Hi Nomad,
You can use the search feature on this Yahoo group. There are numerous posts concerning Torqeedos and there is at least one trimaran that has successfully converted to electric, using Torqeedo Cruise outboards.
How big is your current outboard? Your biggest challenge will be energy storage. The battery equivalent of 1 gallon of gasoline weighs about 500-600 pounds with lead acid batteries or 250 pounds of Lithium Iron batteries. Multihulls are not very tolerant of added weight, their performance can drop off quickly (I own an F-27 trimaran, I will not convert it to electric).
PV solar panels are a great idea, but it takes a lot of area (around 60 sq feet), weight and expense to generate 750W (1hp) of electricity. Likewise, wind generation sounds good, but you need a serious breeze to get the process started. Sailing upwind, you should be able to put some noticable energy back into your batteries, but downwind, the output falls considerably. Of course, if you're becalmed and need to motor, the wind generator won't help extend your range.
The whole electric conversion seem to work better with ballasted sailboats, they don't take as big of a perfomance hit if they get heavier. Also the diesels that many people are replacing provide a good opportunity for a weight allowance when converting to batteries. A smaller catamaran like yours won't have that advantage.
Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "nomadartist51" <nomadartist51@...> wrote:
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> Anyone out there with an electric outboard on a 25'-30' catamaran/saiboat? I want to buy a 27' catamaran and re-power it with an electric motor. It presently has a gas outboard and I am assuming I will have to keep with an outboard. There is little space to put in an inboard regenerating engine which is my preference. I do not want to have a generator or gas onboard so will add solar and wind generators to charge the batteries. Is there anyone in the group with experience of either the Torqeeda or Parsun electric outboards, or electric power on a small cat. I would love to discuss this as I am trying to find information so I don't make an expensive mistakes! Thanks.
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