This is a common question when people first show up here. I know of two drive sizing guidelines for sailboats that usually give about the same answer.
The first is to choose a drive that is 1kW per 3 to 4 hp of the diesel that it is replacing, this means that a 5kW electric drive can replace a 15-20 hp diesel. This assumes that the diesel drive was sized to effectively use its available power, and that is not always the case.
The other guideline is 1kW per ton (2200 pounds) of displacement. We can see that a sailboat with 11,000 lb displacement is just about at the limit for a 5kW drive. Likewise, a 2kW drive is more appropriate for boats that are 4,500 lbs or less. Victor, your 18,000 lb sailboat should get a drive with at least 8kW.
Following either of these guidelines will probably mean that you still won't hit hull speed, but the drive should provide enough power to deal with some some wind or current while manuevering in close quarters. All this being said, many people install drives that do not meet these guidelines and their boats are functional, but may struggle more with less than perfect conditions.
--- In electricboats@
>
> Hello! I found your list last night. I have a 37 foot '79 Hunter
> Cherobini Sailboat that I want to take the old nasty diesel engine out
> and replace it with a clean electric motor. Has anyone done this for a
> sailboat this large? Just how much power would I need and how much
> battery will that require?
>
> Any good advice out there?
>
> --
> Penelope L. McFadin
> lux libertas et caritas
> http://chaosbutterf
> http://www.cafepres
> 29N32'32.45" 95W2'12.58"
>
No comments:
Post a Comment