I'm going to post my opinions about this. I will say my opinion has changed several times from the time of purchasing the boat and now.
The C26 we own came with a Dometic Marine air (Heat and cool) It works great when shore power is available. We did not take delivery with a Generator or inverter. No generator because I didn't want the additional weight and cost of the unit. No inverter because I did not like the unit that Fluid Motion was installing. I wanted a larger inverter and a pure sine wave inverter. I installed a 2000W Kisea.
No solar panel because I wanted a larger Radar Dome and also wanted to store a paddle board on the roof. The combination of the two items would block the sun and the panels efficiency would be reduced.
My thought was the 2000W would power anything I needed to use on board except the Air unit ( I don't have enough battery capacity even when using the engine alternator. The alternators life expectancy will be effected by the high amperage needs.) I would be able to cook, TV, Hot water, fans, and use an electric heater to take the chill out of the air. I installed a battery switch to parallel the Thruster battery to the house bank to add an additional battery for use while at anchor. This system works good for one night on the hook. Example: cruise all day battery banks charged, drop hook, refrigerator (on), small 12V freezer (0n) a few lights used, anchor light used, Microwave used for short periods, coffee maker used, fresh water pump used, head used. In the morning the house battery bank is at 12.4V which is in need of charge.
The no generator, no solar panel choice, has been questioned by me many times. It is really questioned when cruising for days, weeks, and months. If I were to do it over I would have ordered the boat with a generator. Could I install a generator ? Yes, but I have installed a lot of additional equipment and made many customized changes that I need to draw the line as to how much money to put into this boat.
I purchased a 2200W Honda generator. I was hesitant to use a portable generator onboard. There are many safety concerns to take into consideration. Questions I had-
Where do I store it? The Cutwaters and Ranger Tugs have no ventilation installed for compartments, engine or lazarette. So storing the generator in a storage compartment would be a hazard. Placing the generator in the cockpit is not advised because the cockpit is considered the engine compartment because of the boats ventilation design. The air being drawn below the deck comes from the cockpit as per design. The swim platform would work but it is under water when cruising.
Where do I operate to to confirm that there is no back draft or "tailgating" of (CO) into living spaces.
Will the 2200W be able to operate the air unit for cool and heat? Will I be able to charge the batteries and use other 120V components at the same time ? My goal was to be able to charge the batteries and use 120V components to extend my day's at anchorage.
My solutions: Additional ventilation installed in the storage compartment designed to house a permanently installed generator. The Honda fits perfectly for storage. The Honda that I purchased has a carb compliant fuel tank ( no spill ) It also has a fuel shut off valve to remove all fuel from the fuel system between the fuel tank and the engine. This ellimiates the chances of fumes in the compartment. This generator also has a auto CO shut down. If hazardous (CO) levels are detected the generator it will automatically shut down. I installed (CO) detector in the cockpit that reads the (CO) levels and alarms when levels are hazardous. I installed an additional (CO) detector in the V Berth area with the same features and there is a factory installed (CO) detector in the 1/4 berth. I made a small stand that elevates the Generator on the swim platform to keep it high enough so that water can not damage the generator while being used on the swim platform. I have hold down straps that secure it to the swim platform.
Use's, I have used this generator several times while cruising. It will operate the Dometic air unit without the soft start. We have used it to cool the cabin and more often to heat the cabin in the morning when it is cold. I normally start it in the morning to charge the batteries, make coffee, use the toaster, and make breakfast. 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening will keep the battery banks charged, heat water, and used for cooking and provide some air temperature comfort. It works but it is by no means as convenient as a built-in. The generator has made extended days at anchorage doable for our uses. We have never used the generator while underway. The Honda is not loud but you know when it is running it does make noise so I am considerate if other boats are close to us in anchorage. I will not use the generator if anyone is in the water swimming.
The Honda that I purchased cost 1150.00, I made a jumper plug that combines the Neutral to the ground at the generator. I use a 30 amp adapter that plugs into the generator. I use my 3 gallon Carb compliant outboard fuel tank (My dingy's outboard tank) for the gas can. I have a male fitting that plugs into the female outboard fitting and use the primer bulb to fill the generators tank. This eliminates any spills. The tank fits into the swim platform storage box.
My opinion is If I had it to do over I would have purchased the boat with a marine generator. The Honda works but do not take the use lightly. Know the hazards and be safe.
