For some time I have been researching ways to create power without the help of my boat’s generator. It does not take very long to use 100 hours of genset time, enough for another oil change. In the beginning it was a solar panel, and after that came an inverter, and now, the newest is a wind generator.

Wind has been used for creating energy for centuries; first in Persia (present-day Iran) as long ago as 200 B.C. Yet, the first acknowledged practical windmills were manufactured by the Dutch in 1300, by means of cloth sails pulled across wooden frames. In a number of styles these sails could be trimmed to take advantage of unpredictable wind speed surroundings. The large windmills of the Dutch model stayed in operation all across Europe until the launch of the steam engine in the 1800s. Wind is in reality a type of solar energy. Winds are triggered by the irregular warming of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth’s surface, and spinning of the planet. Wind current patterns are created by the earth’s terrain, areas of water, manmade structures and vegetation. We humans can use this wind flow for numerous reasons: sailing a boat, flying a kite, flying an airliner and even producing electrical power. The phrase wind power describes the method by which the wind is utilized to produce mechanical power. This mechanical power may then be utilized for specific mechanical tasks such as chopping grain or pumping water. Or as used on a boat, an alternator in a wind generator can change this mechanical power into electrical energy.

So how do wind turbines create electricity? In simple terms, a wind generator works the opposite of a fan. As a substitute to using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind generators utilize wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades, which turn a shaft. The shaft attaches to an alternator and produces electricity. In our boat’s turbine, the alternator produces 220 volt 3-phase AC current. The controller, converter, then changes the AC power to 12 volt DC power to charge the battery bank.

Wind Availability When deciding if a wind generator is financially sensible for your vessel depends on the quality of your wind resources. Normally, regular wind speeds of a minimum of 10 mph are mandatory for a small wind generator to create adequate electrical energy to be cost-effective. Being on the Atlantic shoreline, we have afternoon sea breezes in the summer which normally generate 10-15 mph winds. If your yacht is inland, your winds will most likely be different. The most important element of gaging your wind resource is an anemometer. Anemometers are wind measuring units, usually designed with rotating cups installed on a vertical shaft. The anemometer will allow you to “read” the wind speeds. If there is another yacht owner with a wind turbine system in your neighborhood, you may be able to gain useful guidance from its owners concerning the electrical productivity of the system and wind speed data. Such information could be extremely useful as an option to mounting an anemometer.

Turbine Mounting Deciding the place to mount your wind generator takes a bit of preparation. It has to be high enough to capture the wind, if possible away from arches, sails or masts that will block or alter wind flow. There is also the issue of rotating blades. We want to make certain that they do not strike anything while rotating, particularly a person’s head while moving around the trawler.