Longest time/distance you've had to motor?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Tear Away

Darwin to Philippines

Doh! I always forget some responses come from power boaters!

We sailed out from Darwin towards Christmas. Light winds some 600 miles or so. But to us light winds = light sails.

Cheers,
b.

[settingsun]

Essentially 8 days and 5 hours coming up the west coast of Mexico, broken up as:

44 hours then 4 hour stop
27 hours then 24 hour stop
44 hours then 16 hour stop
42 hours

First part of the adventure is told here:

Baja Bash (1) - Riding the coattails of a hurricane

[barnakiel]

Someone said a HR40 can cross the Atlantic on one tank. I went to their website and checked, and indeed it seems so.

Our one tank range is a meager 200 Nm or so.

b.

[SeaKing]

I have been reading and dreamin about solar for a long time. What about the idea of a catamaran with one diesel in one hull and an electric setup on the other side. Won't that give you the best of both. Some electric propulsion for for assisted sailing with light winds and docking, some regeneration while sailing, some solar motoring ( at low speeds) but have that single diesel for that several day extended run or night time. I generally run one engine at a time on a long passage for fuel conservation anyhow.

[JPA Cate]

to the OP:

Until the electric motor could power our vessel against 7 k adverse current; and be able to make way to windward in 60 k., which our diesel engine has done, I would be totally disinterested. I can wait out most no-wind situations; as written above, it's a mind-set. Under no wind situations, if one chooses to motor, one would need about 3 24 hr. days' worth to get where there was some wind in most places. However, SE Asia is notoriously light winded, so even 3 days' worth might be inadequate.

This is basically to say "horses for courses", because I see lots of little electric trolling motors for fishermen out there. I just do not think a good enough system will be available for our boat for a long, long time.

Ann

[Roy M]

San Francisco to Honolulu, a bit longer than 2000 miles, 8 1/2 days using a special purpose-built trimaran designed by the folks who brought us the America's Cup catamaran. It was powered by two 25 horse Yanmar diesel Outboards, appropriately named YANMAR ENDEAVOR, in 1989, establishing the world record (no one had done it on outboards, previously). We used about 400 gallons of diesel, stored mostly in fuel bags. Noisy, like living in an old airplane 24 hours a day for over a week.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Roy M

San Francisco to Honolulu, a bit longer than 2000 miles, 8 1/2 days using a special purpose-built trimaran designed by the folks who brought us the America's Cup catamaran. It was powered by two 25 horse Yanmar diesel Outboards, appropriately named YANMAR ENDEAVOR, in 1989, establishing the world record (no one had done it on outboards, previously). We used about 400 gallons of diesel, stored mostly in fuel bags. Noisy, like living in an old airplane 24 hours a day for over a week.

Hey, I remember that! Sure wish that Yanmar (or Yamaha,or anyone reliable) had pursued the diesel outboard design more seriously... would be a useful addition to the option list for lots of applications.

Cheers,

Jim

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by Roy M

San Francisco to Honolulu, a bit longer than 2000 miles, 8 1/2 days using a special purpose-built trimaran designed by the folks who brought us the America's Cup catamaran. It was powered by two 25 horse Yanmar diesel Outboards, appropriately named YANMAR ENDEAVOR, in 1989, establishing the world record (no one had done it on outboards, previously). We used about 400 gallons of diesel, stored mostly in fuel bags. Noisy, like living in an old airplane 24 hours a day for over a week.

I remember that too and back then the first thing that came to mind was the noise from a pair of 27 hp outboard diesels. We used the larger 36 hp diesel outboard on a tender for a drill ship I was on, and it was noisy and just one engine.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

I have been reading and dreamin about solar for a long time. What about the idea of a catamaran with one diesel in one hull and an electric setup on the other side. Won't that give you the best of both. Some electric propulsion for for assisted sailing with light winds and docking, some regeneration while sailing, some solar motoring ( at low speeds) but have that single diesel for that several day extended run or night time. I generally run one engine at a time on a long passage for fuel conservation anyhow.

Storing the energy will be the major issue. And the cost (if it matters to you). Batteries are so much heavier than tanks, and they do not get lighter as you empty them either ...

Goo gle solar catamaran and you will see what it takes.

So what you want is already 100% doable just may be limiting in real life, day to day use.

It seems the set up you want (solar aided diesel drive) will be perfect in a cat. You can use a Vetus electric drives in between the props and the diesel engines and thus be able to use a cross-linked either-or drive on each hull.

Now diesel fuel cells are just behind the bend and they may be the next big thing. I have read they are 3x more efficient than a diesel combustion engine.

b.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Storing the energy will be the major issue. And the cost (if it matters to you). Batteries are so much heavier than tanks, and they do not get lighter as you empty them either ...

Goo gle solar catamaran and you will see what it takes.

So what you want is already 100% doable just may be limiting in real life, day to day use.

It seems the set up you want (solar aided diesel drive) will be perfect in a cat. You can use a Vetus electric drives in between the props and the diesel engines and thus be able to use a cross-linked either-or drive on each hull.

Now diesel fuel cells are just behind the bend and they may be the next big thing. I have read they are 3x more efficient than a diesel combustion engine.

b.

My current cat has10 car batteries in it now, they are heavy,, I will weight them yo qqq

[ArtM]

There are solar powered electric boats on the water right now. Some of the more sophisticated ones are circumnavigating.

Don't forget that wind is a type of solar power too. Personally I can't imaging preferring a motor of any kind over a sail, but if you have the budget and commitment, I'm pretty sure electric cruising boats are viable right now.

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by ArtM

There are solar powered electric boats on the water right now. Some of the more sophisticated ones are circumnavigating.

Don't forget that wind is a type of solar power too. Personally I can't imaging preferring a motor of any kind over a sail, but if you have the budget and commitment, I'm pretty sure electric cruising boats are viable right now.

Electric engined Solar powered boats are possible, NOT VIABLE.

Using the diesel is a last resort for me but I've had to use it more than once to save the boat or my sanity. Sail through the doldrums and you'll have new appreciation for Coleridge AND your diesel.

[ArtM]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Electric engined Solar powered boats are possible, NOT VIABLE.

Using the diesel is a last resort for me but I've had to use it more than once to save the boat or my sanity. Sail through the doldrums and you'll have new appreciation for Coleridge AND your diesel.

How are you distinguishing viability from possibility?

[zeehag]

there is a solar charged electric propulsion ct 41 named kharmaseas that was here when i first got here. is fully electric, and solar charged. lotsa lithium ion batteries.....good ballast. he quoted performance equal to my perkins 4-108. without the dust and oil and dirt and stinky.

i think the longest without stopping was 80 hours. oh wait we stopped engine at 40 hours to change oil and fill diesel tank from jugs. make it 40 hours without stopping engine. not to charge batts, however.

[bryguy67]

The best of both worlds is available and viable right now. Most large cruising catamarans have 3 diesel engines; 2 for propulsion and one generator. We are having a 45' cat built with twin 55hp Yanmar diesels that each have a 10kw electric motor built in (similar set up as the Toyota Prius mentioned earlier). These E-motors act as generators when the diesel engine is on or when spinning the props under sail, so no need for a third diesel engine (generator). The weight gain of a large battery bank is nearly equal to the weight loss of no separate diesel generator. The system costs only a little extra compared to buying a generator.
Those who have posted about electric boats only being able to power X amount of time/speed seem to forget that the suns power can be stored in these things called batteries.
Powering into heavy winds will be covered by twin diesels with this system. On ocean passages we will have a longer range when under power than a cat with only diesels as our battery bank will be refilled while motoring under diesel power allowing us to shut it off and power under electric again....then repeat the cycle.
It also gives us 4 power systems in addition to sails so if one breaks down there are 3 left; lots of redundancy which equals a safety margin. The Lagoon system mentioned earlier in this post had no way to power just from diesel. The single controller would break down and leave the boat with no power options except sails. No redundancy. This hybrid option on our ISARA 45 is warranted by Yanmar. I think the key to electric propulsion on an ocean going vessel is to combine diesel and electric. Electric alone has too many disadvantages.