Generator Cover
We carry a Honda 2000 generator on board. We rarely use the thing, but when we need it, it is sure great to have. I prefer the Honda because it’s so quiet and will not disturb our neighbors in an anchorage.
To protect it from the saltwater environment, I keep it in a case. The case is a clear bag that our queen-size bedspread came in. It has a nylon zipper that doesn’t corrode. It is durable and just the right size. Best of all it was free!
There are some generator cases available that will work too. I’ve attached a link to one from Amazon. However, I prefer my bedspread case because none of the covers that I’ve found for a small generator have a bottom to them. The one I’ve attached a link to below does not have a bottom.
I think a total enclosure is better. After many years the one item that rusted on my Honda were the legs with the rubber feet on them. I purchased new ones and screwed them on easily. Maybe they would have rusted anyway, but that is just another reason to have a bottom on the case which makes it a full enclosure.
When we make a passage on our boat, our generator goes inside the lazarette. This introduces the danger of gasoline fumes in the bilge. I make sure the fuel is turned off at the cap and my full enclosure encapsulates it completely. The lazarette is also separated from our main bilge. I’m not recommending this, I’m just telling you what has worked for us for a few decades of cruising.
To find one of these bedspread cases, try asking at your local retailer that sells bedspreads. Ask any interior decorator friends you know. Ask your friends who are redecorating at home. I found my last one sticking out the top of an open dumpster at an apartment complex as I was bicycling by. Hey, free is free.
When my current enclosure wears out, I think I’ll have a canvas shop make one to match the bedspread version. I’ll have a full enclosure made with a zippered opening, and a Velcro flap at the top (to make grabbing the handle easier, like the one in this Amazon ad).
One other thing, to keep the black rubber feet on the generator from leaving black marks on the boat’s deck we place it on a rubber bath mat.
Captain Billy – this is a fantastic, helpful, and practical recommendation for protecting portable generators or any other importance piece of equipment in a salt water environment.