John(1),
Rather than rely on answers you _might_ find on a vendor site (doubtful) consider your reasons for asking them..it looks like you want to go cheap. And you can, but you'll probably be un-happy with the results.
Your boat will need about 4-6HP to move reliably in different weather conditions. However, for cruising in smooth water my heavier (30' 5-ton) boat runs nicely at ~3HP. A trolling motor (or 4 or 8) will not work well, though they will push the boat. A complete DIY setup is cheapest in capital outlay, most expensive in labor and potentially in long-term costs unless you know a lot about motors, controllers, marine electrical, fiberglass, etc.
The Thunderstruck kit is what I and many others have used - it's a partial DIY (for the mechanical assembly) and so less expensive vs complete turnkey systems such as drop-in type installations that electricyachts and _several_ other vendors provide.
I put a site together which is more narrative than FAQ - a few people have found it useful, and I have no financial interest in it or any other aspect of electric boating.
http://sites.google.com/site/electricboating/
For #4 - I was able to just mount a stout board across bulkheads perpendicular to the propshaft (the shaft passing through it. Then you use a flanged thrust bearing mounted to that board. But this particular tidbit will depend a lot on your boat, length of your propshaft, whether you are doing an in-water installation, where you want to put batteries, clearance, etc.
-Keith
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, John Raynes <johncraynes@...> wrote:
>
> John,
>
> A good place to get these answers is at www.electricyacht.com.
>
> John
>
>
>
> On Sun, Jul 18, 2010 at 1:44 PM, John Green <v_2jgree@...> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Hi, I have been a member of this group for a few weeks now, but am not
> > getting the level of info I need. Does anyone know where I can get less
> > technical info than discussions of the merits of different battery types,
> > and amps drawn and similar?
> > The type of info I want is answers to simpler questions such as the
> > following:
> > 1 Can I manage without a controller, and just switch a motor on or off the
> > same as a vacuum cleaner or blender, maybe have a 6 volt supply available to
> > give it a slower speed if needed?
> > 2 If I use a solar panel to charge a 12volt battery, how do I prevent
> > overcharging, or does it automatically never overcharge?
> > 3 How do I set up a thrust bearing on the prop shaft?
> > 4 Can I use multiple lower powered motors for inboard use, such as those
> > used on electric bicycles?
> > 5 What is the equivalent rate for HP of a gas outboard versus electric
> > inboard - can I figure that I need 750 watts per HP, or does it not work
> > like that, bearing in mind electric can be run overloaded?
> > 6 Can I use, say, 3 Minn-kota type trolling motors of about 30 lb thrust to
> > power a 26 foot sailboat, if so, how many minutes of running will I get
> > assuming I have 3 separate 12 volt deep cycle batteries?
> >
> > I hope that there is somewhere where the simpler things can be discussed of
> > where there is an FAQ that I can use.
> > I have a 26 foot sailboat with a very old gas engine that I would like to
> > dump rather than spend money on - I would prefer to spend it on a generator
> > to charge the batteries. I have the sails for main power. But I don't know
> > how to sail yet, and figure it will be safer with 'plan B' power available,
> > such as gas or electric.
> > Any help appreciated,
> > Thanks,
> > John
> >
> > --
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