Hi Ben,
This fits in with a common conversation in this group. Electric drive is just another option for boats. However, each owner needs to see what type of system, (diesel, gasoline, outboard, saildrive, battery, hybrid, diesel-electric, etc. etc.) is the best solution for how they use their boat. For some, electric is a reasonable alternative, diesel will be better for others, and an gasoline outboard can be a great solution for still others.
When I went to repower my F-27 trimaran, I looked at going electric. With my highest priority of total weight, followed by power and range (I have a range requirement for offshore racing), a new 9.8hp 4 stroke outboard was lighter, more powerful, simpler, and cheaper than any electric solution that I could put together.
So obviously, you could source and install an electric drive system in your boat. But that might not meet your priorities as well as other drive alternatives. I don't expect that every other CL Bermuda 30 owner would be best served by the electric drive that I installed, some might, but others owners have different needs. My electric conversion of my Bermuda 30 only cost a small amount more than a conventional diesel repower, but for the way that I use my boat, it has been well worth it.
Every owner that considers converting to electric should think about how they actually use their boat before commiting the time and resources to the conversion. I would also suggest that anybody considering re-powering with diesel should consider electric, but there are so many misconceptions about the actual compromises that come with electric drives, that conversation is more difficult with regular boat owners right now.
I know that you have done your due diligence in learning what an electric drive can do and what it might cost. If the value proposition of an electric drive doesn't measure up for the way that you use your boat, then you should go with the better fit. In spite of what some people say, electric drive is not the best answer for everyone, it's just a very good answer for some.
Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Ben Okopnik <ben@...> wrote:
>
> Hi, Mike -
>
> Unfortunately, I think the problem is that my usage scenario falls
> outside the workable pattern for an electric boat. :( I cruise up and
> down the East Coast, with an occasional run out to the Bahamas, and have
> plans that involve going beyond that (I spent a number of years sailing
> the Caribbean, and want to go back there again.) Now, with winter coming
> on, I've got to head south - and I need to be able to make 45-50 miles a
> day at the very least, including in the Intracoastal Waterway - I'm not
> all that keen on doing the outside, around Cape Hatteras, single-handed,
> and being constrained to doing that by a motor that won't do the ICW is
> just not reasonable.
>
> From all indicators, that range requirement plus boat size (10.5 tons)
> works out to either a ridiculously large battery bank plus a marina stay
> at the end of each day, or a largish generator that will run all day
> long. In addition, the best estimate I've seen so far is that a
> replacement diesel including installation will cost me right around
> $10k, while an electric system will be $22k or so just for the hardware.
>
> [sigh] Unless I can find another approach to doing this, it seems like
> I'm stuck with just swapping the diesel. I'd be more than willing to
> spend, say, $15k on an electric system that would supply my needs, but
> $22k plus installation plus any additional necessary parts (and there
> are always some)... what is that, $25k? $30k? Way outside the range of
> possibilities for me.
>
>
> --
> Ben Okopnik
> -=-=-=-=-=-
>
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