Quote:
Originally Posted by sailvi767  Does anyone have any information on converting a electric 420 to a diesel? I understand several boats have been converted. Most of the 420's going into charter are now diesel. Is Lagoon assisting owners who desire to convert? Anyone have any ideas on total cost for the conversion? I have a friend who has a line on a used electric 420 but would only be interested if the conversion could be done at a reasonable price. |
As you say, some owners have opted to convert to diesel. I believe these were the early hybrids that experienced a lot of problems because the control software was still in development. I suspect that Lagoon helped out with the cost of the conversion. Some of the charter operators found the hybrid unsuited to their customers, because operating a hybrid with the early software was not as foolproof as it needed to be. You need a modicum of common sense to operate a hybrid. I think these charter companies simply told Lagoon to convert the boats to diesel or they wouldn't get any more of their business. I doubt that Lagoon would contribute to the cost of conversion on a pre-owned 420 Hybrid, especially now the bugs in the software have been eliminated.
Based on my experience with the hybrid (see my other posts), I cannot understand why a private owner would convert to conventional diesel propulsion. I considered it at one stage when hearing alarming reports of battery banks being trashed and chargers being burnt out, but I'm very glad that I stuck with the hybrid.
Chris
Octopus,Lagoon 420 Hybrid
Isle of Arran, Scotland