Thanks for the info on the AirMaax Dave. The link makes no mention of a
24V model which would make it unsuitable for many Amel owners.

I have used an Air 403 at the top of my mizzen for the past 11 years on
two Super Maramu's. It works superbly up there and outperforms by a long
way turbines mounted on deck poles. The fixing bracket and pole are made
of high quality aluminium (painted), and frankly the weight aloft is not
at all noticeable.

What you must do is separate the plate at the top of the mizzen and the
bottom plate of the turbine bracket with high quality anti vibration
fittings else you will hear and feel the vibration as it resonates down
the mast. I found an excellent company in Farnham UK who make very
robust dampers. Crusader has been through many gales including across
the N. Atlantic to Greenland with sustained winds of 30-40 kts for six
days, and I have never had the slightest problem with the mountings.
After almost 8 years I did have a blade fail, which may have been
through UV weakening or possibly a bird strike. Spares are easy to find
and with the aid of a cherry picker I was able to change them in 30
minutes. A lot easier than standing on a rope looped over the top of the
mizzen mast to gain the extra height!

I did post the address and details of the anti vibration mounts some
years ago but it seems to have disappeared. The type suitable for Air
models (and probably other makes too) is AL-30. The beauty of these
mounts is that there is a bolt through the unit so that it can never
come apart even if the rubber perishes. See
http://www.ava-antivibrationmountings.co.uk/catalog_category.aspx?cat_id=48
for details and company contact info.

I did have to spray the mounts with an aerosol of Hammerite white paint
before using them. I also mounted them on rubber mats and used rubber
washers and polythene tubing around the mounting bolts where they went
through the mast head plate to reduce vibration further.

With the turbine on the mast head and two 120W 24V BP Solar panels
mounted on the rails abeam the aft coach roof, Crusader will break even
in electrical terms in 15 kts of apparent wind and sunlight despite
continuous use of autopilot, laptop, AIS transponder, radio,
instruments, two fridges and a deep freeze and the audio entertainment
system. And often one of the panels is in the shade of the mizzen sail
too. I believe that it is well worth the effort to mount the turbine
aloft and out of the way. Mounting it half way up the mast may well be
problematic if you use the mizzen staysail.

Ian Shepherd SM 414 Crusader


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