John,
I completely agree with your sentiment. But one still needs to realize that the electric drive technology is still immature and has a difficult time competing with drive systems that have a century of development and refinement behind them.
One of the big problems that I see when discussing electric conversions is unrealistic expectations. Many people think that an electric conversion will be dramatically cheaper than an ICE repower. I've already spent over $8000 on the conversion to my 30' Ketch and I know that there is still some additional purchases to be made. A diesel repower would have cost $10-11k, so I will save some money, however, there will be a distinct reduction in power capabilities. For boats where an outboard is a reasonable option, adopting electric is considerably more expensive, though that can be justified in some cases. I own a Torqeedo 801 for my dinghy, I bought it because of its' stored size and the ability to transport it safely in a sealed outer hull in my F-27 trimaran. The small dinghy motor cost almost as much as the 9.8hp 4-stroke outboard that I repowered the same trimaran with. Different requirements require different solutions.
I find one part of your post that could be considered a risk to our fledgling industry. Since the investment in going electric is pretty substantial, the idea of "learn to live with it or get rid of it" can create negative buzz about electric conversions. I think that the vendors that sell these systems need to be very clear about electrics capabilities and avoid lofty claims or real data presented in ways that are easily misinterpreted. A single disappointed customer can offset 10 satisfied owners. Even the idea of trying to sell off components from an unsuccessful conversion will probably cost the owner half of their initial investment. That may not be a problem for those that can afford it, but that doesn't sound like most of the people here.
Again, I'm in your camp about right-sizing our lives. But since most people have almost no knowledge about these technologies, and even our "experts" have only a little combined practical experience with the huge variety of conversions being discussed here, I think that we will all be best served by trying to develop and share realistic expectations.
Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA
PS. In over 15 years of sailing, more than once, I have needed everything my motor could give to get out of a nasty situation. With each experience, I gain enough skill to never go back there again, hopefully...
--- In electricboats@
>
> In 15 years of sailing I have never met a "single" person that ever needed
> the amounts of power(in ratio to the boat), that's considered minimal for
> needs....
>
> I say if you want to go electric . . . just do it. Use what you got, use
> what you can afford, and do it!
>
> If the electric conversion is not what you expected, then adjust and learn
> to live with it or get rid of it...
>
>
>
> Happy "sailing".
>
> John Francis
> Pearson 26
> Port Clinton, Ohio
>
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