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Repairing the Generator, Splicing the Anchor, and New Furling Line

Repairing the Generator and the fuel line on our Sailboat Catalina 387
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Nancy told me, “I’m not going if you don’t fix the generator.”

And she’s right.

We were in the middle of another Texas heat wave, with the index upwards to 110 degrees F. And that’s with high humidity.

But I have this intense desire to start breaking free from Galveston Bay and begin exploring the coastline and beyond!

That said, I’m’ learning patience and how to properly repair various aspects of the sailboat – which will be invaluable as we seek to be self-reliant.

Episode 38: She Said She’s Not Going With Me On This Sailboat

Repairing the Generator

We have a Next-Gen 3.5kw generator in the starboard aft locker. It’s great to have because with the push of a button Cadence can:

  • Run our air conditioner
  • Charge the batteries
  • Have all the creature comforts of a small apartment out at sea

However, there was a problem. After running for about 20-30 minutes while under load, the generator would shut down.

However, when it runs without an electrical load, it can run “forever” (we’ve timed it to 1 hr 30 m).

Your Turn

After watching the episode, what do you think the problem is? Why do you think the generator is stopping, and can you recommend anything? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and we’ll chat.

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Comments

7 responses to “Repairing the Generator, Splicing the Anchor, and New Furling Line”

  1. Greg

    Matt if you ever going to repair your Rigging lines look the rigging Man Luke on you tube. He make DYNEEMA SYNTHETIC STANDING RIGGING. And he can give you a estimate and save you money plus last longer. Take Care

    Reply
    1. Matt

      Thanks, Greg that’s cool!

      Reply
  2. Joe

    Have you checked your Watt and Amperage Draw when running everything?
    According to your Specification sheet for that gen set while it will support a startup load of 30 Amps, it’s only going to want to continuously feed 15 and you probably want that to actually be 10-12 if possible. It’s probably an over temp protection that’s shutting you down from using too much power under load.

    Reply
  3. Joe

    It seems I misread the sheet on the startup load support. However, What is your Current Draw versus the Output is still the relevant question. And the protection circuit on the electrical side may still be shutting the generator down even if the Engine portion is running cool.

    Reply
    1. Matt

      Thanks, Joe! I didn’t know to think about that. I see the spec sheet says 30amp output, but I’ll get the facts on how much I’m actually drawing with the AC unit running. >> I really appreciate your help, Joe!

      Reply
  4. Ron Smith

    Nancy good on you for standing your ground re generator and for rope splicing its easy I had a book on it and taught myself to do simple eye splices and joining two ropes together

    Reply
  5. Monica

    Loved this episode!

    Reply

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