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Old 21-02-2014, 13:58   #31
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

The lowest risk, proven way to go is the Diesel and propane option. Doesnt mean other options cant be done, but to some extent you are a "Beta test" doing them.
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Old 21-02-2014, 14:00   #32
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Well I would say with limitations it is possible. You will need a relatively large battery bank, a big solar array, may be a couple of wind generators. For batteries you will most likely want LiFePO4 and all the charging and monitoring systems that go with it. Lights, nav inst, cooking and refrigeration are all fairly easy, A/C is probably not going to happen and motoring is going to be severely limited, which if you have a sailboat is not such a problem. So it can be done, yes, you just have to accept what you will be able to get out the the system. There are many successful electric boats.
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Old 21-02-2014, 14:28   #33
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

Here's a powercat that runs entirely on solar from the forum stuff I have read....it does have diesel backups but they post that they cruise on electric only a lot of the time.

DSe 12m Sunshine

Engines
The engines for Sunshine are unique - Steyr parallel diesel/electric hybrid. There's 75 HP of diesel power, ready to perform as needed PLUS 7 kW electric for resourceful, quiet operation.
With a 50kW/hour lithium battery, Sunshine can cruise in electric mode at 5 knots for 5 hours for a range of 25 nautical miles. There will still be plenty of charge to get through the next day while recharging.


amazing what people will post without research or knowledge...
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Old 21-02-2014, 14:46   #34
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

Haven'[t heard much about these lately, but they may be the solution in the future:

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Old 21-02-2014, 15:13   #35
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

Hi Scarlet,

The Isara 45 is all electric if you want (it does have diesel motors but you can opt not to use them and having them keeps hubby happy) it has a stove ,hot water,bbq etc all electric.

Read up on it you may have your answer.
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Old 21-02-2014, 15:27   #36
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

All electric boats are are dream without an extension cord. You can't add enough solar to recharge enough batteries. Wind is great unless at anchor. It is a good choice for passages. Who wants the anchorage blowing 20 knots?

Propane rocks I use it for hot water on demand and cooking. You can't make heat by electric any other practical way. I also use solar and adding solar as much as practical is worth it. It comes down to how long you want to be on the hook without running the engine. All batteries have to be recharged. The more you have - the worse it gets!

The real alternative is go no electric and no refrigeration. The admiral is not going there! You have to have it fun.
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Old 21-02-2014, 15:29   #37
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Re: can you help settle an argument?

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Originally Posted by glenn.225 View Post
Well I would say with limitations it is possible. You will need a relatively large battery bank, a big solar array, may be a couple of wind generators. For batteries you will most likely want LiFePO4 and all the charging and monitoring systems that go with it. Lights, nav inst, cooking and refrigeration are all fairly easy, A/C is probably not going to happen and motoring is going to be severely limited, which if you have a sailboat is not such a problem. So it can be done, yes, you just have to accept what you will be able to get out the the system. There are many successful electric boats.
it is being done with the Yanmar Hybrid system (electric motors for propulsion) this is a unique system being developed in the UK it has already many vessels using it, the difference between it and most other hybrids is it runs parallel vs series

Now we have better ways to store generated power these systems are IMHO with the redundancy of Diesel, worth looking at with the costs comparable to normal motor and a generator
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Old 21-02-2014, 15:38   #38
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

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That sounds a bit like I'm intentionally opening a can of worms... doesn't it?

Anyway... I have been thinking in terms of making everything possible on the boat.. electric. (solar powered and wind generator) They are coming out with electric engines.. and we are starting to see electric stoves on many cats now, plus airconditioning.. winches.. refridgeration, etc. My husband says that isn't realistic. He says there is no way that you could power all that on solar/wind power... he says that propane and diesel are the way to go...

What do you think? can we do it all electric?
You can do it all electric, but not on solar and wind power. You'd need a genset. A LARGE genset, if you want electric propulsion too.

Propulsion motors are measured in kiloWatts - thousands of Watts. And usually they are tens of thousands of Watts. Solar arrays on boats are usually measured in hundreds of Watts, not tens of thousands of Watts.
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Old 21-02-2014, 15:40   #39
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

I have a friend who converted everything to electric. I was skeptical. It did power his boat on and off the mooring and for a few miles further on down the way. He had an electric stove and refrigerations system. He had solar arrays and a wind turbine to power up his batteries plus his propeller produced electric power when he wasn't using it to get him going.

He made two attempts to get to the Marquesas from Hilo then sold the boat.

I can't attribute his change of heart for cruising to the electric conversion but just have to think that it had something to do with it.

I believe in diesel for an engine, propane for a stove, dieself for heat and solar panels and turbine for powering lights, authohelm and instruments.
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Old 21-02-2014, 15:43   #40
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

Friends don't let friends screw around with bleeding edge systems. Like small craft electric propulsion. Maybe in ten years, but not now, not if you have to ask.
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Old 21-02-2014, 16:09   #41
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

It is possible electric propulsion can be done. There are a few coastal power vessels and sail vessels using electric propulsion but no bullet proof non experimental vessels you can be pointed towards as real working examples.

Perhaps in 5/10 years time. Can anybody point to a good example. Isara would most likely be happy for you to experiment and be a guinea pig. I can't point you to a successful example built by Isara at present. Be careful.

The Yanmar hybrid system is still a normal diesel power system with an electric genset attached between standard propulsion motor and saildrive. I would not call it an electric drive system myself.

YanmarMarine

Beta marine and Steyr has a similar version. http://www.hybrid-marine.co.uk/9.html

http://www.steyr-motors.com/marine-d...-and-electric/

You can always be a guinea pig unless you have a great understanding of professional electrical and battery systems I certainly could recommend to you at this time.
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Old 21-02-2014, 18:05   #42
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

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Anyway... I have been thinking in terms of making everything possible on the boat.. electric. (solar powered and wind generator) They are coming out with electric engines.. and we are starting to see electric stoves on many cats now,
I can only add one thing to what others have said here. Any kind of heating through electricity uses HUGE amounts of power, so electric grills/oven are horrible for a boat unless you only use them when plugged into shore power. If you don't believe that, try heating your home for a month with electric space heaters, and you will see your electric bill go through the roof. Another example of this is the huge difference in wattage between heat vs. non-heat devices. That's why it's so dangerous to drop a plugged in hair dryer or a toaster in your bathtub, but if you drop in a different electric device, like a cell phone or a radio, you will probably be fine.

BTW, someone asked about cars. That's another problem with the electric car that people don't discuss enough. When you run one with the heater on it greatly reduces its range.
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Old 21-02-2014, 18:28   #43
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

Ask yourself:
How popular were the Lagoon hybrids and how many were converted back to conventional diesel. Is it still offered as an option by Lagoon?
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Old 21-02-2014, 18:48   #44
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Re: can you help settle an argument?

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.....
3. I'm kind of getting into this whole "green" thing... I love the outdoors.. and I'd like to do what I can to keep it clean..
The whole "green thing" is feel good marketing rubbish...created so that Americans can continue to consume 100x more resources per capita than the rest of the world and feel all warm and fuzzy about it.

Absolutely nothing "green" about buying an expensive boat with lots of toys...and all the energy and waste that just goes into producing them.

If you really want to benefit the environment then down size your life style and buy a bicycle not a boat.
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Old 21-02-2014, 19:00   #45
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Re: Can You Help Settle an Argument?

Simply amazing...there are real life, 100% solar vessels out there and people say it just ain't so...

Sure they can't be 100% solar in areas with little sun and they can't run at 25 knots for days on end...but there are vessels out there right now cruising, cooking, heating, etc...etc...on 100% solar...they may be ugly...but they do exist.
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