Jumping Ship to Power?

[deckofficer]

CPseudonym, well work was comfy enough, but I'd rather cook for myself and be in a location of my choosing. This BTW was my last ship, and it was diesel-electric.

[bobconnie]

Come on DO, we both know the answer is to do as both of were taught ! When the sun sets, the sails get reefed for the night watchs ! At least on the size boats we will sail with size crews we will have LOL All the fancy stuff is great, I love solar panals ! BUT I would much reather depend on the wind to get me where I wish to go !! Ive seen a couple of boats this last year ! That could stay at anchor for almost ever without ever starting an engine for anything (except for AC) Im just starting to study up on all this solar stuff, and may even try some on our boat!! But it will still sail

[deckofficer]

Bob,

You have always been a student of high performance offerings, lets say the multihull cutting edge. Have you noticed some of these offerings have all electric galleys? Do you follow the EV market? If not, GM's E-Motor Magic : EVWORLD.COM
2014 Chevy Spark EV | Electric Vehicle | Chevrolet

What all this means is current and future batteries are having some serious energy density combined with fast charge capability, long cycle life, and as production ramps up, cost per unit drops due to economies of scale. You and I have been talking on this forum for awhile now, so you know I've been into what batteries have become for some time. It has just been since last year that these battery prices have dropped, opening up a lot of possibilities for marine use. It is an exciting time for this old motor head. My dad is 94 and remembers electric cars from his youth, and he used to just nod at me 10 years ago when I was telling him electric cars will be coming back.

As to reefing for the night watch, I always did but a sneaky squall caught me over canvased one night.

[bobconnie]

Nope ! sure have not !! But for what this stuff costs, we could sail for about ten years !!LOL thats all I need to know !! Heck if we don't use any marinas we could go maybe 15 years LOL Just pullin your chain DO, I know you ck all this stuff out ! and being a Sub sailor from the 50s I do know some about DE drive and such !

[deckofficer]

And during your sub days that was old battery technology. Six years ago a converted, heavy C60 commercial cat ferry crossed the Atlantic on 10 Kw of solar averaging 5.5 kt. How would you like to pass through 10* N lat to 10* S lat knowing you could knock off 170 nm days going through the doldrums? If something with inefficient hulls and heavy for its water line length can do 5.5 kt, then a cleaned up and light design should run 7 kt. I think it is the way to go.

[Target9000]

All that stuff sounds really great, but I'm still not convinced on the cost. You can buy an old blue water boat + refit costs + sails for 100k easy. These new age hulls and technology costs a lot of money. I mean how much are these hulls you're talking about, and then you have cost of a new fit out plus the cost of the batteries, motors, panels, chargers, etc.

A new set of sails might be 15k, but you can pick up used sails and make do on the cheap. Doesn't cost much to pick up a barely used spinnaker, a good main, and a few solid jibs. We're talking maybe a few thousand. Everyone quotes the 15k number but everyone is assuming everything new.

I guess if you're comparing new to new maybe it makes sense. But many cruisers don't buy new boats. We buy used boats.

[Caracal]

I think it's a bit unfair to compare brand new to old clunker. I think 100k boats should be compared to 100k boats. If the person has a 100k for a boat, why buy something old that, while cheaper, is still not new and will need work. I don't understand the notion of "well, if you buy an old and used boat, old and used sails, you can get out there much cheaper". Sure you can, but it won't be a 100k boat the person could have been cruising about in.

[Kettlewell]

The guy in the $10K boat gets to anchor in the same harbors, see the same sunsets, swim in the same water, and explore the same neat villages the guy in the $500K boat does.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

I generally shipped out from the west coast, Tacoma, Oakland, LA, and Long Beach. It would take a good 6 hours running at 18 kt to reach clear blue waters that stay pristine blue till about the same distance from the shores of Asia and Japan.

East coast blue water is much closer, the water's warmer and you don't have to go so far to reach a tropical island.

[Caracal]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

The guy in the $10K boat gets to anchor in the same harbors, see the same sunsets, swim in the same water, and explore the same neat villages the guy in the $500K boat does.

I know. So does the person in a micro cruiser. But if you can afford something more comfortable and less used, I can't see why one would actually choose the micro cruiser, choose the old boat with used sails. In the end, when things are paid for, its how they work on an everyday basis that matters. And if someone has 100k to buy a new boat, there's no reason to buy something old, not to mention something completely different to what he wants (i.e. buy and old sailboat with old sails, all in order to save some money over buying the boat he wants, with the propulsion he wants).

If you don't have the money, sure, it's better getting out there in something cheap than not at all. But 100k for a boat is not something out of reach for all but the super rich. Hell, I bought my boat used and it was a helluvalot more than 100k.

To me it's misplaced advice to suggest he should buy a used sailboat and get less than the best sails for propulsion of it, when he wants to do things in comfort and with as less fuss as possible. To add insult to injury, you go on about someone in something cheap sees the same sunsets as someone in something much dearer. The fact of the matter is, we all have different amounts of money stashed away, and just because you can do something on the cheap, doesn't mean that that is preferable to the individual, particularly not when that same person has the money for something that is the preferred option.

[Kettlewell]

This thread is getting off topic. If the OP wants an all-electric boat, go for it! More power to you for following your dream. Some of us are just pointing out some of our perceived issues with the project. However, that will make it all the sweeter if the OP can pull it off.

[Caracal]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

This thread is getting off topic. If the OP wants an all-electric boat, go for it! More power to you for following your dream. Some of us are just pointing out some of our perceived issues with the project. However, that will make it all the sweeter if the OP can pull it off.

Attempting to take the high ground and claim "off-topic" after being confronted with one's faulty logic is a new one to me

[CPseudonym]

Originally Posted by Caracal

I think it's a bit unfair to compare brand new to old clunker.

Exactly.

I'll never understand why folks bring up the subject of used when discussing new. Used will almost always arguably be cheaper regardless of the subject.

Bottom line: Until somebody buys the new boat it will never be available on the used market.

[Kettlewell]

Attempting to take the high ground and claim "off-topic" after being confronted with one's faulty logic is a new one to me

No, sometimes it isn't worth it arguing with someone too dense to understand.

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

If others are interested in the best of both worlds, sail and power, it looks like our wishes are soon to become reality. Here are a list of links to wet your appetite.
transatlantic21: The world's first crossing of the Atlantic on a solar boat

Boat - SolarWave

Island Pilot DSe Home Page

Aspen Power Catamarans | Technology

Buzzards Bay 34 power catamaran | Buzzards Bay Cats - Power Catamarans

I have been following all of these sites for many years.
I see all the efficiencies with solar panels and catamaran hulls, but in the end, all of this comes at a very expensive price. Out of reach for most cruisers today.

The new LifePO4 batteries are the way to go, but are not at the set and forget stage as the current lead acid batteries that most cruisers are so comfortable with today.

Here's to hoping some smart techs will lay a clear path for the rest of us non techs to follow.