Winter Refit – The New Generator (Part 2)

Deciding which new generator to buy took some detailed research which had started as soon as we had arrived back in Guernsey at the beginning of October. Several factors needed to be taken into account. Most importantly the new generator would need to fit into and be strongly secured inside the available room in the machinery space. As a second consideration, the size of the generator would be constrained by what would fit through the narrow doorway into the aft heads. As well as the physical size of the generator, there was also the generating power to consider. Our old generator was 4kVA which ran everything we needed but it was working at its maximum capacity to power the compressor that we use to fill our scuba dive tanks. A 5kVA generator would be able to cope with that power demand much better but was likely to be bigger and heavier than our old generator.

After many hours studying generator speciation data, engineering drawings, and taking lots of careful measurements, we finally settled on the Fischer Panda 5000i Neo PMS. There were other manufacturers models that potentially would have worked but Fischer Panda UK were able to supply and ship the 5000i quickly and all of the exhaust system, header tanks etc already fitted to the boat were Fischer Panda and I knew would be compatible and wouldn’t require a complete redesign of the machinery space layout.

Using the Spinnaker halyard set up Nicky and I were able to 
lift the generator onto Blue Velvet and into the saloon without 
 needing any extra manpower – note that the casing is wider 
than the doorway into the aft heads

The 5000i Neo PMS is a remarkably compact unit which produces a high voltage that is then brought down and regulated to 240 volts 50Hz by a separate inverter unit. Aside from very stable power supply, one immediate huge bonus of this setup is that the generator unit only weighs 67kgs and the inverter unit an additional 9kgs. Much easier weights of equipment to manhandle into the machinery space than our old 100kg generator. From the engineering drawings and careful measurements inside machinery space I was confident that the 2 components would fit and that, even with the cockpit moulding encroaching above, the 2 parts of the soundproofing capsule would be removable for access.

The headache was that the 5000i capsule was cuboid and wider than the doorway into the aft heads. After many more hours poring over the engineering drawings and studying the various photos of the 5000i (several with different ancillaries changed over the years!) I finally hatched a plan as to how we were going to get a 5000i through a doorway seemingly far too narrow to fit it through. Confirming the order was a bit of a leap of faith. With the order placed the Fischer Panda team kicked into gear and a couple of weeks later we had a brand-new generator sat in our hallway at home.

The new generator secured onto the bearers and ready
to be connected up

The first priority was to make up new aluminium bearers which the generator’s flexible feet would be bolted to. A wooden template was made to assist in designing the bearers and spacers so that the new shape of generator could be properly secured. Once cut to the right lengths, the aluminium flat bar was drilled and tapped, and then bolted to the bearers which are part of the hull moulding. The generator’s inverter was also secured to the bulkhead.

A wooden ramp was then built so that, once the generator had been lifted into the heads area, it could be slid up the ramp and into the machinery space. Next came the tricky job of getting the new generator from the saloon and through the narrow doorway into the heads. By temporarily removing the bracket supporting the coolant pump, the iControlled box, and several hoses, the generator was made narrow enough but the sound capsule tray was still too wide. However, by turning the generator on its side the capsule could be hooked around the doorframe 

The finished installation ready for testing

and with the coolant pump bracket removed there was just enough clearance to rotate the generator through the doorway. The plan hatched whilst studying the engineering drawings and photographs had worked which was a huge relief.

The generator was then slid up the ramp into the machinery space and then along 2 wooden beams to move it outboard over the new aluminium bearers. The mounts were then bolted to the bearers to secure the generator.

The next 2 days were spent connecting up the fuel, coolant header tank, exhaust and electrics. A separate electric fuel lift pump also needed to be fitted close to the diesel tank under the saloon sole.

With everything checked and double checked in accordance with the manual, we finally came to the moment of truth and pressed the start button. It was extremely satisfying to hear the new generator fire up first time and settle into very quiet idle speed. The iControlled adjusts the speed of the motor to match the electrical load and we found that the new generator is much quieter than the old one; we are hoping for many years of trouble free service from it.

St Peter Port, Guernsey