Hey John,
What kind of boat do you have? You've said it's 26 foot and it's 6500 pounds.
If you've never sailed, and your boat is currently not operational, please try to find someone to give you a few lessons in a boat that is set up correctly. The size of the training boat doesn't really matter, though if you learn in a dinghy, you may find your bigger boat a handful, once you're getting started with it. Many well used boats are no longer set up correctly to sail, getting someone with experience that can take you out on your boat to see if there are any major problems is a good idea. When I was learning to sail with my Catalina 22, I found myself in plenty of tight (dangerous) situations, luckily with no lasting damage or injuries. And that was with everything working well.
If your current engine is shot, another alternative (depending on your particular boat) is to temporarily mount an outboard, a high-thrust 9.9hp should drive your boat as well as the Atomic 4. A new electric start should cost less than $2500, and you might find a used motor for a lot less. You could use the outboard while you learn to sail and save up for all the bits of an electric drive. Once you are ready to convert, you should be able to recoup a reasonable amount of your investment, especially if you bought used.
Even a very DIY electric conversion will be more expensive than you think, certainly more than a very DIY ICE repair. I believe that virtually every electric conversion is more expensive than it's ICE equivalent. The point that I'm trying to make is that right now, the justifications to go electric are philisophical and environmental, not economic. Do it to save the planet, not to save money.
Be smart, be safe.
Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "John Green" <v_2jgree@...> wrote:
>
> Wow! I am suddenly getting answers/knowledge, thats great, and appreciated.
> Certainly enough to decide how to proceed.
> The boat is 6500 pounds, and I am on the Atlantic coast. The Yacht Club I use has a mooring, not a dock, at least for the amount I have available to spend! I have no idea whatsoever how to sail a boat yet. Yes, price is a biggie I am on a small pension plus whatever I can steal from my wife....
> I agree with Eric, looking at installations that are ready made, well designed, and new and shiny, they seem very expensive, and the easy cheap way to go is with a fossil fuel engine, it has good range, and the capability to charge batteries for other uses. And if it turns out that I can get the Atomic 4 running easily, that will be my first and immediate choice, to play for time while I build up a bank of batteries....
>
> I really appreciate getting the info needed to allow it all to be put onto my backburner for now, thanks everyone.
>
> John
>
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