We need 240v for quite a few reasons

I have a conventional domestic washing machine, runs on 240 of course, and quite a few standard household kitchen appliances, kettle toaster, microwave etc. The 2 hot water cylinders that are heated from the engines also are mains powered, great when you are in the marina. Various outlets are placed thoughout the boat, just for general use. Oh I decided to go for a 240v dive compressor, from surfing the web seems to be the way to go, rather than a petrol powered unit that is.

Genset

Original plan was to go with an electric start petrol driven generator, build a separate tank and isolate the whole unit in a separate compartment. I never liked the idea of carrying petrol and when a true marine Lombardini 6.5 kva unit came available on e-bay well I grabbed it. The genset is installed just forward of the mast bulkhead on the starboard side of the boat - away from the accomodation, well about as far away as you can get on a 17m boat. Honda do some great small, light invertor gensets up to about 3kva, would be a good backup to carry on world trips I think.

Invertor

I have a 3.5kva true sine wave unit, made in china of course, I will be carrying a small 600 watt temporary unit that I can power essential items such as the charting computer, should the main guy take a holiday. A change over switch is used to swap from Generator to Invertor. Marina input is 15a Maximum, which heads straight to the AC distribution panel via a earth leakage circuit breaker.