Re: Ang.:[electricboats] One engine down...looking for solutions/suggestions

Hi Flip - given that your boat is a twin hull I would second the idea of trying to salvage one working diesel sail drive from the two tired engines and putting an electric motor into the other hull. I am gearing up to doing precisely that in a 34 ft new build probably using a 43hp Betamarine diesel and a 10kW ePropulsion Evo pod drive (just about to be put on the market). The diesel is even available in a hybrid electric version with an added 10kW e-motor and regen capacity which I'll order if my finances allow for it. ePropulsion has great pricing for both engines and batteries compared to Torqeedo (for insurance reasons I won't be going down the DIY route). Thankfully cats will motor happily on a single engine, so this type of hybrid should work very well on electric propulsion for day hops, on ICE for passage making under motor power, and on combined power for emergency settings requiring maximum propulsive power. Also remember that pod drives don't require cooling arrangements as they are cooled by the surrounding sea (a concept now making its way into electric outboards as well).

Best wishes and keep us posted!

Kai Rabenstein

Hastings, UK

On 28 Apr 2021, at 08:19, Carsten via groups.io <Carstensemail=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Hi, Flip

Have you considered to keep the good diesel and make the other as electric ?

For the saildrive, I have plans too for converting mine, a Volvo S100.

Stripping most out from the top and make an extended shaft to fit a toothbelt pulley, and connect it to an electric motor.

If engineered well, it may even be possible to use the oil in the saildrive circulate as the electric motor coolant ;-)

Cheers,

Carsten

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På ons., den 28. apr. 2021 klokken 13:15, fvontrampe via groups.io

<fvontrampe=yahoo.com@groups.io> skrev:

I have a 42' twin daggerboard sailing cat that displaces 16,500 lbs loaded.  Two Volvo md 2030 diesels with approx 4000 hrs.  Have been keeping both of these dirty beasts alive with requirement of lots of time, petroleum products, spare parts, and, skinned knuckles.  Have been preparing for the day when one or both would go down and require major maintenance requiring either replacing or major rebuild.

The day arrived yesterday.  Looks like compression down in three cylinders.  Probably need to pull engine.  Head gasket, valves, piston rings?  Who knows?  Maybe all of the above…I am very tired of sweaty engine room yoga, loosing gallons of water in sweat at a time, and surely years off of my life.

My family have been liveaboards since 2014 and came back from 1.5 yrs in South Pacific recently. Planning to take boat soon into Micronesia and Asia, but need a good solution first.  The boat sails well and so we mostly sail, would like to have regen, and need short bursts of full power getting in and out of tricky atoll passes at times.

Really wanting to repower with electric, but don't have a specific system in my mind yet.  Not sure I have the know-how to pull it off elegantly and well either, but willing to try.

Looking for suggestions on a mostly plug and play (with installation modifications of course) system or if anyone has done a similar repower and have list of system components I could peruse as I gather info.  Looked at the 48 v liquid cooled Motenergy thunder alley kit.  Anyone have any experience with these?  Cost is a factor, can't afford the Oceanvolt ServoProp systems.

Was thinking of leaving the sail drive with the three blade folding prop in place and building a system that incorporates the vertical shaft that goes into the sail drive leg.  Don't know the rpm's it would have to spin yet, but has anyone done this?

Likely looking at a ~ 10 kw 48 v batt system, like the looks of the battle born product but too pricey.  Not sure I have the skills to assemble my own with a decent bms.  Need reliability and safety.  Will be in lots of isolated places and not interested in incinerating the boat and family.

All thoughts appreciated as I start my search/process.

Thank you for any time, input, and your collective wisdom as my family struggles through this next project.

Flip

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Flip

42' Catamaran