Friday, December 31, 2010

[Electric Boats] Re: ElectraCraft runabout

 

Well I finally heard back from the seller and saw the boat. It is not the "tri-hull" version, nor is it anything resembling a wine-glass as I was thinking (hoping). If anything it resembles a small planing runabout. Pointy bow with a bit of a vee up front, and quite beamy and less of a vee aft. The prop is exposed (no skeg or keel) as is the rudder. The batteries and motor are way aft. It looks like a fun little boat for the kids or for just laid back cruising on the lake. The electrics have been wet and look pretty well trashed and it needs some cosmetic work including a new interior. Could be a fun winter project though.
I'm still curious what it is about the tri-hulls that makes them more desirable. I've never seen one.
Bill, can you please elaborate?
Jim

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "luv2bsailin" <luv2bsailin@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the reply Bill.
> I assumed I would need to redo all the electrics so am prepared for that. What is it about the tri-hull that makes it more desirable? I'm usually drawn more towards "old school" so I would have thought the opposite. Does the "non tri-hull" version have something like the classic wine glass cross section, with the prop and rudder protected behind the keel, or is it something else?
> Anyhow, the seller hasn't replied to my emails so it all may be moot, at least for this particular one.
> Cheers,
> Jim McMillan
>
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, William Knebel <billk356@> wrote:
> >
> > Jim,
> >
> > ElectraCraft made two model in the runabout class. One was a typical runabout
> > configuration. The other and the preferred model was the TriHull. Look at the
> > boat from front. The TriHull will be obvious. Production of TriHulls was
> > larger. I would not pay more than a few thousand for a fixer. IIf the hull is
> > sound then all other issues will be straight forward fixes. Figure that the
> > wires will be in poor condition and the electrical connections will be corroded.
> > The electrical design is basic and dated. When upgraded with modern electrics
> > and electronics TriHulls make a very desirable boat.
> >
> > Bill Knebel, Westlake Village, CA
> >
>

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Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season afterconvertingto electric propulsion.

 

I do still have the engine stop cable and the fwd/ rev control cable from the diesel days available. I'll probably use one of those.

Mike

Sent from on board BIANKA
http://biankablog.blogspot.com

From: "acsarfkram" <acsarfkram@yahoo.com>
Sender: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 21:47:02 +0000
To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
ReplyTo: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season after convertingto electric propulsion.

 

Hey Mike,

I just looked on your most wonderfully organized blog and found a photo of your throttle. I was trying to think of a way you could use the system I used on Lotus Flower, which has a throttle cable, for your shaft brake. Nothing jumps out at me...yet.

Mark
Santa Cruz

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "acsarfkram" <acsarfkram@...> wrote:
>
> Happy New Year Mike, and everyone
>
> What does your throttle look like? It's an electronic throttle right? No cable?
>
> Mark
> Santa Cruz
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Capt. Mike" <biankablog@> wrote:
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > Thanks for the report on your system. Those are real good numbers with the three blade. I went with the 8A4D batteries myself. But, your dual bank works too. I need to do some more testing but, I'm so comfortable with the system that it does not seem to be that urgent to me anymore. Though I would like to add a shaft brake someday too
> >
> > Happy New Year
> > Mike
> > Sent from on board BIANKA
> > http://biankablog.blogspot.com
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: "acsarfkram" <acsarfkram@>
> > Sender: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> > Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:10:29
> > To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
> > Reply-to: electricboats@: [Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season after converting
> > to electric propulsion.
> >
> > Hi Mike,
> >
> > Great post on your blog. We started around the same time with somewhat similar systems on our boats. Our sailing habits are different, you cruise and I mostly daysail with occasional 20-35 mile overnighters. Here are some of my thoughts on going electric.
> >
> > I started out in May of '08 with my existing prop (fixed 2 blade 11x10) a SolidNav Explorer, one bank of four group 27 agm's and a Kipoint 48 volt charger. That got me running. The plan was to start there to get a base for performance numbers. To get those numbers (among other needs) I added a PakTrakr battery monitor. Now as things were added I would know what difference the changes made.
> >
> > In that configuration I got a top speed of just about 5 knots and a speed of 3 knots with a 20 amp draw.
> >
> > Next I added another bank of four group 31 amg's. This is a separate bank that is never run parallel with the other bank. My thinking with this arrangement is #1 - I have redundancy, if one bank fails I have another to fall back on #2 - extended range and #3 - one bank can be charged with a portable generator while motoring on the other bank, then switch banks when one is run down and the other is charged. This seemed like a simple way to setup an on-the-run charging scheme as it would be no different than plugging in at the slip. Truth be told I have never run my Honda 2000i on my boat but I'm guessing it would work.
> >
> > Within the first year I changed the prop to a fixed three blade 12x10 and now get 5.7 top speed and 4 knots at a 20 amp current draw. I'm very pleased with this performance.
> >
> > With the added bank the 48 volt charger had to be switched between the two banks, I could only charge one bank at a time. This worked fine until somewhat ironically the bank I added for redundancy had a battery go bad. In replacing the battery (warrantied) I realized the bank would not balance itself so I got a Pro Charging Systems quad charger (four separate 12 volt chargers in one case). This worked. Now I have two completely separate banks with their own charging. The upside of this arrangement is that both banks are left with the chargers on all the time the boat is at the slip.
> >
> > Somewhere during this time I split the PakTrakr to be able to read both banks, pretty simple on-off-on switch but only one of the banks had current monitoring. I later added a second PakTrakr current monitor. With my seat-of-the-pants electronic abilities the switching for this was not so simple!
> >
> > The latest addition is a shaft brake which enables me to stop the prop shaft from rotating while sailing (quiets things down). Also the Sevcon controller (early model) does not let the motor switch from forward to reverse until the prop stops. I had planned on getting the controller modified but this works so well I don't need to.
> >
> > We don't really have A sailing season here in the Monterey Bay just different sailing seasons but going into my third winter season I too am very confident of the electric propulsion system in my boat, Lotus Flower.
> >
> > Mark
> > Santa Cruz
> >
> >
> > --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Mike <biankablog@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Since it's the end of the year. I thought some here might be interested on some thoughts as I look back on the third season since I converted BIANKA my 30 foot sailboat to electric propulsion:
> > > http://biankablog.blogspot.com/2010/12/end-of-season-thoughts-of-electric.html
> > >  
> > > I hope everyone has a Happy Electric New Year!
> > >  
> > > Capt. Mike
> > >  
> > >
> >
>

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Posted by at No comments:

[Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season after convertingto electric propulsion.

 

Hey Mike,

I just looked on your most wonderfully organized blog and found a photo of your throttle. I was trying to think of a way you could use the system I used on Lotus Flower, which has a throttle cable, for your shaft brake. Nothing jumps out at me...yet.

Mark
Santa Cruz

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "acsarfkram" <acsarfkram@...> wrote:
>
> Happy New Year Mike, and everyone
>
> What does your throttle look like? It's an electronic throttle right? No cable?
>
> Mark
> Santa Cruz
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Capt. Mike" <biankablog@> wrote:
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > Thanks for the report on your system. Those are real good numbers with the three blade. I went with the 8A4D batteries myself. But, your dual bank works too. I need to do some more testing but, I'm so comfortable with the system that it does not seem to be that urgent to me anymore. Though I would like to add a shaft brake someday too
> >
> > Happy New Year
> > Mike
> > Sent from on board BIANKA
> > http://biankablog.blogspot.com
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: "acsarfkram" <acsarfkram@>
> > Sender: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> > Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:10:29
> > To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
> > Reply-to: electricboats@: [Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season after converting
> > to electric propulsion.
> >
> > Hi Mike,
> >
> > Great post on your blog. We started around the same time with somewhat similar systems on our boats. Our sailing habits are different, you cruise and I mostly daysail with occasional 20-35 mile overnighters. Here are some of my thoughts on going electric.
> >
> > I started out in May of '08 with my existing prop (fixed 2 blade 11x10) a SolidNav Explorer, one bank of four group 27 agm's and a Kipoint 48 volt charger. That got me running. The plan was to start there to get a base for performance numbers. To get those numbers (among other needs) I added a PakTrakr battery monitor. Now as things were added I would know what difference the changes made.
> >
> > In that configuration I got a top speed of just about 5 knots and a speed of 3 knots with a 20 amp draw.
> >
> > Next I added another bank of four group 31 amg's. This is a separate bank that is never run parallel with the other bank. My thinking with this arrangement is #1 - I have redundancy, if one bank fails I have another to fall back on #2 - extended range and #3 - one bank can be charged with a portable generator while motoring on the other bank, then switch banks when one is run down and the other is charged. This seemed like a simple way to setup an on-the-run charging scheme as it would be no different than plugging in at the slip. Truth be told I have never run my Honda 2000i on my boat but I'm guessing it would work.
> >
> > Within the first year I changed the prop to a fixed three blade 12x10 and now get 5.7 top speed and 4 knots at a 20 amp current draw. I'm very pleased with this performance.
> >
> > With the added bank the 48 volt charger had to be switched between the two banks, I could only charge one bank at a time. This worked fine until somewhat ironically the bank I added for redundancy had a battery go bad. In replacing the battery (warrantied) I realized the bank would not balance itself so I got a Pro Charging Systems quad charger (four separate 12 volt chargers in one case). This worked. Now I have two completely separate banks with their own charging. The upside of this arrangement is that both banks are left with the chargers on all the time the boat is at the slip.
> >
> > Somewhere during this time I split the PakTrakr to be able to read both banks, pretty simple on-off-on switch but only one of the banks had current monitoring. I later added a second PakTrakr current monitor. With my seat-of-the-pants electronic abilities the switching for this was not so simple!
> >
> > The latest addition is a shaft brake which enables me to stop the prop shaft from rotating while sailing (quiets things down). Also the Sevcon controller (early model) does not let the motor switch from forward to reverse until the prop stops. I had planned on getting the controller modified but this works so well I don't need to.
> >
> > We don't really have A sailing season here in the Monterey Bay just different sailing seasons but going into my third winter season I too am very confident of the electric propulsion system in my boat, Lotus Flower.
> >
> > Mark
> > Santa Cruz
> >
> >
> > --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Mike <biankablog@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Since it's the end of the year. I thought some here might be interested on some thoughts as I look back on the third season since I converted BIANKA my 30 foot sailboat to electric propulsion:
> > > http://biankablog.blogspot.com/2010/12/end-of-season-thoughts-of-electric.html
> > >  
> > > I hope everyone has a Happy Electric New Year!
> > >  
> > > Capt. Mike
> > >  
> > >
> >
>

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[Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season after convertingto electric propulsion.

 

Happy New Year Mike, and everyone

What does your throttle look like? It's an electronic throttle right? No cable?

Mark
Santa Cruz

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Capt. Mike" <biankablog@...> wrote:
>
> Mark
>
> Thanks for the report on your system. Those are real good numbers with the three blade. I went with the 8A4D batteries myself. But, your dual bank works too. I need to do some more testing but, I'm so comfortable with the system that it does not seem to be that urgent to me anymore. Though I would like to add a shaft brake someday too
>
> Happy New Year
> Mike
> Sent from on board BIANKA
> http://biankablog.blogspot.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "acsarfkram" <acsarfkram@...>
> Sender: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:10:29
> To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
> Reply-to: electricboats@...: [Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season after converting
> to electric propulsion.
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> Great post on your blog. We started around the same time with somewhat similar systems on our boats. Our sailing habits are different, you cruise and I mostly daysail with occasional 20-35 mile overnighters. Here are some of my thoughts on going electric.
>
> I started out in May of '08 with my existing prop (fixed 2 blade 11x10) a SolidNav Explorer, one bank of four group 27 agm's and a Kipoint 48 volt charger. That got me running. The plan was to start there to get a base for performance numbers. To get those numbers (among other needs) I added a PakTrakr battery monitor. Now as things were added I would know what difference the changes made.
>
> In that configuration I got a top speed of just about 5 knots and a speed of 3 knots with a 20 amp draw.
>
> Next I added another bank of four group 31 amg's. This is a separate bank that is never run parallel with the other bank. My thinking with this arrangement is #1 - I have redundancy, if one bank fails I have another to fall back on #2 - extended range and #3 - one bank can be charged with a portable generator while motoring on the other bank, then switch banks when one is run down and the other is charged. This seemed like a simple way to setup an on-the-run charging scheme as it would be no different than plugging in at the slip. Truth be told I have never run my Honda 2000i on my boat but I'm guessing it would work.
>
> Within the first year I changed the prop to a fixed three blade 12x10 and now get 5.7 top speed and 4 knots at a 20 amp current draw. I'm very pleased with this performance.
>
> With the added bank the 48 volt charger had to be switched between the two banks, I could only charge one bank at a time. This worked fine until somewhat ironically the bank I added for redundancy had a battery go bad. In replacing the battery (warrantied) I realized the bank would not balance itself so I got a Pro Charging Systems quad charger (four separate 12 volt chargers in one case). This worked. Now I have two completely separate banks with their own charging. The upside of this arrangement is that both banks are left with the chargers on all the time the boat is at the slip.
>
> Somewhere during this time I split the PakTrakr to be able to read both banks, pretty simple on-off-on switch but only one of the banks had current monitoring. I later added a second PakTrakr current monitor. With my seat-of-the-pants electronic abilities the switching for this was not so simple!
>
> The latest addition is a shaft brake which enables me to stop the prop shaft from rotating while sailing (quiets things down). Also the Sevcon controller (early model) does not let the motor switch from forward to reverse until the prop stops. I had planned on getting the controller modified but this works so well I don't need to.
>
> We don't really have A sailing season here in the Monterey Bay just different sailing seasons but going into my third winter season I too am very confident of the electric propulsion system in my boat, Lotus Flower.
>
> Mark
> Santa Cruz
>
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Mike <biankablog@> wrote:
> >
> > Since it's the end of the year. I thought some here might be interested on some thoughts as I look back on the third season since I converted BIANKA my 30 foot sailboat to electric propulsion:
> > http://biankablog.blogspot.com/2010/12/end-of-season-thoughts-of-electric.html
> >  
> > I hope everyone has a Happy Electric New Year!
> >  
> > Capt. Mike
> >  
> >
>

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Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season after convertingto electric propulsion.

 

Mark

Thanks for the report on your system. Those are real good numbers with the three blade. I went with the 8A4D batteries myself. But, your dual bank works too. I need to do some more testing but, I'm so comfortable with the system that it does not seem to be that urgent to me anymore. Though I would like to add a shaft brake someday too

Happy New Year
Mike

Sent from on board BIANKA
http://biankablog.blogspot.com

From: "acsarfkram" <acsarfkram@yahoo.com>
Sender: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:10:29 +0000
To: <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
ReplyTo: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season after converting to electric propulsion.

 

Hi Mike,

Great post on your blog. We started around the same time with somewhat similar systems on our boats. Our sailing habits are different, you cruise and I mostly daysail with occasional 20-35 mile overnighters. Here are some of my thoughts on going electric.

I started out in May of '08 with my existing prop (fixed 2 blade 11x10) a SolidNav Explorer, one bank of four group 27 agm's and a Kipoint 48 volt charger. That got me running. The plan was to start there to get a base for performance numbers. To get those numbers (among other needs) I added a PakTrakr battery monitor. Now as things were added I would know what difference the changes made.

In that configuration I got a top speed of just about 5 knots and a speed of 3 knots with a 20 amp draw.

Next I added another bank of four group 31 amg's. This is a separate bank that is never run parallel with the other bank. My thinking with this arrangement is #1 - I have redundancy, if one bank fails I have another to fall back on #2 - extended range and #3 - one bank can be charged with a portable generator while motoring on the other bank, then switch banks when one is run down and the other is charged. This seemed like a simple way to setup an on-the-run charging scheme as it would be no different than plugging in at the slip. Truth be told I have never run my Honda 2000i on my boat but I'm guessing it would work.

Within the first year I changed the prop to a fixed three blade 12x10 and now get 5.7 top speed and 4 knots at a 20 amp current draw. I'm very pleased with this performance.

With the added bank the 48 volt charger had to be switched between the two banks, I could only charge one bank at a time. This worked fine until somewhat ironically the bank I added for redundancy had a battery go bad. In replacing the battery (warrantied) I realized the bank would not balance itself so I got a Pro Charging Systems quad charger (four separate 12 volt chargers in one case). This worked. Now I have two completely separate banks with their own charging. The upside of this arrangement is that both banks are left with the chargers on all the time the boat is at the slip.

Somewhere during this time I split the PakTrakr to be able to read both banks, pretty simple on-off-on switch but only one of the banks had current monitoring. I later added a second PakTrakr current monitor. With my seat-of-the-pants electronic abilities the switching for this was not so simple!

The latest addition is a shaft brake which enables me to stop the prop shaft from rotating while sailing (quiets things down). Also the Sevcon controller (early model) does not let the motor switch from forward to reverse until the prop stops. I had planned on getting the controller modified but this works so well I don't need to.

We don't really have A sailing season here in the Monterey Bay just different sailing seasons but going into my third winter season I too am very confident of the electric propulsion system in my boat, Lotus Flower.

Mark
Santa Cruz

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Mike <biankablog@...> wrote:
>
> Since it's the end of the year. I thought some here might be interested on some thoughts as I look back on the third season since I converted BIANKA my 30 foot sailboat to electric propulsion:
> http://biankablog.blogspot.com/2010/12/end-of-season-thoughts-of-electric.html
>  
> I hope everyone has a Happy Electric New Year!
>  
> Capt. Mike
>  
>

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[Electric Boats] Re: Some thoughts on my third season after converting to electric propulsion.

 

Hi Mike,

Great post on your blog. We started around the same time with somewhat similar systems on our boats. Our sailing habits are different, you cruise and I mostly daysail with occasional 20-35 mile overnighters. Here are some of my thoughts on going electric.

I started out in May of '08 with my existing prop (fixed 2 blade 11x10) a SolidNav Explorer, one bank of four group 27 agm's and a Kipoint 48 volt charger. That got me running. The plan was to start there to get a base for performance numbers. To get those numbers (among other needs) I added a PakTrakr battery monitor. Now as things were added I would know what difference the changes made.

In that configuration I got a top speed of just about 5 knots and a speed of 3 knots with a 20 amp draw.

Next I added another bank of four group 31 amg's. This is a separate bank that is never run parallel with the other bank. My thinking with this arrangement is #1 - I have redundancy, if one bank fails I have another to fall back on #2 - extended range and #3 - one bank can be charged with a portable generator while motoring on the other bank, then switch banks when one is run down and the other is charged. This seemed like a simple way to setup an on-the-run charging scheme as it would be no different than plugging in at the slip. Truth be told I have never run my Honda 2000i on my boat but I'm guessing it would work.

Within the first year I changed the prop to a fixed three blade 12x10 and now get 5.7 top speed and 4 knots at a 20 amp current draw. I'm very pleased with this performance.

With the added bank the 48 volt charger had to be switched between the two banks, I could only charge one bank at a time. This worked fine until somewhat ironically the bank I added for redundancy had a battery go bad. In replacing the battery (warrantied) I realized the bank would not balance itself so I got a Pro Charging Systems quad charger (four separate 12 volt chargers in one case). This worked. Now I have two completely separate banks with their own charging. The upside of this arrangement is that both banks are left with the chargers on all the time the boat is at the slip.

Somewhere during this time I split the PakTrakr to be able to read both banks, pretty simple on-off-on switch but only one of the banks had current monitoring. I later added a second PakTrakr current monitor. With my seat-of-the-pants electronic abilities the switching for this was not so simple!

The latest addition is a shaft brake which enables me to stop the prop shaft from rotating while sailing (quiets things down). Also the Sevcon controller (early model) does not let the motor switch from forward to reverse until the prop stops. I had planned on getting the controller modified but this works so well I don't need to.

We don't really have A sailing season here in the Monterey Bay just different sailing seasons but going into my third winter season I too am very confident of the electric propulsion system in my boat, Lotus Flower.

Mark
Santa Cruz

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Mike <biankablog@...> wrote:
>
> Since it's the end of the year. I thought some here might be interested on some thoughts as I look back on the third season since I converted BIANKA my 30 foot sailboat to electric propulsion:
> http://biankablog.blogspot.com/2010/12/end-of-season-thoughts-of-electric.html
>  
> I hope everyone has a Happy Electric New Year!
>  
> Capt. Mike
>  
>

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Thursday, December 30, 2010

[Electric Boats] Re: New member: I'm looking to re-power my 26' displacement hull launch

 

Bill,

I think that you're on the right track. Electric conversions make a lot of sense for auxiliary conversions, where the motor is there for a backup. I can sail for miles without using a single watt of electricity, but it is immediately available for short periods of power. I struggled with the idea of giving up my diesel for a system that had a maximum range of less than a gallon of fuel, but once I realized that I rarely burned a gallon fuel in a single outing, then electric seemed more viable.

Because I always sail in coastal/offshore conditions, having another backup is essential for longer trips. I sized my charger to provide maximum 48V nominal output from a typical 2000W portable AC generator, my generator is a Yamaha EF2000iS (almost identical to the Honda 2000). With my setup, I can get about 25A of charging current while running the generator (remember that charging voltages are higher than nominal voltages). This should be good for about 4kts in calm waters. Being an air cooled portable generator, the generator must be run above decks, it is stored in a lazarette when not in use. Alternatively, for day sails, the generator is left ashore. Once you get adjusted to the electric drive mindset, you'll realize that house loads are negligible, I could run a small microwave for about 8 hours off of my traction battery bank without charging, though I don't have any regular appliances aboard that pull that kind of load. In theory I could run a tailgater blender nonstop for more than 30 hours with one charge of the onboard batteries.

At least, this is the plan. I've been working on my conversion most of this year; acquiring components, removing the dead, single cylinder Yanmar diesel and other ICE related stuff, and prepping the boat for the new drive system. I've got all the hardware, now I've got to squeeze it all into the engine compartment of my 1964 30' ketch. I'm guessing that the project would be easier with a more modern design, but I'll make it work. I'll be posting pictures soon when the system is up and running.

Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Bill Spires <spiresac@...> wrote:
>
> Eric,
>
> Great response. The most concise and useful info I have ever seen in the blog.
> The only thing I would add is that it is certain that the 27 hp diesel is way
> overkill for a 26 foot double ender. I have been through the re-power wars for
> small, displacement hulls a few times and the problem is that it is hard to find
> and very expensive to get the right size and weight diesels for small boats.
> The other problem is that single cyl. diesels "Will sound like someone pounding
> on a drum with a hammer" when running in a small boat. On the other hand I
> think adding a small gas or diesel generator to the electric setup makes a lot
> of sense. Really extends your range, reduces the size of the battery bank and
> gives you house power to run the blender. Besides, I have lost electric power
> offshore on enough boats to think a little hand cranked gen set is always a good
> idea. I think there is a safety factor in favor of electric too. I can't tell
> you how many times I have reached the harbor after a rough passage and the
> engine won't crank. All the sludge is stirred up in the fuel tank. A few
> minutes of electric would have got the sails down and us in the slip.
>
> Capt. Bill
>
>

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Re: [Electric Boats] New Member

 

That was the first time I have seen that version of shorthand for them. I cant  remember Eric how long have you been using your set now?

From: Eric <ewdysar@yahoo.com>
To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, December 30, 2010 12:41:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] New Member

 

Aaron,

LFP is shorthand for LiFePO4 which is the scientific description for a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. They are one many different Lithium Ion batteries, they are popular with EV and electric boat conversions due to their reasonable price compared to other Lithium Ion battery types and the "prismatic cell" format. Prismatic cells are typically larger and easier to store than the more common cylindrical cells used in cordless tools and appliances. I have a 8kWh bank of Thundersky LFP batteries in my 30' ketch.

You can find out more than you want to know by googling "LFP battery".

Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Aaron Williams <akenai@...> wrote:
>
> Charlie
> What is a LFP battery?
> Aaron
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: The_BearBoat <cjohnson@...>
> To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thu, December 30, 2010 7:52:16 AM
> Subject: [Electric Boats] New Member
>
>  
> A brief introduction:
> I am an engineer, retired Naval Officer and ABYC Master Technician with a very
> real interest in electric boats esp. with LFP batteries. I am a frequent poster
> on The Cruiser's Forum under the screen name CharlieJ.
>
> My company is in the process of installing a house bank comprised of 600 Ahr of
> LFP batteries in a sailing catamaran.
>
> I will be lurking about as I am trying to learn as much about electric
> propulsion and LFP and TPPL AGMs.
>
> Charlie
>


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Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Electric Kicker

 

Good point Matthew.  I guess I'm just wishful thinking that they care about propulsion.

On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 3:52 PM, Matthew Geier <matthew@acfr.usyd.edu.au> wrote:
 

On 31/12/10 03:48, acsarfkram wrote:
> I think tolling motor props are optimized for trolling - low speed high thrust.

And also being abused - i.e. running into sea grass beds, other debris
in the water, contact with the sea bed - hitting sand and rocks while
running, etc.

I suspect no 1 on their list is being 'snag-less' to cope with the
'weeds' and then robustness against ground impacts. Actual propulsion
efficiency is probably way down their list.

Interestingly I note that in my boat, I know I've gotten too close the
the sea-grass when my motor current suddenly spikes.


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