Wind Turbine For Small Boat

Wind generators are still a common sight on bluewater cruising routes, despite the increasing popularity of hydrogenerators and ever more powerful solar panels.

When it comes to wind turbine for small boats, the most important decision is deciding if there is enough wind to produce enough power to meet your needs, and it takes a lot of wind.

The average wind speed along the southeast and gulf coasts of the United States is less than 10 mph. Wind generator production must be considered for winds of 10 to 12 mph in order to be practical. The average wind speed is higher along the Texas gulf coast, but this may be seasonal.

While the Chesapeake Bay area has a higher average wind speed, this is an annual average, and most of the higher winds occur in the winter when no one is cruising in the area. You also have to consider where you anchor your boat. We all try to anchor in a lee and get out of the most wind.

To begin, it’s necessary to understand the benefits and drawbacks of using wind power to keep the batteries charged.

On the positive side, the generator will continue to provide power when at anchor or in port, even on gloomy days. It’s also low-maintenance and doesn’t need to be launched or recovered.

These can be powerful units, churning out 400 watts of power or more—enough to charge 800 amp hours (Ah) of battery capacity per day on a 12-volt system.