Rob, The 4-5kts for an hour is easy. The TS kit would have adequate power and (4) 12v 100ah batteries would give 4 kts for about 45 min. (8) 220ah 6v would give 4kts for 2 hrs. About 4.5 kts would be max for the TS kit (100 amps) Recharge with shore power. You might get away with <$4k and surely could do it for $5k. Besides the TS kit you need to fabricate a way to mount the motor and a toothed pulley set to drive the prop shaft. You also need a bearing to locate the inboard end of the prop shaft and take the prop thrust. You can see how I did it on the "power" page of my website.
Saying you need 5kts more or less indefinitely makes this a vastly more complex project. The "indefinite" implies fossil fuel for sure.
A diesel genset is big bucks, and maybe big noise; personally I think a regular diesel set up is more practical than a diesel serial hybrid.
You could get the indefinite range with a 9.9 hp (ish) 4stk OB on a bracket. That's a lot less $$ than the diesel genset and probably quieter but ugly.
Another option might be a EU series Honda generator. The 2000 weighs 50 lbs, costs about $800 and would put 17 amps into a 48v system so you could drive your boat with a bit more than one hp indefinitely. The Hondas are not marine related and mine drips a bit of gas when shaken around so would be a HUGE risk in an unventilated space. I've heard of people strapping them to a swim platform and they seem to last OK. One hp = 2.5 kts, calm wind, no current. Two (remember you need a charger capable of handling the 2x power) would give a little more than 3 kts.
Honda sells a cable to hook two EU2000's together, they also make a larger size with electric starting, EU3000.
I have no knowledge about CNG systems but it seems to me they have all the safety problems of gasoline plus difficult storage and spotty availability.
A note about generators: the Honda EU series are much more expensive than 'regular' discount store units. IMHO, their low noise level is well worth the extra $$. I can't imagine sitting next to a poorly muffled lawn mower engine for hours on end.
Denny Wolfe
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2010 9:55 AM
Subject: [Electric Boats] repowering a sailboat - 30 ft Catalina
Hi All -
New to the group here and had a project in mind with regard to potentially re-powering my Catalina 30 with an electric hybrid system (10,000 displacement) . I'm looking to create a system that can provide continuous power at 5 knots. Most of my power needs however would require 4-5 knots for 1 hour out and in my creek (round-trip) . The reasons I like electric is the flexibility and redundancy of systems. All the drive systems I looked at seem very reliable with the potential to include IC, solar, regenerative and shore-power for reserve. I'm considering a kit from Thunderstruck - it appears that a conversion kit for my boat would run ~ $2,5000. To get started on this - would all I need is this kit and the batteries? Would 8 Trojan golf batteries be sufficient with set-up (excluding an IC generator, solar panels, etc)? I realize this is a complicated question. I have shorepower so all I would need is the appropriate charger (~+$500).
I have a few questions on this:
- So for about $4-5k could you get a system up and running? (excluding generator and assuming lead-acid batteries))
- What are my options (with est costs) for an IC generator? Marine generators seem to start at $5k which would lead me to believe I should just repower with a replacement diesel direct drive and skip the entire electric idea altogether.
- Can I series a couple of Honda 2000 generators for continuous power? It may be tricky to run this on-board though - any ideas
here?
- What about CNG system, air-cooled.. ..may be tricky to engineering getting a system to work on-board but the cost-differential is huge. I can buy a 4.5kw CNG generator for under $500....with enough surplus power to run a couple large blowers, why not try to engineer a safe way to convert one of these systems? I could perhaps fit one in a aft - locker. Even if I need to replace one of these non-marine units every 4 years I'm way ahead. Possible or a pipe dream?
I appreciate the advice from the knowledgeable group here as I'm trying to make sesne of how a system might efficiently work on my boat. The generator part has me stumped....
I'm a handy-enough guy to do all the work myself and do not plan on any long-range cruises beyond a week.
- Rob
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