Electricmotorsports for the 4201 motor. I got two cause they were cheap. Kelly for the controler, contactor and fuse, some crappy meters that I tossed, a charger that is actually too small, and a few other doodads in a kit. Gearbox I don't remember but it is a Baldor. McMaster-Carr for the steel, jumper shaft, shaft couplings and other hardware. Radio Shack for the parts for the control box. Sams Club for my batteries. Ebay for shunt and ammeter, voltmeter, and other stuff. Home Depot for bolts, wood, etc.
You already have a 12v house bank, right? Do you have problems with acid sloshing out? I am guessing not. Ditto with gassing. Yes hydrogen is explosive and yes it destroyed the Hindenburg but normal charging and discharging only release small amounts of it, and since it is lighter than air it simply floats away if not confined. Proper precautions (do not be a smoker, for instance) avoid pretty much all accident potential. Your battery box needs to be strong enough to keep your batts from shifting but still allow minor swelling, and needs to be able to keep water and debris off of them. 48v at 220ah or more is a lot of juice, and a dropped wrench or screwdriver should not be allowed to fall across battery terminals. Sucks when that happens. Also the shock hazard is considerable even at 48v. You can weld with only 36v. I have done it.
Figure on a minimum of a years serious research before whipping out the credit cards. 2 years even better.
Remember you can't have a brushed motor if you have gasoline or propane accessories aboard.
48v is a good voltage for boats under 35 feet. Over 40 you should be looking at 72 to 144v. There are different electrical standards to follow over 50v but if you go 72 you may as well go higher. Higher voltage means less current, lower line losses, smaller cable. 48v means simpler installation and more chargers, converters, etc available and for lower prices.
Stick with the usual setup of Kelly or Sevcon controller, Mars/Motenergy motor, and a 1.5:1 to 3:1 reduction gear to start, and you won't be far off for a small sailboat.
A vendor package gives you the benefit of proper engineering and testing. Only go the full DIY route if you are a pretty good tinkerer and shade tree engineer and want the challenge/fun.
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