Roger,
While Macgregor 26s are not known for a high build quality, spectacular sailing ability or exceptional durability, there are quite a few out there. There are so many factors in choosing a boat, I won't try to evaluate that decision, but I would recommend that you choose a sailboat that you want to sail first, adding the drive is a lesser consideration. That's why they're called auxiliary Sailboats.
While I answer your battery question, keep in mind that the Ah ratings are 20 hr ratings (low current) and most battery types deliver much less total energy when being used as traction batteries. Because batteries vary in nominal voltage, 3.2V, 6V, 8V, and 12V, Ah alone is not an effective way to compare batteries. Watt hours (Wh) sets a level playing field and is simply Volts times Ah.
Flooded (FLA) between 20-25Wh/lb.
AGM, between 18-21Wh/lb
Lithium (LiFePO4) right at 40Wh/lb
FLA are the cheapest, but may not represent the best buy, depending on your priorities.
AGM represent more usable storage per pound for our purposes because they are less affected by Peukert's Effect (look it up if you don't know about what that means). AGM and FLA are similar in size/volume.
Lithium has an even lower Peukert's coefficient and can deliver more of their rated capacity and are half the size of lead acid but they are pricier.
There are other Lithiums that are past the 45Wh/lb barrier, but they make LiFePO4 batteries look inexpensive.
When choosing batteries, you should consider weight, size, cost, capacity and longevity. You get to decide what your priorities are. But if you consider all of these factors, there are no wrong answers.
Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "roger.dann" <dann.roger@...> wrote:
>
> I'm sure this has been worked thru before but a search reveals nothing here. Isn't a Macgregor 26 sailboat an ideal candidate for electric conversion? It has ballast tanks that when flooded add 12oo lbs of water for sailing stability. The 50hp outboard recommended is a few more hundred pounds, doesn't this equate to a decent Ah storage capacity if tanks are opened for battery storage? What is the the approx. wt/ah for different batteries?
> Roger
>
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