Hi Eric
My motivation is a combination of many factors. The most important being that I discovered that I haven't been using the engine very much lately and sailed home even with only 2 knops of speed over ground (meaning I was at home at 5 a.m instead of midnight... However I enjoy the 5 hours of sailing instead of 2 hours motoring which I hate because of the noise. This is my main reason. The second important reason is the same problem as on your boat a long transom unsupported of waterline. This gives a big lever for the outboard hanging there and affects the sailing properties of the boat. In addition when conditions get bad I can't really use the engine since it either dives or the prop spins freely or in worst case both in turns. So in these conditions sailing has turned out to be the better alternative. I have a Honda 10 hp engine long shaft with el. start and it weighs nearly 50 kg. Very nice engine and extremely reliable... but not good for a sailboat. If the original shaft of the petrol engine would have been in place when I bought the boat, I would have installed the system sold by ozecomarine in sweden. Even though it has only 2 speeds it seems reliable and lacks a controller which might give problems.
I have been sailing here in Tromsø for three years now and have never reached the open ocean but always stayed in the more sheltered fjords and sunds and I am really not afraid of sailing here without an engine at all. The only problem is that the wind dies away very often and if one wants to go with the tides it sometimes is nice to have an engine to pass the critical passages before the tides change again. Oh, and I have an electric outlet at my boat place. The fuel station of the marina only sells diesel while I have to carry the fuel from somewhere else. And last but not least, I would feel better to be indipendent of fossil fuels, at least on my sailboat. That is my motivation in short.
Before the Honda I had a 8 hp Johnson 2 stroke which was not as reliable even if pretty new also. But it was even louder and smelled ugly and I hated to mix the oil into the gasoline... so I bought the Honda when I got the opportunity to buy it cheap. I didn't think far enought to understand what 22kg of extra weight sticking out fromt the transom mean for the boat trim. But on the other hand when boating with my small children it is really nice to have the elstart to get going without first climbing back to start the engine...
So to sum up. I can live with the Honda but I think I would live more comfortably with a retractable electric system not hanging from the transom but sticking into the water near the rudder. Actually I could think of the torqeedo 801 as a backup... if it just wasn't so expensive... but for the time being I am only planning with one torqeedo 2.0 R and 100 AH of usable current (4 12V 100 A lead acid batteries).
Matti
Tromsø, northern Norway
--- In electricboats@
>
> Matti,
>
> I'm interested why you want to convert from a gas outboard to an electric system. I own a Torqeedo 801, it is OK for my purposes, shore boat duty on an inflatable dinghy in small harbors, but it has very limited range for the price. I carry the battery pack every time I go ashore and plug in wherever I see a receptacle. My justification was the ability to fold and store it in a closed locker, not an option for a gas engine. I can no longer explore the nearby coast on the island under power (there's always oars), and won't anchor very far away from my onshore destination.
>
> On my F-27 Trimaran, weight is my biggest concern and my entire drive train: electric start 4 stroke Tohatsu 8 with fuel for 5 hours at hull speed (7+ kts), weighs about the same as 2 group 31 batteries alone. The big Tohatsu only cost about $300 US more than the tiny Torqeedo. I can go from 0 range to over 30nm in 5 minutes and can get refueled from almost any other vessel in an emergency. Since 98% of my sailing is open ocean, I have to have the ability to get back when things go bad.
>
> With the untimely demise of my 12hp, 1 cylinder diesel in my 30' ketch, I wish I could convert to an gas outboard; cheap, light and simple. With a full keel, big transom hung rudder and very steep (more than 45 deg), overhanging transom, there's no reasonable way to mount it.
>
> So what is your motivation for the electric conversion?
>
> Eric,
> Los Angeles, CA
>
> --- In electricboats@
> >
> > Hi everyone
> >
> > I have been reading the messages on this forum and other fora for the last year because I am interested in converting my sailboat from gas outboard to an electric drive...
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Matti
> >
>
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