Hello Alex,
I have a Tartan 27-2 that used to have a Farymann in it. It was seized when I bought it, but I thought I could free it up. I was wrong. So I went with the Thunderstruck 8.5 kw kit. We didn't start using the boat much until the end of September, due to other issues. But so far we are very happy with its' performance. I would not go any smaller. A few weeks ago we were exiting a marina in 25-30 knot headwinds. It was a very narrow channel, maybe a boat-length or two in places, so motoring was the plan for the mile long channel. We made it out, not fast, but we made it, so I was very happy! Still had more than enough juice to get to our home marina, which is up a narrow winding creek. Sorry I can't supply numbers since I still haven't installed the gauges. We plan on sailing today so I'll try to finally get some pictures. I will try to answer your other questions as best I can.
I had already converted my truck to electric, so doing ther boat wasn't a big stretch. A friend of mine was converting his 29 footer, so it was an easy choice for me., I couldn't not go electric! That and the fact that a new diesel was 7k. I probably spent 4k on mine, but I made the drive myself. I used a 3:1 reduction to keep the prop shaft speed about the same as it was. The boat has (I beleve) a 13 x 10 three bladed prop. I haven't done speed-trials, but it gets me where I need to go with good power. I'm sure it can do at least 4kts.That is something else I need to get some data on.
I am using 8v Trojan flooded lead acid batteries. I probably should have gone with sealed, since the flooded batteies need to be adequately ventilated. They do out gas when charging. These are 190 amp models, work fine otherwise. They are distributed to match the weight that came out so sailing charcteristcs should not of changed. 12v would have been. The charger is a Quickcharge, 48v, on-board model. I let it charge overnight after sailing, seems to take good care of the batteries.
Operation-wise it is pretty cool. The cutlass bearing is a little sloppy, so the shaft rattles around a little. I was told it was OK, so I left it alone. I'll fix it next time the boat is hauled. Docking is a much more precise maneuver now. And the lack of fumes and vibration and noise from the diesel is very nice. We only need the aux. power to run for maybe an hour each time we go sailing, so range is not really an issue for us. It is nice to now after the other weekend that we have the power when we need it. We have the TSM slide box for the throtlte. It works well, and we move it all over when in use, then put it back in the lazerette when sailing. But I fear we may be weakening the wires, so I'll have to either mount it someplace or convert it back to the old levers from the Farymann. I am leaning toward the latter.
That is all I can think of right now. If you get to Long Island, stop by. Feel free to ask any questions you may have!
Fred
Hi all,
I'm in the planning stages of converting a Cal 2-27 day sailor to electric power. I've been reading through the gobs of information in this group and elsewhere on the net and am hoping I have the general picture, but I could really use the advice of wiser more experienced heads here.
The boat has a broken 12hp Farymann diesel in it at the moment, with a $3K quote to fix it, so it'd be a good time to convert. The primary goal is end up with a reliable propulsion system while keeping the costs down (big surprise, I know). I like the idea of an electric boat, but if it ends costing as much as a new diesel re-power, it looses much of its attraction. So, my budget is tentatively set at $5K. Is this reasonable, or am I dreaming?
That pretty much disqualifies turn-key commercial kits. I realize I'd be giving up the benefit of manufacturers' experience and support and adding lots of headaches, but $7-10K price tag just doesn't make financial sense.
So, with that in mind, I'm thinking of going with Thunderstruct 8.5Kw kit. It seems to provide all the needed components except the mounting and the charger, all for a very small markup. I get the impression Mars motors and Sevcon controllers are well regarded here, but I would appreciate any opinions on this kit, as well as possible alternatives at this price range.
Next, the batteries. I'm leaning towards 200Ah AGMs, mainly for the maintenance-free factors. I'm not too worried about longevity, pretty much any battery should last 4-5 years of weekend sailing and I don't really care if I have to replace it at that point.
Any recommendations on the brand, or any good sources, especially in the San Francisco area? The cheapest I've found are Universal 4D units around $400-450 on Amazon. Are they decent, or should I spring for more expensive brands (Mk, Concorde, Lifeline)?
Next, a good charger that would allow hooking up a generator in future. Elcon PFC-1500 seems to be mentioned quite a bit here, would it work with the popular choice Honda 2000 hooked up to it? I'm not all that clear on how that works in conjunction with the "smart" charging profiles. What happens when batteries are full, for example? Would the charger still supply the power from the generator to the motor, or would that require a separate hookup?
Am I missing anything? Would the existing prop work or would I need a new one?
And lastly, I'm a little concerned about the safety of having so much electrical power running through the boat. It seems most installations don't provide any watertight enclosure for the motors/batteries. Are you not worried about cabin flooding shorting everything out? Would it be a good idea to insulate all the components/connections, or would heat buildup be too much of an issue?
Thanks for reading through my ramblings. Looking forward to your advice.
Cheers,
Alex.
I'm in the planning stages of converting a Cal 2-27 day sailor to electric power. I've been reading through the gobs of information in this group and elsewhere on the net and am hoping I have the general picture, but I could really use the advice of wiser more experienced heads here.
The boat has a broken 12hp Farymann diesel in it at the moment, with a $3K quote to fix it, so it'd be a good time to convert. The primary goal is end up with a reliable propulsion system while keeping the costs down (big surprise, I know). I like the idea of an electric boat, but if it ends costing as much as a new diesel re-power, it looses much of its attraction. So, my budget is tentatively set at $5K. Is this reasonable, or am I dreaming?
That pretty much disqualifies turn-key commercial kits. I realize I'd be giving up the benefit of manufacturers' experience and support and adding lots of headaches, but $7-10K price tag just doesn't make financial sense.
So, with that in mind, I'm thinking of going with Thunderstruct 8.5Kw kit. It seems to provide all the needed components except the mounting and the charger, all for a very small markup. I get the impression Mars motors and Sevcon controllers are well regarded here, but I would appreciate any opinions on this kit, as well as possible alternatives at this price range.
Next, the batteries. I'm leaning towards 200Ah AGMs, mainly for the maintenance-free factors. I'm not too worried about longevity, pretty much any battery should last 4-5 years of weekend sailing and I don't really care if I have to replace it at that point.
Any recommendations on the brand, or any good sources, especially in the San Francisco area? The cheapest I've found are Universal 4D units around $400-450 on Amazon. Are they decent, or should I spring for more expensive brands (Mk, Concorde, Lifeline)?
Next, a good charger that would allow hooking up a generator in future. Elcon PFC-1500 seems to be mentioned quite a bit here, would it work with the popular choice Honda 2000 hooked up to it? I'm not all that clear on how that works in conjunction with the "smart" charging profiles. What happens when batteries are full, for example? Would the charger still supply the power from the generator to the motor, or would that require a separate hookup?
Am I missing anything? Would the existing prop work or would I need a new one?
And lastly, I'm a little concerned about the safety of having so much electrical power running through the boat. It seems most installations don't provide any watertight enclosure for the motors/batteries. Are you not worried about cabin flooding shorting everything out? Would it be a good idea to insulate all the components/connections, or would heat buildup be too much of an issue?
Thanks for reading through my ramblings. Looking forward to your advice.
Cheers,
Alex.
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