Kent, As a former airline pilot I can attest to the fact that there will be more drag from a turning prop that is connected to a PSA than what you will have from a fixed prop that is not moving.

Mike, I won't say you are wrong, but you may not be right, since my SM is a 1994 #123 and it came from Amel with a 220v generator as well as a 24v. psa. Thanks, Pat

Very good points Bill.      A PSA was a standard option on some earlier 12v Amels on which  your engine alternator was your house battery charger and was rarely over 50A. On a 24V boat, with

Bill, good sense as always. For me the solar and wind options were fitted because I was not willing to commit to major ocean crossings without an alternative to diesel engines. too many boats (of all

Thanks for the invitation, David. Judy and I have watched this thread and wondered where the heck it was going to wind up. Our thoughts are not as complicated as this discussion has been. And, our

Well maybe Bill/Judy Sv BeBe will comment on all of this since they are now in the med and 3/4 of the way round the world regards David [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks, David.  I have heard that diesel can be hard to come by in the S Pac and thought I would need other means of generating my battery power. Kent

Hi Kent You dont need a fixed prop you can use a MaxProp and 'force' it to stay open so you can have regeneration when you want it and no prop drag when you dont Most people dont know that you can

Hi group, was asked to send pictures of the PSA by one of the members. Here they are. Hope they help. As I could not manage to attach them to the message I sent directly I had to upload them into my

Kent, I just want to say, I agree with you . There is always going to be subjects that people do not agree on, that should be expected and welcomed, however posts should always be civil and

Just to add to this interesting discussion,  746watts  equals 1 Horse power.    So lets say 20 amps  x 14.2v   = 284  Watts    double it for losses.  568 Watts.  Now  568/746  = 0.76

I do feel we are missing the point here,  Its virtually free power with almost ZERO carbon foot print. Yes I am factoring in the costs of belts, manufacture of gearbox and pulley. I will continue to

Hi all. can't agree about a wind generator being unusable in a decent wind and seaway. As I have said before our super wind is at the top of the mizzen and has been in constant use in all conditions

I put a KISS wind generator on my last boat. The engineering was superb. No problems with 10-15,000 miles on it. Cheap and simple. Fair Winds Eric Amel Super Maramu #376 Kimberlite _____

Do those of you with wind generators use them when at sea?  Do you see any problems with performance as the boat moves with the seas?  I'm not experienced with either wind or PSA generators, but

I think you will find a wind generator is not really usable when sailing in decent winds and seas as gyroscopic effects and precession all start to have a serious effect. You are correct of course

I'm a bit confused about the comparison in losses between the PSA and a wind generator. Water is far denser than air. The prop becomes a speed brake of sort. I'm not a physicist but I'd wager that amp

Thanks, Richard, for not responding in kind.  It's nice that so many make an effort to help others out, and only a few who act like it's some kind of p..ing contest.  Personally, I like to hear all

Pat, We have a Sharki with a fixed prop and standard shaft drive and I too cannot notice any reduction in speed, although as you say nothing is for nothing. Graham To:

Daves, I agree,If you had a folding prop you may see a 1/2 knt loss, I have a fixed prop and I cannot detect a speed loss although there has to be some, nothing is for nothing. I also agree a wind