# Generator Etiquette



## wwilson (Jul 7, 2000)

Regardless of whether or not you own or use a generator - what is your opinion (if any) on the correct use of a generator in proximity to other boats?

I just spent an otherwise lovely evening in the anchorage by Gibson Island off the Magothy River (Chesapeake Bay) to the all night accompaniment of a generator run from a SeaRay 30-yards away. Seemed "tacky" to me, but what do I know?

Maybe a good Sailnet poll will help resolve "proper" etiquette.

Wayne


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## imagine2frolic (Aug 7, 2008)

Everybody should know what is considerate, and what is not....pretty simple......*i2f*


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## wwilson (Jul 7, 2000)

imagine2frolic said:


> Everybody should know what is considerate, and what is not....pretty simple......*i2f*


It would be well if everyone did - but it is unfortunately clear that they don't, or more likely all have a different idea of what is considerate. The poll may help with a general definition... but only if you vote.


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## fpr (Jun 29, 2009)

When we were cruising, we anchored far away from other boats for peace, quiet and privacy. 
I did not want any crap from a sea ray....

I set up the gen-set, on my Cal 46, for no noise....double motor mounts to kill any vibration, 2 mufflers -1 water lift and 1 regular and oversized water outlet at water level, next to the AC outlet to stop the 'gurgle'.... 

The only way someone off the boat would know it was running was to dink near the water outlet.

I had to have 110v or the family would not go cruising.... 

I don't understand why someone who has 'enuf money to buy a big Sea Ray wouldn't demand a quiet generator.

Some of the gen-sets in RV's are amazing not a decible....

If someone had a noisy generator, I would grab my kids and dink over to ask what the schedule was for the gen noise. 
Kids need sleep....

Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. 

fred


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## bheintz (Jun 14, 2001)

To a sailor a generator is noisy, to a power boater a generator IS quite.


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## sck5 (Aug 20, 2007)

If they are hiding inside in air conditioning then maybe they have no clue how loud it is outside. Or maybe they dont care. Clueless would seem to cover it.


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## labatt (Jul 31, 2006)

We run our generator whenever we want, but when I purchased it I got a wet/dry separator for it. As a result, only gasses come out from above the water and the cooling water comes out below the waterline. Soooo... we don't have the noise level a lot of other people have when we run it. You can hear it close up, but it's hard to tell it's running about 30-40ft away.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

I think the fairest option would be to adopt the same first-come-first-serve mentality as in anchoring: if you're the first one to an anchorage, do what you like. But if you come to an anchorage with other silent boats in it, do as they do, or go find a noisy boat to berth next to, or berth someplace else entirely. Basically, don't force people to endure conditions that they didn't implicitly agree to endure by anchoring near you. On the flip side of the coin, if you want quiet and you come to an anchorage with other boats' generators a-gurgling, find someplace else to spend the night.

So you know personally I would have voted for both "Live and let live" and "They're a blight," because just because I have an opinion about generators doesn't mean I can demand others share it.


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## HerbDB (Sep 30, 2000)

I think that the portable generators used on deck are a problem, but I don't often hear anything from gensets installed below.

On my boat, I have a genset in the engine room, which is dead center in the boat under the cockpit (center cockpit boat). Its loud below decks, but not from outside unless you get near the exhaust and hear the splash.

We generally only run it to charge and when it would be convenient to have AC power for some reason. The inverter does OK for most of those.

On our trip to the Bahamas, we found that an hour in the morning and and hour in the afternoon took care of the charging. We generally did this when we were cooking. This allowed us to freely use the microwave/convection oven and to run the Air Conditioning if the heat was building up in the cabin from cooking.

I wouldn't go cruising without one, but I am not a purist. I do like my quiet anchorages and try to respect that others may feel the same.


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## dieselboy (Aug 29, 2009)

bheintz said:


> To a sailor a generator is noisy, to a power boater a generator IS quite.


I am a crossover.. I have been a power boat guy for a long time and am only now moving to sailing. Yes, its true to power boat people a gen set is quiet and cheep. I tend to have a bit more respect than others of my former....
I have a small boat "29'" so there is little to no room for a real gen set but i did buy a Honda EU1000. which you have to damn near sit on to hear. I use it to charge batts and off it goes.
I enjoy the peace and quiet but i also know i sail in an area where is is some times 90 degrees at night in high humidity and if it was my wife or kids "if i had any" cooking then no one sleeps and i under stand a person running a gen at night. 
You never know why people are doing what they are till you ask, hell they may not know " no night time gen sets".


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## RealityCheck (Jun 2, 2007)

All generators are louder to the non owners. It appears all power boat people are hearing impaired for many reasons. If you must have Air conditioning at night then stay home well inland! All sailboats should be allowed to torpedo one boat for running a gen set each day! After about a year the problem would be resolved. (with very little tongue in cheek)


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## dieselboy (Aug 29, 2009)

All sailboats should be allowed to torpedo one boat for running a gen set each day!


:laugher


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## Martinini (Jun 18, 2008)

Hey I like having a little AC at nite when it's 90 outside at midnight. If I am there first and you anchor near enough to hear my generator you have invaded my space and you can leave! Why do you think I anchored where I did in the first place? To be alone and not bother anyone else. If I anchor around a bunch of boats who aren't using a gen-set I don't either, unless I ask if anyone would be bothered first! Manners and courtesy come first and are most important.


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## Crapaud (Jul 31, 2009)

While sleeping, our fans drown out the neighbor's gen set so it is not a problem. However, watching the sun come up with a cupa in the cockpit - the gentle hum pounds on the nerves.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i sooooo love the sound of briggs and stratton in the morning------is why i have solar!!!! add barking dogs to the list of favorites in a peaceful anchorage.......is why i have a boatkat.....


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## wwilson (Jul 7, 2000)

Martinini said:


> ...If I am there first and you anchor near enough to hear my generator you have invaded my space and you can leave. Why do you think I anchored where I did in the first place? To be alone and not bother anyone else. If I anchor around a bunch of boats who aren't using a gen-set I don't either, unless I ask if anyone would be bothered first! Manners and courtesy come first and are most important.


"Manners and courtesy come first and are most important." Yeah we can tell!


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

is alll true--if one doesnt like the anchorage for any reason , one has the option of relocating or putting up, if gets there after offending party. is all part of anchoring...now, in a mooring----is a different situation and has diffferent rules, as the relocation is not an option.....HOWEVER......


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

RealityCheck said:


> ...All sailboats should be allowed to torpedo one boat for running a gen set each day! After about a year the problem would be resolved. (with very little tongue in cheek)


I think the problem would be better solved with paintball guns. Same thing for cars speeding on back streets where kids play. Hearing the thud thud thud of 20 rounds hitting your hull ought to tell you that you are offending somebody. (Tongue in cheek)


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

woooohoo--hitting whiners with paintballs would be great fun!!!!!


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## remetau (Jan 27, 2009)

I use my portable a lot since we also work from our boat and use 2 computers all day long. I will normally only run it during the day, but there have been occasions when I have run it all night due to really hot temperatures and no wind.


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## FSMike (Jan 15, 2010)

Segregated anchorages in the future? I like quiet nights, early mornings, and sundowner hours. If somebody has to run a genset for a good reason then they should do so. AC isn't a good reason to me. We usually don't bother to complain at night IF the genset is downwind of us. Noise is one thing, fumes are another.

We have a portable Honda but it's usually on only if we need to run a power tool or the sewing machine.

As far as Sea Rays go, have you ever noticed that they are usually the major offenders when it comes to big wakes in inappropriate places/situations? 
The Sea Ray company brags about the instruction they give their new owners.
I wonder what they teach those folks.


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## Architeuthis (Mar 3, 2008)

When it comes to peace and quiet it isn't going to happen with other people around. 

There are empty anchorages out there away from people. Sure they are not next door but they are the only ones I feel a person should expect quiet. Then you may find that nature will be too noisy (damn critters). 

If there are other boats, other people, there will be noise. Many anchorages will have lots of noise including traffic noise from land, so I say generate at will. Though it would be nice to sleep after dark I will not be asking you to shut it off unless it is really noisy or stinky. Stinky is never good as that can be a health issue.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Depends on who was there first IMO, I would use similar rules as for anchoring.


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## 224 (Mar 8, 2008)

*Consideration.*

1


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Bump.

Stayed at Block Island last summer in the only spot we could find to anchor. We were next to a power boat that ran the generator all night -- perhaps to power their underwater lights. A/C was certainly not needed.

It was bad with the noise, but we all managed to sleep anyway.

By the way, they were the only boat out of hundreds that ran a generator (that I could tell). And they were not upwind.

Regards,
Brad


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## jepomer (Nov 29, 2008)

We do not have a generator on our boat since we have a slip. 

We do have an RV with a generator. If we are in a campsite where others already have their generators running, we do similar. But if we are in a quiet area, we enjoy the quiet and the natural ventilation.

To further emphasis our desire for "natural sounds", we have replaced our noisy gas outboard for an electric one.


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## wolfenzee (Jul 13, 2008)

First of all I plan on purchasing one of those new super quiet generators, second I hope to get most of my power needs out of wind/solar and only be using a generator to run power tools that make far more noise than the generator itself, most importantly I will not be running it at a time or place I would not like someone running theirs.


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## helenwiley (Jan 1, 2006)

We have a small Honda generator. It's fairly quiet. We use it to charge phones, Kindle, and laptops. It's always off by bedtime, and we try to place it so it doesn't disturb anyone. I'm of the "My space ends where yours begins philosophy".


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## VallelyJ (Nov 21, 2008)

Getting there first gives you the right to occupy your swinging circle. Not to invent new rights for yourself, such as to disturb the whole anchorage with your stereo or loud generator. 
The rationale that "people are noisy so it's ok to make noise if there are people around" is the same as saying "people steal things so it's ok to steal things from boats if there are lots of them around". Stealing and keeping people awake with your noise are both behaviors that affect others negatively--how negatively is only relative.
I knew a guy who scuba dives and has parted the rode of a particularly noisy boat late at night. But hell, where there are lots of people, stuff like that happens, it has to be OK for him to do, right?


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## Bill-Rangatira (Dec 17, 2006)

VallelyJ said:


> Getting there first gives you the right to occupy your swinging circle. Not to invent new rights for yourself, such as to disturb the whole anchorage with your stereo or loud generator.
> The rationale that "people are noisy so it's ok to make noise if there are people around" is the same as saying "people steal things so it's ok to steal things from boats if there are lots of them around". Stealing and keeping people awake with your noise are both behaviors that affect others negatively--how negatively is only relative.
> I knew a guy who scuba dives and has parted the rode of a particularly noisy boat late at night. But hell, where there are lots of people, stuff like that happens, it has to be OK for him to do, right?


I fail to see the logic?
and being first does not always give you rights to set anchor precedent
many busy harbours have established anchoring methods including stern ties and anchors
i arrived at a favorite anchorage one time and a few Bayliner budget yachts had stern tied to the first pin and set their anchor past the last pin like a guy who parallel parks across 3 angle parking stalls


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## VallelyJ (Nov 21, 2008)

Not sure of the point you're making, white74. But I think we are agreeing.
John V.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

and yet another thread returns from the dead.


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## VallelyJ (Nov 21, 2008)

Must not be dead, after all.


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## TomMaine (Dec 21, 2010)

These generator threads make me realize how lucky some of us are on the coast of Maine. It sounds similar in other more remote coastal sailing grounds like the Pacific Northwest.

The poll tells that somewhere around 50% of the respondents run generators. My guess is that's due to climate(needing AC and higher refrigeration demands), higher boater density and maybe more boats coming from docks-used to higher demands easily supplied by dock power. I could be wrong?

I can count on one hand the number of times a generator has spoiled an anchorage for me in New England. But I recall having to tolerate an hour or two of generator noise from a nearby boat on several occasions. Even the best installations are audible within a few hundred yards on a quiet evening or morning. Most are pretty noisy, even from a distance.

I voted the more tolerant approach; run it out of earshot of other boats. I think that's doable with a little conservation and forethought of your boats power needs.

Hopefully things won't change much in places like this and maybe new tech. will improve the noise factor with onboard power generation.

I can't count how many quiet mornings at anchor I have enjoyed in my life. Sailors can preserve that for all of us.


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## VallelyJ (Nov 21, 2008)

So people either: a) don't mind somebody disturbing the anchorage with noise and smoke, or else, b) they're "pretentious boat snobs"? I think there might be other possibilities.
Entire anchorages don't belong to whoever gets there first. Nor does the right to make all the noise you want. If that were true, one permanent live-aboard could make up the rules for everybody else who comes along and anchors. Or the people who live on the shoreline could, like some people in Florida who want to outlaw anchoring.
I kind of like the idea of the lawnmower engine for chasing off nearby morons who are making too much noise late at night, though. But cutting the anchor rode at 2AM might produce more entertaining results.
JV


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

joethecobbler said:


> I don't have a generator, but I do keep an old lawn mower engine with a bad muffler aboard.
> When anchored,if I see another boat approach, I fire up the brigs&straton to Ward them off.
> if that doesn't drive them away I pour a little deisel in the gas to make it smoke and stink.then I pay out the anchor chain for better position.
> if after all that they don't leave, I figure they must be either deaf or just not pretentious boat snobs and head over to their boat with the rum jug.


Guess you were right on another thread, your Mom calls you special.


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

I don't like any loud human-made noise pollution. Top on my "offensive" list is loud music, but running _any_ engine in a quiet anchorage to charge batteries is pretty annoying. Running the big diesel can be just as bad as a generator ... and it's far worse from an efficiency standpoint. I recognize the need to run generators, but I would never do it without considering my neighbours. As a start point, I would never run any loud engine (boat engine or portable) early in the morning or late in the evening.

For the record, I carry a portable 1000W Yamaha generator as my ultimate battery safety blanket. I've only used it perhaps a dozen times to charge boat batteries over the past decade, and eight of those events were during the season when our windmill unexpectedly died. Of the times we've run it, we do so when we're alone, or when we can check with our neighbours to ensure they are OK with the noise.


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## ianjoub (Aug 3, 2014)

I cut the mufflers off of all of my generators so they make more power. I also remove all the insulation from the housings so they run cooler...







































*** this was sarcasm ***


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i have been watching as folks anchor near a friend of mine who has to use a generator now for reasons not his choosing. his solar controller is not doing what it is spozed to do , and he is using hondapower. he got there FIRST, mind you, and newcomers saw his generator on deck as they parked on top of him ANYWAY!!!....rodl.. and so, now, WHO needs etiquette??


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## UnionPacific (Dec 31, 2013)

The way I look at it:
I don't want to hear you in a peaceful place. I don't want to hear your music, your yelling, or your generator. In this case if your generator cannot be heard from where I am, run it all you want. This is why my generator is a proper generator. I did sound levels on it, at 40' I could not hear it at all. Even right next to the boat the road noise was louder then the generator. A guy 50' from me fired up his honda just to run it as it had been a while, I thought someone was mowing grass. What a racket. out of earshot, out of mind.

Dieing from CO2 from a portable generator is an entirely different story. Or blowing yourself up by transferring petrol on deck.....


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## UnionPacific (Dec 31, 2013)

MikeOReilly said:


> For the record, I carry a portable 1000W Yamaha generator as my ultimate battery safety blanket.


I have given thought to getting a 2 stroke 900 watt unit from harbor freight for big emergencies. they are super small, and could put a nice charge on the batteries if need be. They only cost $100. As anyone with a honda fetish will tell you, we carry fuel for the dink.....


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

The real answer is thorium power.

Safe nuclear does exist, and China is leading the way with thorium - Telegraph

Just sayin'

Regards,
Brad


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## UnionPacific (Dec 31, 2013)

Bene505 said:


> The real answer is thorium power.
> 
> Safe nuclear does exist, and China is leading the way with thorium - Telegraph
> 
> ...


We should all just have RTG's in our keel, not lead... 1000 watts 24/7 for 25 years! unlimited hot water too!


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

bljones said:


> and yet another thread returns from the dead.


Yes, and the second post was from imagine2frolic. Made me sad to think that his sail got cut so short.


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## MikeOReilly (Apr 12, 2010)

UnionPacific said:


> I have given thought to getting a 2 stroke 900 watt unit from harbor freight for big emergencies. they are super small, and could put a nice charge on the batteries if need be. They only cost $100. As anyone with a honda fetish will tell you, we carry fuel for the dink.....


This sounds like a good idea. Wish it was available 10 years ago when I bought the Yamaha 1000W (for a lot more than $100). It's certainly overkill for our battery-charging needs, although it's also useful for running power tools when we're off the grid.


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## UnionPacific (Dec 31, 2013)

MikeOReilly said:


> This sounds like a good idea. Wish it was available 10 years ago when I bought the Yamaha 1000W (for a lot more than $100). It's certainly overkill for our battery-charging needs, although it's also useful for running power tools when we're off the grid.


Oh goodness, I would never use the thing. Only under an emergency. Way to noisy and smelly. a nice quiet inverter, or an inboard diesel genset is all I would use.
Would have been nice to have the morning we woke up with dead batteries and no generator at the time.


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## NeilBraun (Jun 21, 2015)

I love it.
Buy a sailboat.
Sail off into the wilderness.
Fire up an engine.
Brilliant.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

I'm with Z on this one. Number1 ***** is charter cats where the genset never goes off 24/7. But if a cruiser needs to make water or the batteries are down to 60% what choice is there? Run it in the middle of the day just enough to get going.
Have a genset but run ~1h/month. Just to keep it in shape . God bless solar and wind. Woo Hoo


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## UnionPacific (Dec 31, 2013)

NeilBraun said:


> I love it.
> Buy a sailboat.
> Sail off into the wilderness.
> Fire up an engine.
> Brilliant.


I love this even more....
Buy a sailboat.
Saill off.....
Suffer thru a 110 degree windless day on anchor in filthy water
Is that what sailing is about, or is it about enjoyment.
I do not fault anyone for running a quiet generator 24/7 if they so desire. All large modern yachts do.


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## NeilBraun (Jun 21, 2015)

UnionPacific said:


> I love this even more....
> Buy a sailboat.
> Saill off.....
> Suffer thru a 110 degree windless day on anchor in filthy water
> ...


That's extremely funny.
I'm glad suddenly that I have a very old and very small boat.
Places where its 110 degrees and have filthy water tend to be in areas also crampacked full of people, not the sort of place it would occur to me to try to sail into, sounds like a large city in a desert actually, maybe Cairo. 
It seems to me that the original intent of this poll and its thread was more about making a lot of noise and exhaust, maybe large modern yahcts are good at being quiet while sweltering in pools of swill than smaller boats, but I suspect that wasn't the point.


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## UnionPacific (Dec 31, 2013)

NeilBraun said:


> That's extremely funny.
> I'm glad suddenly that I have a very old and very small boat.
> Places where its 110 degrees and have filthy water tend to be in areas also crampacked full of people, not the sort of place it would occur to me to try to sail into, sounds like a large city in a desert actually, maybe Cairo.
> It seems to me that the original intent of this poll and its thread was more about making a lot of noise and exhaust, maybe large modern yahcts are good at being quiet while sweltering in pools of swill than smaller boats, but I suspect that wasn't the point.


Threads move on to other points. 
Your bound to be stuck in bad places from time to time if you explore far enough. South Africa was the exact place I was thinking of. Hope to visit someday. Our generator cannot be heard beyond 20' If your anchored within 20 feet of me, your being boarded


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## Group9 (Oct 3, 2010)

There are other variables as well. 

For instance, if I was anchored in a place where there was lots of room to anchor away from me and someone with the snuggling syndrome dropped next to me, I wouldn't feel bad about running my generator as long and whenever I felt like it. 

On the other hand, if it was a tight anchorage and the only place left was next to me, I wouldn't run it from sun-downer time on, just out of courtesy (unless, of course, they fired one up).


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