Starting the Genset
The “Daily activities” guides are addressed either to the owners of a newly acquired boat or to crewmembers and guests who need to familiarise themselves with the basic operation of the AMEL. This guide covers the start-up of the electrical generator set. It supplies the boat’s 230V electrical circuit when an electrical outlet is not available. This will be, for example, the case when moored or at sea, but also sometimes at a dock when the electrical outlet does not work or is too far away. The boat’s 230V electrical equipment can therefore be powered, such as battery chargers, electrical appliances, on-board electrical outlets, the desalinator and the water heater.
Other solutions for supplying the boat’s 230V circuit are the dock outlet and the converter. Connecting the boat to the dock is dealt with in the article “Daily actions : Connect to the shore power”. Converter use is described in the article “Daily actions : Use the 2500W inverter”.
A quick overview of the steps :
- Ensure that the main seawater valve is open, as well as the secondary valve
- Make sure that the electrical generator set’s three circuit breakers of the are engaged
- Ensure that the 230V engine room box circuit breaker is engaged
- Make sure that the battery switches are open
- Make sure that the diesel valve is open
- On the 230V panel: Trip the circuit breakers and start the electrical generator set
- Wait for the current to be established to engage the circuit breakers of the desired equipment
Pre-requisites for starting the Genset :
The electrical generator set used in the present example is an 11kW unit. It is identical, if not in size, to the different electrical generator sets which have been used on our boat models for many years. The starting procedure for the AMEL 54 and 64 will therefore be the same with a few differences. The devices are located in other locations.
1.Preparing the Genset :
This machine is made up of a diesel engine which drives the generator. There are several precautions that must be to taken before starting the engine. It is necessary to firstly ensure that the diesel circuit is able to supply the engine, and secondly that the seawater circuit is able to cool the engine. Lastly check that the starting battery is ready to start the set. There are also 2 circuit breakers to check on the electrical generator set itself to ensure that the current can be delivered.
a. Diesel circuit: First of all check the level of diesel in the tanks using the gauge on the 24V electrical switchboard (photo below).
An 11kW electrical generator set theoretically consumes 3.5L/hour at full capacity. The first valve, on the diesel tank, is located in the alleyway (photo below on the left). It must be in the open position as illustrated in the photo. The second valve, on the diesel separator pre-filters, is located in the engine room, on the starboard wall (Photo below on the right, fig. 1). It must also be open, which corresponds to 3 possible positions depending upon the number of filters to be used.
b. Seawater circuit: It is extremely important to check that the main seawater valve is open, i.e. parallel to the pipe (photo below, fig. 1). Without this the electrical generator set can be started, but the machine’s seawater-pump impeller, which resembles a small propeller, will turn in the air and break very rapidly. It will then have to be replaced. A second seawater valve allows the cooling circuit of the unit to be isolated individually. It is useful to check that it is also open, even if it is not usually closed (photo below, fig. 2).
c. Circuit breakers: two 12V circuit breakers are found on the unit control panel (photo below on the left, fig. 1). They control the engine start and the indication ON must be seen to have confirmation that they are turned on. A 3rd circuit breaker, on the rear side of the unit, enables the 230V current from the generator, to be protected (photo below). 
It must also be engaged otherwise the engine will run without current being supplied to the boat’s 220V circuit. Lastly, a 4th circuit breaker is located on the 230V box in the engine room (photo below) and must be engaged to allow the current, arriving from the electrical generator set, to power the 230V switchboard.
d.Starting battery: The switches located under the seat of the map table must be in the ON position to allow the starting battery to power the electrical generator set starter (photo below).
2.On the 230V switchboard :
We are now ready and sure that the electrical generator set can be started in the correct working conditions. There are two buttons which start the electrical generator set. The first on the electrical generator set itself and the remote control situated on the 230V electrical switchboard (photo below, fig. 1).
In order to avoid any voltage peaks in the on-board equipment when the electrical generator set is started, a precaution that can be taken, which is to trip the entire 230V electrical switchboard.
Press and hold down the electrical generator set start button for several seconds. On the button an orange indicator light will flash, indicating that the starting circuit is pre-heating, then a green indicator light will indicate that the electrical generator set has started (photo below, fig. 2). Then wait several seconds for the electrical generator set to regulate itself before producing power. The green “dock voltage” indicator light will then light up and the voltmeter will display the voltage (photo below, fig. 3).
The last check involves ensuring that the electrical generator set exhaust, located on the port side in the middle of the boat, is evacuating water properly. This is the proof that the seawater pump is working correctly and that the electrical generator set is able to cool itself. If this is not the case, stop the electrical generator set as quickly as possible in order to avoid damaging the seawater pump impeller.
The boat’s 230V circuit is ready; engage the circuit breakers which necessary.
To stop the electrical generator set, simply proceed in the reverse order:
- Cut-off the devices, then their circuit breakers on the 230V switchboard.
- Turn off the electrical generator set by using the STOP button, which is the same as the start button.
- Close the devices if they are no longer required. We recommend that you turn off, at least the battery switches, and close the main seawater valve when leaving the boat.
