I have added photos to an album titled Sunplucker.
The major components are a 145 watt solar panel, a charge controller, a battery selector switch to route current from the charge controller, a small exhaust fan to cause ventilation air to flow past the charge controller fins, three 40 AH lithium batteries, with two connected in parallel, another battery selector switch to draw current from the pair (as battery one) or the reserve (battery 2) or both, a solenoid acutuated by a kill switch for power via 40 amp fuses to a pair of 45# Motorguide Optimax heads, and a pair of 30# Motorguide lower units faired out (NACA 0021) and mounted propeller (10x6 model airplane) end first next to the hulls near amidships.
The reliability of the propulsion system has not been established.
The hulls are from a 16' Prindle but they are reversed so that they run flat side in. The hulls weigh about 100# each. The cross-deck or bridge is fiberglass over composite and weighs about 65#. The batteries weigh about 45#. The rack and panel weigh about 55#. Motors and rear cross-brace bring total weight to about 400#. The cross deck is mounted to trim the rear transoms out of the water.
Superb efficiency at 4 mph, likely caused in part by the motors generating a lower pressure along the inside of the hulls which causes outboard water to urge the aft parts of the hulls forward as it seeks the lower pressure. A falloff in efficiency at higher speeds is probably due in part to increasing wind resistance.
Weight as tested: about 575#
LWL: about 15 ft
Voltage: about 13.2
Speed: GPS average of two or more runs to and from
Amps: by meter, includes about an amp drawn to actuate the solenoid
3 mph-9 amps
4 mph-13.5 amps
5 mph-46.5 amps
6 mph-65 amps
Range at 4 mph: projected 40 mi + on a sunny day
John Casperson
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