Unless you are happy burning endless amounts of fuel, a marine wind turbine is an essential item fr an offshore cruising sailboat. In this article, we will be taking a look at some of the best wind generators for your boat.

Today’s cruisers carry so much electrical equipment that wind turbines, solar PV arrays, and hydro-generators are becoming more and more common. The marine wind turbine has been around for several decades now and has gradually been refined to give a much higher degree of efficiency. Better alternators, CAD-designed blades, life-sealed bearings, and smart charge controllers make the latest devices more reliable, quieter, and safer.

Things To Consider When Shopping For a Marine Wind Generator

Horizontal Axis Vs. Vertical Axis Wind Turbine?

The majority of marine wind turbines are horizontal axis devices, either upwind or downwind driven. These are powerful and, as such, need speed and/or charge output limiters, or they can burn out the batteries and self-destruct in storm-force winds. Vertical axis turbines are more suited to trickle charging – usually connected to one or two batteries up to 200Ah capacity. The blade design means they are unidirectional and thus have no need for a bulky tail fin to point them into the wind. They are also considerably quieter than most horizontal turbines and much easier to mount and install.

What Blade Design Should Your Wind Generator Have?

Modern turbines usually sport a one-piece, cast aluminum body and, commonly, three aerodynamically designed plastic/composite blades. One of the first of these models, the original Air-X, worked exceptionally well, particularly in high winds. However, it was so noisy that neighboring boats frequently complained, leaving the owner the option of turning it off or moving well away from other boats. Since then, CAD-inspired blade design has significantly helped to reduce ambient noise levels, although none could be termed silent.

Regulation

Once your battery bank is fully charged, additional energy from the turbine needs to be dissipated, or the turbine stopped. Low power vertical-axis models don’t usually produce enough to warrant fitting a regulator, but the more powerful models all need some form of charge limiter to prevent overcharging. The simplest form of regulation is to switch it off when no further charge is needed. If you electrically disconnect the turbine, however, it can either damage the alternator diodes or carry on spinning at an even higher speed, so most are electrically ‘braked’ by shorting out their output wires, and a high-current switch is usually provided for this action.

If you leave a turbine running unattended, you’ll need an automatic regulator, and there are two systems commonly available. The first lets the turbine continue to spin and produce power, diverting any that isn’t needed into ‘dump’ resistors to burn off the excess as heat. While effective, it is pretty rudimentary, and you have to be careful where you mount the bulky resistors, which can get quite hot. Alternatively, some use this unwanted charge to pre-heat the hot water tank via an immersed element. Other turbines incorporate ‘pitch control’, comprising feathering blades that either flatten out or turn edge into the wind to regulate turning speed at high wind speeds.

Charge Controllers

A variety of automatic charge controllers are available, some more sophisticated than others, and you don’t necessarily need to use one from the same manufacturer unless it specifically states that you must. A basic model has a voltage-sensitive on/off switch that will trigger at a pre-set threshold battery voltage. The more useful controllers have a built-in display for monitoring turbine output and battery condition. Some can also accept and distribute charge from other sources, such as solar or hydro generation.

>>Also Read: Best Portable Boat Generators

Here Are Some Of The Best Best Marine Wind Turbine Generators For Sailboats

Auecoor Solar Wind Hybrid System – Best Marine Wind Turbine Generator on Amazon

The Auecoor Solar Wind Hybrid System is the best system to hook your boat/sailboat with. It is a hybrid system that utilizes both solar and wind power generation. This system is highly efficient, it is designed to withstand heavy wind loads, and it is ready to install on a boat/sailboat. They also produce many models to serve your needs, from 500 Watts all the way up to 2000 Watts in optimal weather conditions. 

All models come with a 400-Watt wind turbine generator, and then you can add as many 120-Watt high-conversion, waterproof and flexible solar panels as you need. This unit is also pretty easy to install. The solar panels are easy to transport, and they come with pre-drilled holes for easy installation. This is my personal favorite kind of setup and the one that I believe is the best for any serious boater. It provides 2 renewable sources of power that guarantee that whether you are making a passage or liveaboard in a nice beach somewhere, you will have dependable power as if you were living connected to the grid.

Air Breeze 200

Although the latest generation Air Breeze, made by Primus Windpower, provides an increased charge output, it is also quieter and should apparently outlast its predecessors. Its low start-up speed (4.2kn) means that, on average, it should be able to produce more energy than some higher-rated turbines over long periods of low-to-moderate wind speeds. Though it only has a maximum output of 200W, its output has been optimized to provide a more constant charge in typical northern European and Mediterranean wind conditions. The new Air Breeze weighs less than 6kg and has an integral electronic charge controller and over-speed regulator, rendering bulky dump resistors unnecessary and making installation considerably quicker and easier.

Leading Edge LE-300 or LE-450

A UK company, Leading Edge supplies wind turbines for both marine and terrestrial installation. The LE-300 and LE-450 are available in 12V, 24V, and 48V versions and are remarkably light, making them ideal for sailing yachts. The output is DC via two wires, and a run/stop switch is supplied that breaks the turbine by shorting the output. The units can also be supplied with charge controllers, a dump load style regulator that allows you to leave the turbine on 24/7 without the batteries overcharging. The three-bladed LE-300 is very light (6kg) and one of the quietest of the three-bladed models. However, its output is poor for a horizontal-axis turbine, although it starts spinning in the gentlest breeze. The five-bladed LE-450 is more powerful (105W at 15-knots) while remaining quiet and stable. Another great feature of this wind turbine is that it is the quietest marine wind generator tested.

Rutland 1200

The latest in the Rutland wind turbine line up, the 1200, is Marlec’s answer to the third generation three-blade, permanent magnet turbine models. More powerful than the 914i, it features a ‘Tri-namic’ blade design, which is said to provide a low start-up speed, very quiet running, and more power towards the top end of the wind scale. With a claimed peak production of 483W (that’s 35.5A at 12V) in 29 knots of wind, the 1200 can also supply a very useful 40W of power in just 10 knots of wind – a more realistic average in most waters.

The 1200’s charge controller has dual outputs for two separate battery banks and can accept up to a 20A solar PV supply. It reduces the turbine speed automatically after winds reach 30 knots, regulating the charge without using dump resistors. It also has an integral start/stop switch and can support a remote display, which connects to the controller via a simple Ethernet cable.

Eco-Worthy Wind Solar Power Kit

What can I say? I just love a good wind-solar hybrid power generator. With this kind of setup, you won’t have any problem charging a 12V or 24V battery bank with this hybrid system throughout the day, in any weather condition. The Eco-Worthy Wind Solar Power Hybrid generator can guarantee enough power for you to remain comfortable on your boat and operate any appliance you need and enjoy your time on the boat. You can purchase any model that fits our needs starting from 400 Watts all the way up to 1,400 Watts. However, always buy a generator that has a higher power output than you think you will need because you almost always won’t be in optimal climate conditions.

Superwind

The blades on this German-built device are very steeply pitched towards the hub, resulting in an early start-up in lighter airs, and they also incorporate tiny fins along their length, said to quieten them at high speed. The blades have a kinetic rotor pitch control system designed to feather them in very high winds, not unlike the large terrestrial wind turbines. With a charge controller in the circuit, the turbine can therefore be left spinning in all weathers without worry. The output is two-wire 12V or 24V DC, so it could, in theory, be directly connected to a battery bank.

It can also be used with a simple short-circuit stop switch, which will slow it down enough to be tied off. The Superwind 350 can also be supplied with a 40A SCR Marine charge controller, which has two independent, diode-isolated outputs for start and service battery banks and dissipates unwanted energy via two large, wire-wound dump resistors. Nominal power is 350W at 25 knots.

Silentwind 400 Wind Generator

As fitted to all boats in the Volvo Ocean Race and featuring ‘Silent Power Blades’ – hand-laminated carbon blades, successfully tested at hurricane speeds – the latest Silentwind 400+ has improved wind tracking and earlier start-up than its predecessor, the 400. Featuring aerodynamics combined with a three-phase Neodymium-Iron-Boron permanent magnet generator, the 400+ is said to have a start-up speed of only 4.3 knots and a peak output of 420W at 30 percent less rotation speed than other 400W generators. 12V, 24V, and 48V models are available.

The Silentwind has a 3-wire AC output, which connects directly to the matching hybrid multi-stage charge controller that enables trickle charging and the connection of up to 20A of solar PV power. An adjustable boost function increases performance and optimizes the power yield, while the LCD displays all the important charge information. When the batteries are fully charged, the turbine automatically stops or switches to trickle charge mode with a significant reduction in rotation speed. It can also be stopped (braked) manually with the built-in switch on the controller.

Rutland 504 Wind Marine Generator

The Rutland 504 is a small and lightweight (just 3.5kg) mini-horizontal turbine from the UK off-grid power specialist, Marlec. The earlier model (503) has proven to be extremely popular over the years, in both the small leisure craft market and in commercial applications such as remote street lighting and signage, buoy lights, ATON power, etc., and the 504 should prove equally so. Like its predecessor, it is very compact, and its blades are ‘encapsulated’ – i.e., they have a protective ring around them to prevent limbs and clothing from getting caught up in the blades. Its output is better than that of the vertical-axis turbines but nowhere near the more powerful generators listed above. It is, however, notably quieter.

Typical output is around 15 knots of wind is 12W (1A @ 12V), doubling to 24W/2A at 20 knots. It also has a lower start-up speed than the vertical turbines and, although it takes around 10 knots of wind to provide any useful charge, its low-friction alternator compensates for the gusts by ‘smoothing out’ its output. The 504 does require a charge controller if it is to be left unattended.

 Leading Edge Vertical Wind Turbine

The LE-V50 and V150 vertical axis turbines are compact, lightweight, and virtually silent. The V50 measures 270mm dia x 456mm high and is intended for trickle-charging batteries or for running low-power devices. Available in 12V, 24V, or 48V versions, it has a nominal output of 12W but a peak of 70W. In typical waters, this results in an average charge of 0.5-1.0A @ 12Vdc in a fresh breeze. The bigger V150 model has a peak output of 200W but a more typical rating of 24W in wind speeds of 15 knots – double that of the V50. 

Leading Edge wind turbines were originally designed to generate power for industrial data monitoring equipment in very remote areas where there is no other power source; these often supplement solar PV arrays in an off-grid sailing situation.

>>Also Read: How to Charge a Sailboat Battery

Final Thoughts

There you have it; these are the best Best Marine Wind Turbine Generators for your boat or sailboat. Whether you are boating/sailing during your holidays or liveaboard full-time, a reliable power source is necessary. It will always provide you with the necessary power to operate your essential electronics, and depending on the power output you go for, it can fill up your batteries without an issue. Remember that when you are out in the water, it will be near impossible that there won’t be enough wind for a marine wind turbine to generate power, so you will rarely be without power. However, that’s why I always sail with both a wind generator and solar panels on board.