The cost effective part is that the outboard I have actually works fine, so it is hard for me to justify a new system, however, I'd really like to get rid of the eye-sore that always hangs off the back. And considering I only use the engine now to get out of the marina (narrow dredge). I don't need the beefiest of systems.
Hans
From: Capt. Mike <biankablog@verizon.
To: electricboats@
Sent: Wed, June 9, 2010 8:35:30 AM
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Irwin 28
Hans
John Francis comments are right on the mark. It's all about enjoying the experience. Of course I want to sail first but, if I do need to motor using electric propulsion is so much more pleasant than an ICE and with less fatigue for the Capt. and the passengers.
As for your Irwin if you can do what you need with the electric outboard go for it. The advatages are that there is one less hole in the boat, it will be easy to service. Not that there is a lot of maintenance with electric propulsion from my experience. You can also sell it and upgrade in the future.
Sent from on board BIANKA
http://biankablog. blogspot. com
From: John Francis <surv69@gmail. com>
Date: Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:49:44 -0400
To: <electricboats@ yahoogroups. com>
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Irwin 28
My understanding of what I've read is that regeneration is not too effective unless there's a lot of sailing . . . a lot of sailing, although the brushless motors are evidently less maintenance and deliver more energy per watt used.
I come from the standpoint of not attempting to match what I've got in the way of propulsion, but rather, attempting to reconsider the amount of propulsion I actually need and attempting to work from that reduced figure.
My gasoline $%^$%^%* piece of caarraapp 9.9, 2005 4-stroke Suzuki engine that has been problems since day one(as was a previous brand-new 2-stroke Suzuki years ago was too), generally moves me at 4+ knots before I'm "bothered" by the noise and offers me a 60 mile or so range on a smelly 6-gallon tank.
I have never motored more than a few miles . . . less than 4 or 5 at the most ever, at a time, and I like to move leisurely unless a storm's coming. At which time I ratchet up the motor, push it to 6 knots, endure the ungoddly loud noise, watch the wake grow longer . . . and still, not outrun the storm. My consensus is that with the hull-speed limitation, it take's more than a large, or fast motor to outrun storms.
In the past, even with greatly underpowered electric motors(on a 25', 3000 lb sailboat), pushing "into" the wind is a breeze, although going from abeam to making headway can be tricky, but still accomplished.
I have never(I mean literally NEVER), sailed or sailed with someone else who ever used their motor for more than 10 miles . . . EVER, in 15 years. Of all those times that required motoring more than a few miles, the consideration was time-constraint and needing to get home, or something like that.
I have also noticed that going 6, or even 7 knots is still going noticeably SLOW, even though it looks like a lot of power's being wasted.
I've concluded that sailing is slow(a given), and that a leisurely 3 knots under power is only slightly better than 1-1-1/2 knots under miniscule winds. I wouldn't even call 3 twice as "fast" as 1-1/2, as much as I'd prefer to call it "half as slow". Plainly said . . . if you're on a sailboat, you're not in a hurry, even if you are.
This leaves, really, only a few circumstances requiring "muscle" from my motor. Going upriver(usually a max of 2+ knots) or making headway while caught in a storm. I keep a keen eye on the weather.
As far as getting caught in a storm, maybe I'd feel more comfortable with a 25 HP motor, than a 9.9 HP motor . . . ah, make that a 35 HP motor. For the river . . . ???.
So, there you have what I think about "power" and engine sizes in general. I think too many people are energy-wasting, power-mongers. This holds true in motorcycles, cars and even television sets. Always the biggest, the fastest . . . the baddest . . . often beyond reasoning. I think this holds true in boating too and I refuse to get caught up in it.
If I want enough speed to plow my bow constantly at, or slightly above hull-speed, enjoy a 50-100 mile range and coincidently having to put a fixer in all my leftover gas at the end of the season, then I'd be very happy with gas engines and I'd put up with the issues, problems, smells and potential dangers of gasoline.
I'd rather become more of a sailer, less of a power-boater and enjoy a little more tranquility.
John Francis
Pearson 26
Port Clinton, Ohio
On Tue, Jun 8, 2010 at 11:13 PM, Hans, Hans Sembach, Sembach <hsembach@yahoo. com> wrote:
New to the group. I live in Florida near Tampa. I have a Irwin 28 sailboat. The gas engine was previously removed and has a 9.8 Nissan hanging off the back. I've been interested in changing to electric but have been having a hard time finding a cost effective means to do so. In searching the internet I found this group, so here I am. I'm handy with tools and can build/assemble what is needed, just not sure exactly what is needed. My intitial plan was to strip the bottom of everything associated with the old shaft and fill in the stuffing box hole. I wanted to use a large electric trolling motor that could handle a large prop so that I could remove it when not in use and store it in a cockpit locker. My assumption was that I could get rid of the drag underneath to help this old boat to move in lite winds. On the otherhand, I'm not sure if it would be just as easy to put the motor inside. I am also looking for electric regeneration possibilities when sailing to charge the batteries from the motor being used as a generator. I have yet to find information if trolling motors can do this. Thanks for any advice. I have yet to dig thru the archives for any information yet.Hans
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