T-Pain Is On A Boat: Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Aloha from Hawaii

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Aloha from Hawaii

Is that correct Myles ? What type of system is in your boat ? How long have you had it ?
George

I think that Myles has a 55' wooden hulled electric conversion up on SF Bay

-----Original Message-----
From: Pitt Bolinate <boombolinate@yahoo.com>
To: electricboats <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Aug 1, 2011 9:23 pm
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Aloha from Hawaii

Hi Eric ,

Don't take offense, I did do trials write up numbers one day with just the motor and no sails. There was somewhere near 1.7 kts of current that day and that's water current. The numbers are all over the place and there fore not accurate or relevant. Perhaps when I am next on flat still water I will do the numbers but till then you will have to accept my WoW factor as being a valid expression. I diddn't want to sound like I have the biggest or best, just observing that it's bigger than average on this site, but not bigger than many boats on my finger at the marina. Perhaps it's about the size that the average person might think twice about converting?

Pitt

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 1, 2011, at 5:34 PM, "Eric" <ewdysar@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Pitt,

I'm not sure exactly why you're keeping your results a secret, but providing some insight into how much power a 14 ton boat takes to drive it at various speeds would be very helpful to others. You've got a rare practical insight that cannot be replaced by prediction spreadsheets or rules of thumb. The size or composition of your battery bank doesn't affect your "watts to knots" specs at all and isn't that important to other potential conversion candidates.

I believe that your boat is not the biggest or the fattest in the group, I think that Myles has a 55' wooden hulled electric conversion up on SF Bay too. Your numbers should be very representative of the electric experience for other large conversions. It sounds like you've got an off the shelf drive system and any other 28000 lb, 12'2" wide, 41' sailing auxiliary should get very similar results.

When I first completed my electric conversion, I found that my boat was very successful and I didn't really want to give away the recipe for my "secret sauce". But I realized that I had only been that successful by collecting practical experience/information from vendors, manufacturers and hobbyists in the EV and electric boating worlds. I realized that sharing my research and opinions only helps others and keeping it all to myself wasn't a value to anyone, including myself. But as always, this is just my opinion, everyone here is welcome to contribute as much or as little as they desire.

The regen numbers that you've published in this group before are right in line with all of the other regen discussions here. This proves again how little the various attributes of a particular boat influence the physics behind a sailboat's regen potential.

I recognize re-power estimates vary as much as the amount of the work being done. But for my boat, my DIY installation with some free help from friends cost fairly close (within 10%) to what a DIY re-power with a brand new 16hp diesel engine was going to cost me. Of course, I don't include the general repairs that I did in conjunction with my conversion, like upgrades to my house electrical system, bilge pump, bottom paint or the new propellor shaft because they were my choice and the conversion could have been done without them. I find it humorous when people compare the cost of their DIY projects to a different solution where most of the work would be paid for. It's kind of like comparing the cost of groceries to a restaurant bill. If you're planning on providing all the labor, then a fair comparison would be for just the parts or supplies used in the alternative solution. And it sounds like if saving money was your only concern, the $6000 diesel rebuild would have be en your lowest cost alternative.

Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Pitt Bolinate <boombolinate@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Eric & Electric People,
>
> I have to apologize in advance and warn you that I have thick skin so badgering me won't work. I am seriously keeping the numbers I am getting to myself. Not to be rude but they are not a real representation of the electric experience, my boat is big and fat and my battery bank is more massive than the average, as we all know the speed we try to motor completely determines how far we can go, bla bla....
>
> The cost, well that depends on what you are replacing, here are a few numbers to think about. New diesel engine, or $6000 rebuild? new stainless custom fuel tank or stick with the old one new fuel filters and plumbing. New exhaust and let's not forget the cooling. The electrical system is also 30plus years old, Total price came in my situation to somewhere about 25000 USD not including unforseen extras and custom pieces needed for the installation and crane hire to lift it in. My electric conversion Inc 540Ah 48v LiFePo bank, with self installation plus help from a friend thanks Jim, cost less.
>
> Basically as the happy convert of a 28000lb sail boat I can totally recommend if you are thinking about re-powering think electric, call Scott or Bill at electric yacht.
>
> Pitt Bolinate
>
> Sent from my iPad