp on mufflers on RV generators--a different situation.) You still have exhaust in the cockpit--and potential for exhaust into the pilot house. My boat has Camper canvas--it will be off during the summer, but the bimini is still there, and there is some station wagon effect even with this. I might run the generator at low speeds, with it in the center of the engine bracket/swim step--there is not much spray there at low speeds, and the fuel tank on the aft seat--that would work. At high speeds one depends on the ventillation thru the windows--and it is fine.

It is no big thing to hoist a 46 lb generator over the transom (especially with the davit rigged. We would do it without the davit, but because of our back problems it is not fesiable to do this.
 
Bob-

I was thinking of using some sort of set up like this on my Sea Ray, which has a step-through transom door.

I don't have a Honda EU 2000i or larger generator, but a Honda EU 1000i instead, which only weighs 27 lbs. So far, I've managed to avoid refrigeration air conditioning on Shasta Lake, due in part to the low humidity. The smaller generator meets my appliance needs, at least so far.

The plastic box vs the heat issue would depend somewhat on the amount of air ducted through the box, but a stronger metal box could be used. There are some nice ones made to solve RV security problems that have the ventilation openings provided, and are made out of polished diamondplate aluminum.

That exhaust extension is a real sticking point, for sure! Need a way to duct it out the cooling air exit w/o touching anything.

When I run the 1000i on my CD-22. I place iton top of the 120 qt cooler which is across the back end of the cockpit. The generator is placed axially, down the centerline of the boat with the exhaust pointed toward the main motor and over the motor well, so that heavier than air gases will fall into the well and spill over out of the boat, due the the well's shape, and also to the usual wind travel direction over the boat.

So far, I've never set off my CO alarm inside the cabin, with the door open or closed.

Indeed, there are a lot of problems to be solved, and I may well find myself out on the swimstep with the generator afterall!

You probably don't know much about our ex-patriot, Red Fox, but he once owed up to putting the generator out in the dinghy overnight with an extension cord following the painter (lead line) back to the "mother ship"!

Joe.
 
Actually if the dinghy is stable that is not a bad idea. It is also not at all new either. The sailing head boats in Maine, like Bill of Rights when she was there, had not engines in the boats, but had Yawl boats. The engines and generators in the Yawl boats were started to provide power to charge the batteries. This allowed the head boats to be inspected as sail only vessels, with much less stringent wiring requirements than if they had a genset aboard.

Incidently, the Sterilite 20 quart boxes fit perfectly into the fish boxes. I am putting spare oil, filters (vacuum sealed), propane cylinders, along with the one gallon gas cans for the dinghy and back up for the Honda--finally a use for the fish boxes! When it cools off, we will so some studies to see what the melt rate of ice is in these, especially with some extra foam.

I found a wall mount for the Sanyo 15" LCD TV, and it is going on the stb side of the foreward cabin so we can watch TV when lying in the bunk. The stand remains on it, so we can put it on the top of the microwave when watching when sitting at the dinette.

Regards,
 
Due to various problems (not boat related) we didn't get to do an overnighter before the Gulf Coast gathering. Did the 20 hour service on the Suzukis. All systems seem to be working. Dinghy fits well right behind the air conditioning on the roof. Put some agressive non skid tape on the stern railing to keep the dinghy motor mount from twisting. Made a rain shield of Sunbrella stretched between PVC Framework to keep rain off the gen set. Put a wall mount on the stb side of the foreward cabin house for the 15" LCD TV. Made drapes for the oval ports in the foreward cabin. Added a second group 31 AGM battery for the refigerator/freezer.
We put a oak closet rod in the aft locker--shortened the metal hook part, so that clothes would not drag on the floor.

Weather has been from the SSE up to 30 knots for the last several days, but is clocking to the SW. One of the other boats heading to Apalachacola only was able to make about 20 days because of the seas on the ICW with the wind.

We will see how she runns fully loaded.
 
Bob, how are you powering the 15" tv? I am dying to hear someone say they did away with the 110volt to 12 volt converter in the powercord and just go straight to 12 volt. At least my Toshiba comes from a 12 volt outlet, up the cord to a 110 to 12volt converter, then the 12 volt plug into the set. Toshiba customer service keeps ducking the answer. They just say "you may void your warranty."
 
Oops! Meant to say my cord comes from 110 volt to the 12 volt converter then into the set with a 12 volt plug, similar to the plug on a walkman.
 
Lloyds wrote:
Bob, how are you powering the 15" tv? I am dying to hear someone say they did away with the 110volt to 12 volt converter in the powercord and just go straight to 12 volt. At least my Toshiba comes from a 12 volt outlet, up the cord to a 110 to 12volt converter, then the 12 volt plug into the set. Toshiba customer service keeps ducking the answer. They just say "you may void your warranty."
This discussion was touched upon earlier this month here. Check it out. I was able to go DC to DC with a Targus Auto/Air Adapter set, others have done it as well. Good luck.
 
We cut the power cord from the brick to the TV--althought there are 4 pins (2 plus and 2 negitive) into the TV, there is a single center conductor (plus) and outer shield, (negitive), which we put into a cigarette lighter plug. We then used a comon two pin connector to hook back up to the brick or the cigarette lighter plug.

The TV runs fine right off the boat's 12 volt power supply--no DC to DC apaptor.

We just got back from the Gulf Coast gathering --great time! Trip down to Apalachacola was done in two days--first night at Panama City. Trip back was made in about 10 hours--200 miles--including some "No Wake Zones"--a fuel stop (We had fueled up in Pensacola, ran to Apalachacola and back to Panama City before fueling--and probably could have made it to Fort Walton Beach--but didn't want to take a chance). We were going to stop in Ft Walton, but it was after 5 PM and none of the marinas answered their VHF, with a decaying weather forcast, we elected to run on home. We made it to Pensacola Beach by sundown, but had to run another 3 hours in the dark. Most of this was in the ICW, and we had to pull off the ICW while tugs and tows went by (They run twin spotlights which light up the shore well over a mile ahead--and completely blind the recreational boatere--despite requests to dim or bring the lights down to near by bouys, they continued to shine the lights full ahead, obscuring not only their running lights, but ruining any night vision which we had. The boat ran very well at night--and in fact on the entire trip we had no problems. Sleeping was fantastic--we had added one inch of memory foam and one inch of soft foam over the bunk cushion. Even used the shower--more of a sit down shower--but got good an clean. All systems on the boat worked perfectly--at last! We had loaded the boat as if it was for a longer trip--to see what affect weight had on performance. We still were running at 25 knots @ about 4000 RPM. We ran a fair portion of the way back at 30 knot. At 23 knots we were burning 10 gallons an hour. At 30 knots we were burning just about 15 gallons an hour. We didn't go WOT with the full load. We did have some heavy seas comming up Peridido Bay, and across several of the other bays--so pushed the boat on up to 30/35 knots--and to see how she rode into 20/25 knots of wind with seas generated by 12 miles of fetch. The ride was adequate--and it did not cause pain for either of our backs. The boat definately handles steep seas better at 20 plus knots than at a slow speed. We are going to put windshield fresh water washers on--because the wipers will not handle the salt as it drys--However, most of the time we were up on a plane we didn't get spray on the windshield. All in all, the boat performed to our expectations.
 
Hi Bob,

I enjoy reading about Thataway and your modifications to her. She sounds like a very impressive boat. One word of advice I have for you is to try using RainX on the front windows. I use it with great results on my pilothouse. I no longer use my wipers! Spray hits the windows and then rolls right off. Good luck with your ventures.

Bill
 
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