Electric Sailboats Illustrated Guide to Boats Converted For Sale and Tips

[Steadman Uhlich]

Electric Sailboats Illustrated Guide

Sailboats with Electric Motors: An Illustrated Guide of Boats Converted, Boats For Sale, and Tips

The goal of this thread is to post photos and data and descriptions to illustrate the kinds of boats that are being converted, their installations or modifications, and the costs of the conversions.

This thread is intended as an illustrated guide, so photos and good descriptions of the conversions are important for good content.

These boats could be for sale, but that is not a requirement.

If you intend to post something about your own conversion, please see the suggested topics listed below (Did you convert to an Electric Motor?)
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Caveat Emptor!

Converting a sailboat to Electric Motor is a topic that has been discussed at length in other threads here on CF. There are divided opinions on whether Electric Motors make sense on cruising sailboats today.

Before purchasing an Electric Sailboat or before converting your boat to Electric Motor, I suggest you spend some time to read the archived discussions on CF that are often focused on the advantages and disadvantages of Electric Motors and the requirements for batteries and recharging.

Here is a link to some of the many previous discussions on the topics of Electric Motor conversion for sailboats:
https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=011403...oat&gsc.page=1

I am NOT saying any of these boats is the best or better than another. I am making no judgement on whether it is suitable for you or any purpose. I am merely showing what I find that fits the topic (Electric Sailboats). That is all.

I make no claims of being an expert on any of these boats or on the topic of electric motors on boats. I am not endorsing them or saying they are the best of their types or a good buy. As with any boat "Caveat Emptor!"
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PURPOSE

The purpose of the thread is to illustrate the boats that have already been converted to Electric Motors and to show photos and some data about them. This may include some boats that are for sale.

Owner comments about the boats are encouraged and any observations about their Electric Motor installation too. I will continue to add to this thread as I identify boats that fit the criteria listed below.

This thread can contain both Mono and Multi-hull boats, but I will post it in the Monohull forum as that is where most people will be looking for Electric Sailboats or boats that have been converted to Electric Motors.

This is NOT a thread about whether an electric motor conversion is the best solution or practical (there are many threads discussing that in the archives). This is an illustrative thread of the types of boats that have already been converted to electric motors.

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Participate! Join the Discussion!

Feel free to add other boats YOU know of that fit the topic. The point of the topic is to have a place to discuss and show and illustrate and learn about boats on this topic. This thread is about the sailboats that have put an electric motor in them for their primary auxiliary motor.
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My Disclaimer

Please NOTE: I do post some links to boats that may be listed for sale, but I have NO connection to the boat owner or seller. I am merely posting boats I find very interesting as I search for my own research on boats (as I am a professional artist who draws and paints boats), and for me to consider for a future boat. I am sharing them with CF Members.

If the boat is currently for sale, I consider that important info and share that too, and rather than responding to needless requests for a link or source, I am just putting that out in the thread to help others and save me time.

If some CF member does buy one of these boats, please let me know via a PM.
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Did you convert to an Electric Motor?

If you converted to an Electric Motor on your sailboat, please post some information about that. Here are 12 suggested points to address. My Suggestion is to copy the 12 points below and then answer them in your post.

1. Please include a description (model, year, LOA, displacement,) of your boat, along with a photo of your boat, and if possible some photos of your Electric Motor installation.

2. What was your total cost for the conversion?

3. Compare the total cost of replacing your old Diesel or Gasoline engine with an Electric Motor. The more you can share with us, the more helpful it will be.

4. Describe the process and why you did the conversion.

5. Describe any changes you made to your battery bank. At what cost or weight added to the boat?

6. Describe how you recharge your batteries. Are you using shore power, Solar or a Generator?

7. Describe how much range you get from your Electric Motor system. Has it been sufficient? What about during adverse conditions such as opposing winds, waves, and currents?

8. Describe your type of sailing (marina based day sailing, long distance cruising). Does your typical use of your sailboat require you to motor much or little?

9. What motivated you to convert to Electric Motor?Describe whether you made the conversion as an experiment (so total cost was not an issue) or if you felt it was justified by some kind of economic comparison (e.g. you felt it would save money in the long run) or if you did it for some other reason (e.g. you want to have a "green" boat that does not use fossil fuels).

10. Describe any challenges you faced during the conversion or later, during the operation of the Electric Sailboat.

11. Post any tips or suggestions you would make to anyone considering making a conversion or purchase of an Electric Sailboat.

12. Would you do it again?

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Photos Are Important

Pictures are worth a thousand words. I think it is helpful to post at least one photo of a boat to show the overall design. I will post one or more photos of the type of boats I find, usually from a sale listing.

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You can add boats and your observations or opinions here too!

If you have already converted a boat to Electric Motor, and you have a blog or website that illustrates or describes that, post a link to your conversion description here. But, please post more than just a link. Please describe your conversion here (as requested above in the 12 points) and then provide a link to additional details on your blog.

If you have a link to a current sale listing, post that, but please post photo(s) and a brief description of the type of boat at a minimum, so this thread contains more than just links.

Old sale listing links can die, so posting the data and photos in this thread is much better than just a link alone.

Remember, the purpose of the thread is to ILLUSTRATE the boats that have been converted to Electric Motors and to share photos and data and opinions about them. This may include some boats that are for sale.
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Subscribe to See More!
I intend this thread to be an ongoing one. I will add more Electric Sailboats as I find them. You can too. If you subscribe to this thread or those below, you will be automatically notified when new posts are made to it.

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Here are some other discussions where you might find more interesting boats described, illustrated, and many profiled based on recent sale listings.

Boats Less Than $30K Recent Noteworthy Finds
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ds-147098.html

Boats with Shallow Draft for Bahamas Florida and Chesapeake
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ke-174548.html

Trailer Sailor and Pocket Cruiser Boats Tips Advice Examples
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...es-175115.html

Sailboats with Free Standing Masts
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ts-150283.html

Outstanding Boats : A Special Selection of unusual, and noteworthy boats I find
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...nd-175264.html

[Steadman Uhlich]

Cape Dory 28

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Steady's Notes:
This is a project boat with unfinished projects described in the sale listing. I am including it here in this thread because it shows the electric motor installed in a smaller boat, and because if someone is looking for a "electric boat project" this one is partially finished.
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Sale Listing Example:

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/65183
Year 1975
Location = Florida

Status = Project, some unfinished projects, unfinished interior

Asking Price = $21,000
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Electric Conversion

Thoosa 9000 Electric Motor complete system with exclusive 48V battery bank.
2 x 150 W solar panels

[Steadman Uhlich]

Cal 34

Steady's Notes
This boat looks like it is in very nice condition for its age and from the ad, it appears a lot has been done to refit it with fresh paint, new sails, clean interior, etc.
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Year 1969
Location = Wisconsin
Asking Price = $24,999

Sale Listing
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/photographs/63131

NOTE: More photos of boat interior and exterior via the link above.
From the ad:
1969 Cal 34 sailboat with a newly installed 10KW electric motor from ThunderStruck Motors…28 HP Peak/10 HP Continuous ….4 new 12V 250 Amp batteries for propulsion with charger;

[Lost Horizons]

1. In 2005 I bought a Com-Pac Eclipse, which is a 20 foot pocket cruiser displacing 2200 lb dry, with a bracket for an outboard motor. I used it both with a Yamaha outboard and a 36 V MinnKota electric trolling motor. Power was supplied by three AC Delco Voyager batteries.

2. The cost of the motor was about $500 or so at that time, and batteries about $100 each. I also added inexpensive 3 bank Guest charger (~$100), and built a frame to keep the batteries in place. The boat had a separate house battery.

3. N/A

4. Bought the components, secured the batteries, ran the wires, installed a receptacle for the motor power cable - this is it.

5. See the pictures.

6. The boat was kept at my house on a trailer; charging was done using an extension cord. There was no room for solar panels on the boat.

7. As far as I remember, the motor was 1 kW. Running it at 50-60% power setting should have resulted in about 15 n mi range at approximately 3.5 knots without discharging the batteries badly. Top speed was about 4.2-4.5 knots in calm conditions. It was not much faster with the Yamaha. Motoring against a strong wind was the weak point of the set up. I could only go about 2 knots into a 20 knot wind. Therefore, for longer trips (once, I sailed it to Dry Tortugas, about 10 days total) I had to use the Yamaha - I was on a schedule and could not wait for the appropriate weather.

8. The boat was primarily used in Biscayne Bay for weekend sailing, so the range was sufficient to get in and out of the marina. I sailed it occasionally in the Keys and at least once motored for about 20 n mi.

9. The exercise was primarily experimental with the benefit on not having to breath gasoline fumes.

10. I do not recall any challenges.

11. My suggestion is realistically evaluate how the boat is used. If not a daysailer, I would definitely include generation means. A marine towing subscription may be a good idea, although I never needed it.

12. For local sailing, definitely yes. For long range cruising, probably not given the state of electricity generation and storage technologies. However, these technologies finally making some advances and it may become feasible soon. I would love to have at least 100 n mi range at hull speed and reserved power to motor into the wind. To do it today you need a generator and petroleum fuel, which defeats the purpose.

[rumiko dan]

Thank You Steady Hand!
Once again, you step in and rather than add to the din, you let people's experiences speak for themselves. I love your other threads, and will follow this as well.

Dan

[valhalla360]

For Item #7, can change this to fact based rather than opinion based. "Sufficient" is a very nebulous term.

What is the range at different speeds and what is the max speed? Good to include hull speed for reference.

Also, if peak vs continuous power is listed, what is the duration that the motor can safely produce the peak power? Ie: In the first example, if the 10hp motor can put out 28hp for a 30 second peak before burning up...what's the point in listing the peak since it has no useful purpose. On the other hand, if it can do 28hp for an hour before you have to worry about damage, that makes it viable to use the peak for certain critical situations such as running a inlet against a current.

[GlennGee]

Great thread.
Looking forward to more examples. I would love to convert to electric and I'm keen to see what the future holds.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Gulfstar 39

Sale Listing (April 2017)

1981 Gulfstar Sailmaster MKII Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Year = 1981
Location = San Diego CA
Asking Price = $87,000
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Dimensions
Beam: 12 ft 1 in
LWL: 32 ft 5 in
Maximum Draft: 4 ft 9 in
Displacement: 19000 lbs
Ballast: 8200 lbs
Headroom: 6 ft 3 in

Engines
Engine 1:
Engine Brand: Electric Yacht
Engine Model: 48 VDC Propulsion Motor
Engine/Fuel Type: Other

NOTE: This boat has a 3-cylinder FWC Phasor 7KW generator. See photos below.

Cruising Speed: 3 knots
Maximum Speed: 6 knots
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[Steadman Uhlich]

Ingrid 38

Specifications

Hull Type: Long Keel Rig Type: Cutter
LOA: 38.00' / 11.58m LWL: 32.00' / 9.75m
Beam: 11.33' / 3.45m Listed SA: 815 ft2 / 75.71 m2
Draft (max.) 5.67' / 1.73m Draft (min.)
Displacement: 26000 lbs./ 11794 kgs. Ballast: 8000 lbs. / 3629 kgs.
Sail Area/Disp.1: 14.92 Bal./Disp.: 30.77% Disp./Len.: 354.22
Designer: William Atkin
Builder: Bluewater Boat Company (USA)
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Electric Boat Sale Listing (April 2017)

https://portland.craigslist.org/nco/boa/6100106932.html

Ingrid 38
Year = 1975
Location = Astoria Oregon
Asking Price = $13,900

From the Ad Description:
"auxiliary drive converted to new 20 kilowatt electric motor by Electric Yacht with new 20 kilowatt/hour AGM battery pack and new propeller. 5000 watt battery charger, wind generator and solar panel. " More details via the ad link.
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Steady's Notes

1. The Atkins Ingrid 38 design is one of my favorites to see for a full keel, heavy displacement cruising sailboat of this size. I have long admired the design. Some were rigged as cutters, some as ketches. They feature a bowsprit.

2. The "Bluewater Boat Company" manufacturer made about 140 fiberglass hulls of this design. Many were sold as bare hulls and finished out by owners, so the interior and finish may be very different from boat to boat.

3. See the attached spec sheet from Electric Yachts, the manufacturer of the electric motor that has been installed in this boat. Note the projected range and speeds for this motor given this boat's displacement and the suggested battery banks (400ah).

4. For example, if the boat is run at 5.3 knots, it will have power for an estimated 2.1 hours or 9 nm. This assumes a fully charged 400ah flooded battery bank.

5. If run at 6 knots it will have power for an estimated .9 hours or 5nm if using the fully charged 400am flooded battery bank.

6. The specs for the motor suggest a 17 inch prop. See photo.

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My Disclaimers and Requests:

I have no financial or other connection to this boat or the seller.
I have not seen this boat in person, nor have I sailed on it.
As with any boat, it is a good idea to research the design to learn about how they sail, common problems and owner opinions.
As with any boat, it is smart to have a qualified yacht surveyor perform a survey of the boat to assess its condition.
I am posting this to help others find boats. This one caught my eye, and I hope this thread helps others find a good fit for them.
I hope this thread proves helpful to CF Members. If so, let me know, as it is nice to know the time spent on it has helped others.
IF you purchase this boat, let me know (a PM would be OK).
IF you purchase this boat, I would enjoy seeing it, or going for a sail on it, if I am ever in your area. Or, if you own a similar or sister boat send me a PM. I enjoy sailing on a wide variety of boats and would like to get some time on many designs, including this one.
Good luck on your own boat hunt.

[Steadman Uhlich]

If you are looking for information about Electric Sailboats, there is a great deal of experience and opinion and comments found here in CF.

One of the most extensive threads has 333 posts in it. Here is a link to it. While the thread's last posted comment was a few years ago, there is much content in it that may help someone. I am posting the link here to facilitate more research if you are considering a conversion to an Electric Motor.

When I come across topics like this I will post a link in this thread to help new members find the previous content.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ion-64021.html

[Steadman Uhlich]

Nonsuch 30

Hull Type: Fin w/spade rudder Rig Type: Cat (unstayed)
LOA: 30.33' / 9.24m LWL: 28.75' / 8.76m
Beam: 11.92' / 3.63m Listed SA: 540 ft2 / 50.17 m2
Draft (max.) 5.00' / 1.52m Draft (min.)
Displacement: 10500 lbs./ 4763 kgs. Ballast: 4500 lbs. / 2041 kgs.
Sail Area/Disp.1: 18.08 Bal./Disp.: 42.85% Disp./Len.: 197.25
Designer: Mark Ellis Design/Gordon Fisher
Builder: Hinterhoeller Yachts Ltd. (CAN)
Construction: FG Bal. type:
First Built: 1978 Last Built: 1989 # Built: 1080
AUXILIARY POWER (orig. equip.)
Make: Westerbeke Model:
Type: Diesel HP: 27
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Steady's Notes
The photos I am posting below are to show the boat type or model mentioned in the blog below. The Nonsuch 30 photos are of sister boats (not the same boat as the blog).
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Electric Sailboat Conversion

Here is a good illustrated blog article, written in 2009 by a CF Member, MBIANKA, that follows his conversion of his Nonsuch 30 sailboat (displacement 16,000 pounds) to Electric Motor.

He chose the Thoosa 9000 system from ASMO Marine to replace his Westerbeke 27hp Diesel engine.

THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: Going electric: Part 1: The why and how
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[Steadman Uhlich]

I think this document which shows the power projections for a 20KW electric motor (and a 26,000 pound boat) is particularly interesting and informative.

Special Request:
If you have a similar spec sheet that shows projections of power and range for your particular boat or Electric Motor conversion, please post a copy of it here in this thread so others can view the data.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Research First

Converting a sailboat to electric power is a popular topic, so there are examples out there from which to learn. It is prudent to do some thorough research into the subject before you do a conversion or before buying a boat that has already been converted.

If you are looking for more information about converting to Electric Power, I suggest you first look through the archived discussion threads here on CF. I recommend doing a search of CF to find the most content related to electric motor conversions.

IF you want to look outside of CF, there is an Electric Boat group on Yahoo that has 5,000 members and 20,000 posts on it. It is a restricted group that requires joining. And it is in the old form used by Yahoo groups. I find that interface more difficult to use than this one here at CF. Here is a link to it:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/electricboats/info

[Steadman Uhlich]

More Good Information in CF

Here is a discussion in CF that has 233 comments posted. It started in 2012 and went on for about a year.

Electrical Propulsion vs Diesel Propulsion
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ion-76555.html

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

Cal 34

Steady's Notes
This boat looks like it is in very nice condition for its age and from the ad, it appears a lot has been done to refit it with fresh paint, new sails, clean interior, etc.
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Year 1969
Location = Wisconsin
Asking Price = $24,999

Sale Listing
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/photographs/63131

NOTE: More photos of boat interior and exterior via the link above.
From the ad:
1969 Cal 34 sailboat with a newly installed 10KW electric motor from ThunderStruck Motors…28 HP Peak/10 HP Continuous ….4 new 12V 250 Amp batteries for propulsion with charger;

That does look like a nice boat. I just wish it was on the other side of the country. I'm not sure if it would be more difficult to find a truck to haul it down to Texas or install enough solar panels to get some power to steer and ride the current down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers though...

Although I would like a catamaran or trimaran that is mostly a live-aboard boat that doesn't have to travel very far right now.