Matt, thanks for sharing. Of course your boat, a displacement launch is a powerboat, in every sense of the word. People have this overkill mentality that you need all this horsepower, when a lot of the time, you really don't. Of course it all depends on what you intend to use the boat for, and in your case, electric sounds like the best fit. You're right though, for someone who wants to race out to a far offshore fishing site, it would be dishonest to steer them toward EP with present battery technology.
Admittedly, I'm a die-hard tree hugger and I would love to see everyone use EP for all types of boats and do away with ICE (and stop using oil) completely, but honestly we know that's not going to happen until there's a major breakthrough in battery technology. In the meantime, I really think it's in all of our interest to drum up the virtues of EP -within it's limitations- and advocate that people use EP where it makes sense. This will create economies of scale, which will make EP systems better and less expensive for us users, users will benefit from the advantages (clean, quiet, simple- which is what a lot of us really want anyway) and just might make a slight difference (we can only imagine) in the environment and bigger world energy picture.
-Greg
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Matthew Geier <matthew@...> wrote:
>
> I use what could be considered an electric 'powerboat'. (No sails)
>
> But it's not what most people would consider a 'powerboat' as it's a
> 'old style' displacement launch. It was powered by a 5.5hp two stroke
> engine before it was converted. That 5.5hp was more than enough, yet
> people with years in the 'industry' were saying things like suggesting a
> 12hp diesel would be nice when I was looking for a new engine.
>
> In practice, after conversion I found the boat cruised at near hull
> speed with even less power. (2.4kw...)
>
> However the range is about 30-40km and I can only run for about 4.5hrs
> at full speed (or more accurately, just enough below 'hull speed' that I
> get a good range/speed ratio).
>
> Turns out this is plenty for a day trip out on calm inland waterways.
> (Of which my home city of Sydney, Australia has plenty, the city being
> surrounded by no less than 4 'flooded valley' river systems).
>
> Many people who ask about my boat look on in amazement when I say I
> have a propulsion system than can only propel the boat to 9km/hr (I can
> ride my bicycle faster) and only runs for 4.5 hours. But for a day out
> of the river, this works.
>
> It wouldn't work if if wanted to go offshore fishing, or skiing , or
> 'hoon around at speed', or get to my favourite estuarine corner as
> 'fast as we possibly can', and then spend all with the air-conditioning
> on and watching television on the 72" plasma screen...
>
> However my boat does cost about $2 per day in electricity, and goes
> about it's (slow) travel very quietly.
>
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