T-Pain Is On A Boat: [Electric Boats] 27' full keel Dutch sailboat

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

[Electric Boats] 27' full keel Dutch sailboat

Michael,

Congratulations on your new hole in the water! And on your bravery for stepping into the unknown!

The good news: that's all the bad news. Your system sounds reasonable, your attitude exceptional. Continuing with the efforts you are already taking will make you an expert in quick order.

Batteries: if they have vent caps, please make sure you see liquid in the top of each cell of each battery. If there is exposed metal, add distilled water so that all the metal is covered. Don't fill them up! There needs to be some extra room in there for air, and the acid solution would be too diluted with the extra water. If one battery has a cell that is already too full, don't extract any liquid... that would remove some of the necessary acid. "Equalizing" or slightly overcharging the batteries, converts the extra water to hydrogen and oxygen, eventually lowering the liquid level in that overfilled cell.

Charger(s): If the batteries don't have cell vent caps, they are Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries, or maintenance-free batteries, or gell batteries, or some other new technology that is very particular about how you charge them. An ordinary cheapo charger could ruin them.

Metering is important: voltage definitely, amperage very hopefully, and RPM would be helpful for the whole community of like-minded pioneering souls you have found.

Solar charging: this gets more complicated, with a lot of questions from us:
1. do you have/want a Bimini?
2. are you docked between large shading boats?
3. do you want crystalline or amorphous panels?
4. what solar equipment do you already have?
5. do you have a 48volt bank + a 12volt bank?
6. how many batteries, of what AmpHr rating?
7. a bunch more

Pictures are worth volumes. You could post some pictures here in an album, or on GreenMarineRePower.org on your very own web-page. With your very own web-page, other people from this list could write comments and questions directly on that page, or here in email form. Additionally, when someone new finds out about electric boats, your page would be very helpful to them. I would love to help with that.

In other words, welcome!

Mark Stafford
Secretary GreenMarineRePower Inc.
http://GreenMarineRePower.org/
415-935-5090
Oakland, CA

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Michael Boucher <mboucher99@...> wrote:
>
> hello all,
> i have just joined the group.
>
> we recently bought a wonderful 40-yr old Dutch sailboat with a recently installed electric motor. 'she' is a 27' full-keel boat that displaces about 5,700 lbs.
>
> the
> system was set up a couple of years ago by the previous owner to replace the nasty diesel engine using products from a company
> called Thunderstruck. it includes eight, 6v 220amp Crown deep cycle batteries connected in series, which power a 48 volt MARS brushless, electric motor.
>
> i am electrically-illiterate, but an electrician friend is now helping us upgrade
> the charging and metering systems.
> we now have a good shore power system in place, but would love to have the boat be fully solar - wind and sun only.
>
> the previous owner had a small, low voltage trickle charger, which i think worked only marginally. we are seeking advice as to what sort of solar charging panel
> should we use to keep these batteries charged between use. the boat
> will be moored in a harbor on the coast of maine, and will be used
> primarily on the weekends, leaving ample time between to recharge.
> besides, the motor will be used sparingly - it is a sailboat after all! we get lots of sun, but of course endure periods of clouds and rain.
>
> suggestions would be most welcome.
>
> thank you,
>
>
> Michael Boucher
> Freeport Maine
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>