Electric Motors from Solomon Industries

[sassenach007]

I am in the process of purchasing a 41 Lagoon Cat equiped with an electric engine ST74 from Solomon Industries.

This cat is also equiped with a 16KW Northern Light generator brand new, a 6 Kw invertor an Euro 50/60 isolation transformer. The battery bank is the STI system.

I do not know anything about electric engines and i wish someone could tell me more about this.

Can this be good in catamaran to replace diesel engines.

Thank for the reply.

Napoleon

[Intentional Drifter]

Hi, Napoleon --

There has been a lot posted about the different Lagoon (and other) hybrid electric drives. I'll get you started, here: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ve-s-3337.html

Most of this has been posted in the Multihulls section, but others in the Propulsion section. Use the search tool and you will get lots of hits.

Whether "this" boat would be a good boat for you gets down to a very subjective opinion. There are lots of trade-offs.

Welcome to the forum.

ID

[witzgall]

Sir;

Can I suggest that if you don't know much about that system, Lagoon cats that have electric drives, and electric drives in general, that you slow down on the purchase process? From my readings on the subject, there are some owners of that boat that love the system, and more than one that does not like it at all. It would be a shame to find you in that later category, after you have already bought the boat.

Chris

Originally Posted by sassenach007

I am in the process of purchasing a 41 Lagoon Cat equiped with an electric engine ST74 from Solomon Industries.

This cat is also equiped with a 16KW Northern Light generator brand new, a 6 Kw invertor an Euro 50/60 isolation transformer. The battery bank is the STI system.

I do not know anything about electric engines and i wish someone could tell me more about this.

Can this be good in catamaran to replace diesel engines.

Thank for the reply.

Napoleon

[oscar]

Yup. It's an acquired taste.

[J Ventura]

Would she be the L41 "Waypoint" , by any chance?
I agree with Witzgal , you are much better off learning as much as you can about the system before you make the final decision. I have sailed 3 hybrids across the Atlantic , one of them was the very first with the ST system , I personally like the hybrids and still think they should be the future , but the decision to get one now ( especially if not new or covered with a bullet proof warranty ) should only happen after you have carefully considered the kind of sailing you want to do and your technical ability to understand and run the boat properly. Don't be led to believe it's "really simple to operate". It's not rocket science either , but it requires a lot more attention .

[gosstyla]

Originally Posted by sassenach007

...Can this be good in catamaran to replace diesel engines....

No.

As others have commented avoid hybrid, diesel/electric, etc. boats for now - especially a used one.

This comment from a person that had a diesel-electric custom designed 47' cat built.

[sassenach007]

Thank you for your reply and help,

No this is not the Waypoint, this is the Dream, the boat is equiped with new Generator and new engines.

After reading your article on Waypoint, it seems to me that you have good things to say on such system. I agree with you that it is important to have proper warranty especially that the system is new.

My concern was with speed compare to conventional diesel engine for the same size boat, after reading you it seems that speed is not a problem. Do you think that with a 16KW generator it would sufficient to keep the batteries top up.

What for you is the biggest draw back of this system for someone that does not know anything about it.

I am searching and reading about it, i seem to find people for and people agains, what to do........

Thank for keeping up on this with me

Napoleon

Originally Posted by J Ventura

Would she be the L41 "Waypoint" , by any chance?
I agree with Witzgal , you are much better off learning as much as you can about the system before you make the final decision. I have sailed 3 hybrids across the Atlantic , one of them was the very first with the ST system , I personally like the hybrids and still think they should be the future , but the decision to get one now ( especially if not new or covered with a bullet proof warranty ) should only happen after you have carefully considered the kind of sailing you want to do and your technical ability to understand and run the boat properly. Don't be led to believe it's "really simple to operate". It's not rocket science either , but it requires a lot more attention .

[oscar]

What for you is the biggest draw back of this system for someone that does not know anything about it.

The fact that YOU don't know how to fix it and that there are very few people "out there" that FULLY understand the system.

It's not about a half knot here or there, it's about keeping it going. There are diesel mechanics all over the world that can have parts and pieces Fedexed to them to keep a diesel going if you don't know how to do it yourself. The hybrid systems need knowledge that is not common.

If you don't have the knowledge, you are setting yourself up for a lot of frustration.

[gosstyla]

Go back and re-read the posts.

No one has written anything suggesting you should consider this.

However, experience is an effective (although often expensive) way to learn - so go for it.

[Intentional Drifter]

Napoleon --

I understand your excitement about hybrid drives on a sailboat. I, too, was quite taken with them once upon a time and came close -- very, very close -- to buying one. I backed out and am now very happy that I did. Not that you won't find people who went ahead and have been satisfied -- some very satisfied. You will also find a substantial number who have had problems, problems, problems. To the point where some have removed the hybrid drive systems and replaced them with conventional diesels. A very complicated and expensive thing to do that I'm sure they would not have done had they not been quite unhappy with the hybrid.

Look at like this: We're taking lots of electronic components that are controlled by more electronic components in the form of IC's, subjecting them to possibly hundreds of shocks equivalent to a Richter 7, every day, while they live in a hot, humid environment on top of the world's most corrosive naturally occurring substance. Plus, we demand 100% reliability because our lives could be at stake in a moment's notice.

They just haven't passed muster yet, in my opinion.

By the way, I realize you are new here (and, welcome!), but gosstyla has had lots of experience with diesel/electric drives -- probably a more comprehensive personal experience with them than anyone else on CF. From researching, design, construction, testing, refitting, etc., etc. After years of dealing with them, to hear him arrive at his summary conclusion ("No"), is very powerful to me, since I know that he knows what he's talking about.

ID