The good news is that I haven't heard of any problems specifically related to manufacturing quality with a Mars PMAC motor. EV people have been able to burn them up by applying way too much current (> 400A), but that shouldn't be an issue on your boat. The only other problems seem to be related to people hammering on, prying into and generally physically beating up their motor. I'm not sure that a manufacturer should be trying to compensate for an owner's gross negligence.
As for reliability when cruising, since the motors cost little more than a new quality propeller (you should carry a spare), carrying a spare motor is reasonable. The best thing is the ability to replace the entire motor in about 15 minutes after a complete failure. That's faster than most cruisers could replace a cooling impeller on a diesel.
If you're balking at $500 for a spare motor, then it sounds like you might end up cutting other corners that could put you at greater risk than a failed motor.
Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, David Goldsmith <suntreader@...> wrote:
>
> I don't mean to keep replying to my own posts but I wanted to ad this link.
>
> These guys had the same problem I did and they fixed the motor.
>
> http://acuteaero.com/2010/06/16/breaking-and-fixing-the-mars-bldc-brushless-motor/
>
> Their concerns about the quality of the motor have me wondering if its
> really the best choice for my boat. I'm not a survivalist type but
> reliability is important, I'll be cruising rather than daysailing.
>
> David
>
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