Modifications, repairs and improvements, 35TE

[go.boating]

Show and tell us what you've done.

I am a new owner, here are my current projects in no particular order

a/c in main cabin and stateroom
rod holders
second station ( surplus removed from BW 420)
Gyro stabilizer
a few 8616 chart plotters
airmar chirp transducer
gsd-26
side view transducers
murray sea mist eliminators
tackle station
live well
generator

will post pictures as i progress

[loganmj]

Wow, that is an impressive list!
I'm curious, where did you mount the gyro stabilizer, and what size generator did you install to run A/C and the stabilizer?

[go.boating]

So the gyro is going just behind the fuel tanks

It’s DC because the pervious owner has a battery bank already. And my generator isn’t big enough
If I would be able to do it over I would go with a 5.5 generator and ac gyro. But than again I think it will be nice to not have to have the generator on all the time just to run the gyro

I have a 3.5 Nexgen diesel generator.

[loganmj]

Seems like an ideal location for the Gyro.. I wasn't even aware there were DC gyros. Well we have a 6kw generator which is only used for topping off batteries and the very rare off season and at anchor trip where we run the reverse cycle AC for heat. That probably explains why it has 120 hours in 20 years. Our boat spent its first few years in NY state, then moved to WA state.
Given our climate and usage profile, we would much rather have a diesel heater than the reverse cycle AC for heat. Even when it is crazy hot in our area, if you can get out of the sun, you don't need AC so If we had the diesel furnace, I'm not convinced we would need the generator, and we would be even more unable to load it properly. Adding a watermaker would help add load, and if our current unit ever failed downsizing to a smaller diesel gen might make sense, especially if we had a larger house bank than we currently have (single 4D lead acid). Options abound.. Do we add a few solar panels, and more house bank, or swap to LiPo house bank when it becomes more affordable?

Our current plan is to keep the generator well maintained, maybe add a diesel heater this fall. Until something serious happens with the generator, we will just keep our options open.