--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Steve Dolan <sdolan@...> wrote:
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> It is my understanding that Lagoon pulled all of their electric cats from charter service a few years after launching them. They had too many issues and the charter companies weren't willing to support them any more. I believe that one of those boats belongs to someone on this board, he might be able to discuss how well that professionally engineered and factory installed system is working.
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> FYI - I'm basing a lot of this on this factory Lagoon 41' Cat.(from 1994!!!!)
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> That's what I want to hear. Hope they read this.
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> Here! Present and Accounted for!
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> "Waypoint" was the first of 3 Cats built by lagoon with electric drives and was built in 2003. Waypoint was the only one of the 3 that was in service as a "charter" cat and was in service for 4 years (+-) and changed hands to a gentleman located in New Orleans who is currently planning to cruise South America. A more extensive cruise across the Pacific was put on hold do to loss of crew. My understanding was the problems with "in Charter" Electric cats has been the lack of understanding by renters of the system and damage done do to under and overcharging. This is not the same issues the 420 lagoons that were factory electric and I'll talk about in a few paragraphs.
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> Paradigm was the second EC and was privately owned and changed hands to a couple out of Boston who purchased the boat last May (there about). Never owning a boat of this size and with 2 kids under 10 they sailed mostly up the IWC from Florida. I met them in my home port in Solomons MD for a few days and enjoyed comparing boats over the 4th of July weekend. Just prior to purchasing the boat a new genset was installed and they were having a few issues with cooling but the electrics were working fine. They departed and while in the Long Island Sound lost one of their 2 controllers (2 per motor) on I believe the port motor. I got the call and informed the owner to disconnect all wiring to that controller and run on the single controller which they did and continued on to New England. They continued to have some cooling issues with the Genset but have since fixed it. Turned out to be seaweed in the intake elbow.
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> The 3rd EC, My 2004 410 (Electra Glide), was first purchased by a gentleman in Washington State and sailed exclusively in the Caribbean. After the first year he passed away and the boat (then "Magic") was sold by the estate to a major investor with Solomons Technologies who brought the boat up to the Chesapeake. NEVER CHARTERED! Turns out his wife wasn't into sailing but was real big on building a custom house in the middle of the housing crash. I purchased the boat last year in March and moved Electra Glide (EG) to Solomons, MD her current home and playground.
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> I could go into a whole lot of stuff on the Solomons Technologies takeover and ousting of Dave Tether but lets say that the French were not interested in getting involved with that mess however the 3 test boats built worked and they saw promise so they decided to build a production designed cat, the 420, with an optional electric drive system. There were several differences though that affected their new design one of which was a slower hull design. The 410 was based on a 144v system and kept a little too simple. The Genset was manually started and shut down for charging and the monitoring system was way under designed. More so because there just wasn't anything out there in 2003/4 for this. A link 10, 2 amp meters, and a system voltage meter just isn't enough.
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> The 420 had a 72V system and a computer program to manage it along with auto start and stop on the genset. Trying to get info on this system is a little difficult. A number of the boats have been converted to diesel, the main reason I believe is lack of owner knowledge on how to maintain a system as complicated as it was. Put yourself in a non technical mindset. You're told that the system is idiot proof and as most know any electric system isn't trouble free or a non monitoring system, just like any boat system but the owners were pissed. Software issues right off the start scared a lot of owners and then they started to question the whole concept. Most I believe had the idea that they could sail forever without using the genset under certain conditions. Lagoon wasn't a big help and baled out soon after. I believe the issue with the software has somewhat been corrected but the whole issue of computer controlled systems swung the pendulum from one extreme to the other. Way to simple to way over complicated. At no time did Lagoon have a Hydro Propulsion system.
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> Other than some "owner learning" issues, not only the electrical system but the boat and sailing it, Electra Glide has been a pure pleasure to operate and be on board. She has far exceeded our expectations and needs based on OUR needs at this time. The fact that the other 2 sister boats are being sailed farther, the N.E. boat is heading to the Caribbean next spring and the N.O. boat is heading to South America soon, and harder only insures me that the system works. A 500 lagoon is being fitted with a similar design by Dave Tether's New E-Motions company http://www.electricmarinepropulsion.org/Index.html and Nigel Caldor (boat electric guru)is working with him on the project. He's also developing a system for several other manufactures including Gunboats (Cadillac of Cats) and one other the name that escapes me.
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> Initially I had stated on another site that I didn't believe the system was a long distance system based on the fact that the components were not readily available in 3rd world countries. I still feel that you have to stock some very expensive spares (Controllers) but it's doable. Motors are bullet proof. Batteries you can get anywhere. If you're planning on running electric drives only in the ICW you're going to be disappointed. If you're in open water and have a good wind you could have more power than you need and not burn a drop of fuel. Read Waypoint's article on crossing the Atlantic.
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> Now what was the question? :o)
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> Steve in Solomons MD
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Did you or do you know if any of the other owners installed PV or wind to supplement??? Would PV/wind and/or one more bank help extend the range? How much range did you have on the ICW? Is it a case of not enough wind on the ICW or what? Can you truly "sail" the ICW or are you motor sailing all the way?
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