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10-02-2012, 19:03
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#1
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Jeffreysbay
Boat: 365 Dean Catamaran
Posts: 249
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Electrical Propulsion vs Diesel Propulsion
Just how workable, reliable and shockable would electric propulsion really be?
Docking at a marina and filling up with a elctrical cord sounds quite interesting
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10-02-2012, 19:05
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: on board, Australia
Boat: 11meter Power catamaran
Posts: 3,648
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Quote:
Originally Posted by niel12
Just how workable, reliable and shockable would electric propulsion really be?
Docking at a marina and filling up with a elctrical cord sounds quite interesting
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The catamaran Tang built in SA (Electric propulsion) is for sale in the States now apparently.
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10-02-2012, 19:47
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: A real life Zombie from FL
Boat: Gulfstar 53 - Osiris
Posts: 5,416
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Electric propulsion has been beat to death on this and other forums for years. And it all boils down to:
1. Electric propulsion works great - heck, all the major giant cruise ships use electric propulsion.
2. Batteries to store and power the electric motors on yachts/sailboats are not adequate to the job now. Maybe in the future they will be, but not quite there yet.
So you would have to - just like the giant cruise ships - run diesel engine generators to power the electric propulsion unless your needs are for less than an hour to two or so per day between charging. Little boats use the little electric trolling motors quite effectively.
Lots of companies and folks are working on the idea and sooner or later it will become practical, but not quite yet. The current systems are very expensive compared to old fashioned diesel engine propulsion. - The electric systems require some exotic batteries and control equipment which are not now very economical in comparison.
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11-02-2012, 10:46
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Cruising in the SUN! Now hauled out in Malta for the winter.
Boat: 37' Oldenziel cat
Posts: 461
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Quote:
Originally Posted by niel12
Just how workable, reliable and shockable would electric propulsion really be?
Docking at a marina and filling up with a elctrical cord sounds quite interesting
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We have a homebuilt open bridgedeck 16m cat here in the marina which has one centrally mounted diesel outboard. The builder owner is planning to install two Torqueedo electric outboard engines purely for harbour manoevres. Says he has been looking into this and with the new generation Torqueedos it will be a very viable option.
__________________
Roger
Catamaran "Burnout"
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11-02-2012, 10:52
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Charleston SC
Boat: 1988 Hans Christian 33
Posts: 727
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Great for daysailing, miserable for cruising.
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11-02-2012, 10:58
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Holland, France
Boat: 33ft sloop
Posts: 1,091
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Osirissail said it all. Diesel-electric works only in large ships with no weight limits.
In a sailing vessel below 25-30 meter it means double weight and double costs, so it is not worthwhile. The next step would be a gasturbine couple to a generator and then the weightproblem is more or less solved, but not those of total cost.
Workable, but not practical.
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11-02-2012, 11:20
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
Boat: 34' Crowther tri sold 16' Kayak now
Posts: 5,067
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Yes, beat to death.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ve-s-3337.html
Search hybrid and electric and you will find thousands of posts. Please, oh, please let this one die now.
__________________
Slowly going senile but enjoying the ride.
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12-02-2012, 06:46
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#8
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cruiser
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: No longer post here
Boat: Catalac Catamaran
Posts: 2,462
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sand crab
Yes, beat to death.....
Search hybrid and electric and you will find thousands of posts. Please, oh, please let this one die now.
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LOL, that's no fun at all.
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12-02-2012, 07:21
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Holland, France
Boat: 33ft sloop
Posts: 1,091
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
If you have a Goldman-Sachs account, you may pursue this topic successfully .... .......
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12-02-2012, 09:55
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Northern and Southern California
Boat: too many
Posts: 3,731
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacG
If you have a Goldman-Sachs account, you may pursue this topic successfully .... .......
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MacG, my dear friend, I beg to differ. I have finally settled on which boat will be my final and last boat, and that is the little PDQ 36. I'll sell those two 9.9's and replace them with two Torqeedo 4.0's. For power generation, should I need to motor more than the 50 miles the 48 volt battery bank can take me, instead of a heavy, 120/240 60 hertz diesel genset, I'll use a diesel gen set that can run any rpm because it's output will be only DC at the charging voltage for the propulsion/house bank of batteries. 48 volt inverters if you have heavy 120 volt, 60 cycle loads are the best way to go because when you turn on that 1200 watt appliance, instead of 100 amps on the DC side, it is only 25 amps. I'll admit, both the DC genset and electric outboards are more expensive (but a lot lighter) than conventional. I will enjoy quiet motoring with gobs of torque and a fully electric galley all the way down to my 1500 watt electric BBQ on the railing, and pulling all the propane tanks, lines, regulators, alarms, and appliances out of the boat.
Very doable and not that expensive.
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12-02-2012, 09:57
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Hawaii
Boat: Atlantic 42 Catamaran
Posts: 285
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
For just getting on and off the dock it isn't for certain a bad idea. My brother has been using a Torqeedo for his 26' monohull for just in and out of the slip for a couple of years now and it has been a big improvement over the little gas outboard it replaced.
Tom.
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12-02-2012, 10:14
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: We're technically refugees from our home in Yemen now living in Lebenon
Boat: 1978 CT48
Posts: 5,964
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Quote:
Originally Posted by osirissail
Electric propulsion has been beat to death on this and other forums for years. And it all boils down to:
1. Electric propulsion works great - heck, all the major giant cruise ships use electric propulsion.
2. Batteries to store and power the electric motors on yachts/sailboats are not adequate to the job now. Maybe in the future they will be, but not quite there yet.
So you would have to - just like the giant cruise ships - run diesel engine generators to power the electric propulsion unless your needs are for less than an hour to two or so per day between charging. Little boats use the little electric trolling motors quite effectively.
Lots of companies and folks are working on the idea and sooner or later it will become practical, but not quite yet. The current systems are very expensive compared to old fashioned diesel engine propulsion. - The electric systems require some exotic batteries and control equipment which are not now very economical in comparison.
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Plus 2
__________________
James
S/V Arctic Lady
I love my boat, I can't afford not to!
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12-02-2012, 10:15
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Northern and Southern California
Boat: too many
Posts: 3,731
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
Quote:
Originally Posted by tsmwebb
For just getting on and off the dock it isn't for certain a bad idea. My brother has been using a Torqeedo for his 26' monohull for just in and out of the slip for a couple of years now and it has been a big improvement over the little gas outboard it replaced.
Tom.
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You just can't match the low rpm torque of an electric motor. On a twin motor set-up, maneuvering in tight spots would be child's play, swinging large diameter, deep pitched props at a low speed that would stall a diesel.
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12-02-2012, 10:29
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
Boat: 34' Crowther tri sold 16' Kayak now
Posts: 5,067
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
I was hoping this thread would die but no, It's like a zombie, it lives forever! Actually, I like zombies. They are like my first ex, dead in bed.
On the torquedos and other inboard motors do they run backwards so you don't have to have a tranny? Likewise do they spin really slow?
__________________
Slowly going senile but enjoying the ride.
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12-02-2012, 10:47
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Holland, France
Boat: 33ft sloop
Posts: 1,091
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Re: Electrical propulsion vesus Diesel propulsion
@ Bob - I agree with the full extend of your reply. The Goldman Sachs remark was merely for the bigger off-sets.
Point is that we have al the bads of the worlds. An overcrowded country with same infrastructure. Bridges, locks, shallow waters, heavy circulation on all waterways - in short everything that is spoiling the life of the free cruiser is available in this little country. Pure electric power alone wouldn' t do very well.
That breeds sailors with nasty habits and over critical minds. Like me f.i.
The diesel electric propulsion could be ideal for: Catamarans and boats that have space (and displacement) sufficient to cater for the extra weight and space.
The combination is ideal: you can cruise at any speed, trolling as well, and you can play with the best place for the engine as long as you have the space.
All right, all right.
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