Sunday, March 18, 2012

Re: [Electric Boats] cruizing sail boats

 

Rick:
 
adding to John's point it's good to remember about cruising electric propulsion on a sailboat is that you have a sailboat. You really don't need any motor to go anywhere. Any propulsion you do add is gravy.  I still cruise the same waters when I had my diesel and enjoy the experience much more and spend less time doing maintenace since converting back in 2008. Your question about not wanting to wait around for charging can be easily addressed by a small auxilary generator like a Honda 2000 or similar unit. I use it for charging while at anchor and also can motor along in calm conditions at 3 knots using 900 watts and my boat is 30 feet and 16,000 lbs. But, more often than not it is just standing by in case I need it.  You could also install an in board marine diesel if you wanted too. Flexibilty and the ability to take advantge on new technologies as they  come along are easy to incorporate into an EP system also. Adding things like wind and solar into the charging mix is quite easily done if one does not do it intially.
 
Capt. Mike
 
 
From: Dave Kellogg <inganear1@yahoo.com>
To: "electricboats@yahoogroups.com" <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2012 1:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] cruizing sail boats

 
John, again well said, I learned this a few years ago and would never go back.  I'm in the process of converting my big boat (38 Island Trader) to electric, I can make my own power, can't make gas or diesel...  Dave K

From: John Francis <surv69@gmail.com>
To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2012 12:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] cruizing sail boats



As far as I'm concerned the only problem with electric motors is lifestyle. The infrastructure didn't need to exist for refueling..

100 years ago the lifestyle was no motor and maybe a sculling oar.

30-50 years ago it was gasoline and infrastructure to ensure refueling.

Today(and in the future), it will be electric with virtually no infrastructure for a while, then when a viable infrastructure(and better batteries), exist, electric will be the way to go.

I say today . . . and work with what works and what's available.

I say slow sustainable speed under power( maybe about 2 knots or so).

There's a speed figure for boats called "natural speed".  I read about in a boat that came out about when outboard motors were becoming popular, and the formula involved calculation friction and derived a speed at which a boat can maintain(once reached), using almost no power . . . that is, the point when energy usage(to "maintain a speed") begins to greatly increase.

If a person uses an electric motor smartly(which, for the most part, we don't want to have to do), the energy(watts) to maintain the progress of the boat can be made up with solar panels.

BUT . . . of course . . . NO ONE really want's to go "slow" in a sailboat under power and EVERYTHING is valued at maintain hull speed or near HULL SPEED.

You got to say goodbye to HULL SPEED being the determining "value" of an acceptable speed.

LEARN TO SAIL and learn to live a more leisurely life(style) . . . THEN electric will be worth it.

John Francis




__._,_.___
Recent Activity:
.

__,_._,___
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)