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11-03-2016, 12:39
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 24
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Electric motor for sail boat
Our 34 year old Yanmar diesel died a few years ago. She took us on an amazing adventure on the SF Bay. We looked at all the options and decided to repower with electric.
We installed it ourselves and are extremely happy. We have a range of about 10 miles at 4.5 knots. More if we go slower. Since we only use the motor to get in and out of the marina, it works out great.
We are mostly day sailors on our Newport 30. We could not have made a better decision. We plug in at night to recharge. Our engine is from Electric Yachts. We call it Tesla sailing.
Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum
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11-03-2016, 15:31
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#2
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,888
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Yep, good example of an appropriate "use case" for an electric motor.
They are certainly not for everyone, but for this case, they are probably the best solution.
(They are not for me - my use cases are totally different )
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12-03-2016, 02:58
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 11,002
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Good use of the technology. If you don't need significant range or speed and aren't worried about resale, it's a good solution.
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12-03-2016, 03:14
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#4
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Now on the Dark Side: Stink Potter.
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Palm Coast, Florida
Boat: Sea Hunt 234 Ultra
Posts: 3,962
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Do you use the house bank to run the motor?
What size batteries, how many HP?
My previous boat was an 18' Duffy. 8 Golf Cart batteries, 5HP. It would go 5-6 hrs easily but we never went more than 2-3, just cocktail cruising. Quiet, no fumes, easy to talk and play music, etc.
__________________
Life is sexually transmitted
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12-03-2016, 07:15
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Newport Beach, CA.
Boat: TPI Lagoon Catamaran 42'
Posts: 256
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Has anyone knowledge of Catamarans or other twin engine applications using one electric and one diesel ? Seems one could charge for the other during operation.
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12-03-2016, 07:57
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Panama / Bahamas / Newport RI / Marathon Fl (now mostly)
Boat: Bristol CC 41.1
Posts: 318
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
One day they may make cheap lithium-ion batteries for sailboats or even hydrogen fuel cells for them... but as always... it's all about enough electrical storage and regeneration.
I am tempted at times to dream about a nuclear-powered auxiliary like a submarine has when I need to bleed the diesel...
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12-03-2016, 09:01
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SC
Boat: None,build the one shown of glass, had many from 6' to 48'.
Posts: 10,208
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Quote:
Originally Posted by fungod
Our 34 year old Yanmar diesel died a few years ago. She took us on an amazing adventure on the SF Bay. We looked at all the options and decided to repower with electric.
We installed it ourselves and are extremely happy. We have a range of about 10 miles at 4.5 knots. More if we go slower. Since we only use the motor to get in and out of the marina, it works out great.
We are mostly day sailors on our Newport 30. We could not have made a better decision. We plug in at night to recharge. Our engine is from Electric Yachts. We call it Tesla sailing.
Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum
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Tesla was the AC guy Edison was the DC guy.
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12-03-2016, 09:13
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Kingston Ont Canada
Boat: Looking for my next boat!
Posts: 3,101
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Quote:
Originally Posted by fungod
We installed it ourselves and are extremely happy. We have a range of about 10 miles at 4.5 knots. More if we go slower.
Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum
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I'd be interested to know the details of the motor, and your battery bank. Have you considered adding more batteries? Any chance you could post some pics of your engine bay? Yes, weird boat porn...but I'm not the only one who wants to see whats under there, I'm sure.
Plus, you forgot to say how wonderfully quiet it is...no diesel fuel stinking up the place. I would think removing the diesel tank would allow a few more batteries? Any idea of how much weight in total (yanmar plus fuel plus tank plus fuel filters, plus exhaust pipes, etc) was removed?
IMHO, electric motors are the future of sailboats. The question (problem) is getting the electricity. Fuel cells, linear engine generator, better batteries...who knows? Could you run longer if you had a little Honda 2000 generator running a few chargers (one per battery) ? Whats your top speed now?
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12-03-2016, 09:34
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 25
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Until we get affordable, higher-capacity batteries, the limiting factor is this:
One pound of diesel oil produces the energy equivalent of about 25 pounds of lead-acid batteries.
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12-03-2016, 10:08
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Florida
Boat: Scout 30
Posts: 3,112
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Quote:
Originally Posted by fungod
Our 34 year old Yanmar diesel died a few years ago. She took us on an amazing adventure on the SF Bay. We looked at all the options and decided to repower with electric.
We installed it ourselves and are extremely happy. We have a range of about 10 miles at 4.5 knots. More if we go slower. Since we only use the motor to get in and out of the marina, it works out great.
We are mostly day sailors on our Newport 30. We could not have made a better decision. We plug in at night to recharge. Our engine is from Electric Yachts. We call it Tesla sailing.
Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum
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Can you tell us which motor you went with?
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12-03-2016, 10:59
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Hampton, Va
Boat: Freedom 32'
Posts: 531
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Once again, can you give more details....battery bank etc thanks
__________________
Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage.
Anais Nin
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12-03-2016, 12:42
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Boat: Tayana 37
Posts: 151
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Quote:
Originally Posted by suenodelmar
Until we get affordable, higher-capacity batteries, the limiting factor is this:
One pound of diesel oil produces the energy equivalent of about 25 pounds of lead-acid batteries.
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This is incorrect
The appropriate comparison is the energy density of diesel compared to a battery's stored energy.
http://<b>https://en.wikipedia.org/w...gy_density</b>
Diesel / Fuel oil has an Energy density of 48 MJ/kg
Lead Acid battery has an Energy Density of 0.17 MJ/kg
Thus the same mass of diesel produces 282 times more energy than a similar mass of lead acid battery.
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12-03-2016, 13:14
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Panama / Bahamas / Newport RI / Marathon Fl (now mostly)
Boat: Bristol CC 41.1
Posts: 318
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Now... Matter-Antimatter fueled engines....
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12-03-2016, 13:29
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 673
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Great for a day sailer in calm condition with 100% reliable sail system. Sailing in the Med requires a lot of motoring and sometimes the weather can require motoring a long way. A Honda 2000 generates 2000 watts and will drive a 3 hp motor at the very outside. My boat has a 55 HP motor and I need every one of them for hour after hour.
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12-03-2016, 13:35
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Boat: Luger, Southwind, 21
Posts: 428
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Re: Electric motor for sail boat
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadence
Tesla was the AC guy Edison was the DC guy.
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Funny you mention that. A DC motor powering an AC generator could be the answer. One battery bank being charged while powering the generator. Swap banks and repeat.
Still surrounded by anchors.
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