Hi Red,
My responses are within the body of your post....
--- In electricboats@
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> Hello all,
>
> I've been lurking in this group for the past year or so and have learned a lot from you all. I've had a project in mind and I'm trying to figure out if it's practical and how to make it work. Would it be possible to modify a smaller cruising sailboat to a pure solar powered boat?
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Yes
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> My thoughts were along the lines of buying a sailboat around 30' LOA, stripping out the engine, mast and rigging, fuel tank, etc. and replacing it with an electric motor, batteries in place of some of the balast, and as many solar panels as I can fit on the cabin top and on a hard top to replace the bimini.
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I have a Cal29 that I purchased for $1,750, and I sold the outboard it had for $500, putting the initial cost at $1,250.00. It has no inboard, I have removed the gas tank, and plan to do, more or less, what you are discussing.
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Most days I'd like to be able to cruise around 5-6 knots for 4 hours or so, but still have the capability to go 70-80 miles on occasion.
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These numbers seem overly optimistic unless you have a very efficient system or new technology helps to make this happen. My plan varies considerably from yours in that I plan to cruise when conditions are favorable and only use electric propulsion for maneuvering in a dock area. Otherwise it is strictly sail.
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Oh, and the maximum budget for the project is about $40K.
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I wish I had that much to spend!
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> Is this possible? Practical? Safe? And how would you accomplish it?
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Possible, maybe, but you might have to lower your expectations.
I don't care much about practicalities in terms of living on a boat because my expectations are low.
Safe as any well rigged and cared for sailboat.
Depends on the boat and what kind of motor(s) you want to use.
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> Thanks!
> -Red
>
Brad Bates
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