Simply put yes! Electric is maturing quickly, but still has the horse collar of battery weights. As the electric automobile matures and feeds the battery development arena, maybe some of that will filter down to other "alternate" power systems. But not quite yet.
The electric motors and all the supporting equipment as matured to the point of being available and reliable. Even the truly huge cruise ships utilize electric propulsion versus the old fashioned meter thick propeller shafts and gears. But since the cruise ships are really just huge floating "Las Vegas" style hotels they generate amazing amounts of electricity to support the "show" and can direct that same power to their electric pod propellers.
Sailboats just do not have the need for continuous 100-200 amp power generation so the use of electric propulsion lays a heavy weight burden in storage batteries. The normal power train is from petro fuel to combustion engine motor to propeller to thrust. Introducing electric motors adds two more intermediate efficiently lowering items and now you get fuel to combustion engine to electric generator to storage batteries to electric motor to propeller to thrust.
All the threads talk about storage capacities measures in a minutes to a couple of hours versus days of diesel fuel motoring (or gasoline or power boats).
Where electric motor propulsion shines brightly is in eco-sensitive environments like lakes, rivers, and some harbors. Small light day-sailing boats can utilize electric propulsion and save all the hassles of diesel engines, tanks, and maintenance of infrequently used combustion engines. There is a major market for electric propulsion but it just does not include boats out in the oceans or islands.
--- In electricboats@
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> Hello Group!
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> I just joined today. The reason for my interest is finding help in planning
> out an electric alternative to conventional internal combustion engines on a
> catamaran I'm beginning to conceptualize.
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> The dimensions will be ~ LOA 36', Beam 22', Mast Height 60'. It will be a
> light, fast, demountable sailboat that will fit on a trailer ~ 8' wide for
> towing anywhere. I may consider going into production if this works as I
> plan. The first one will be used to do a lot of fishing in the Pacific Ocean
> from Mexico to Panama. Weight is critical! Reliable power is critical. The
> boat will have all the necessary systems to sustain 4 adults for extended
> voyages, maybe even an ocean crossing some day. 3 or 4 knots in calm waters
> is of no use to me. I have to be able to control my boat in high winds and
> surging ocean currents and troll or motor at above 6 knots for extended
> periods. I have a couple things most sailboats do not, twin hulls = less
> weight for a much larger usable space and a huge hard bimini top for solar
> (~13'X14'). I'd like to cover this bimini with something like the Uni-Solar
> (http://www.uni-
> them up there and they'll weigh less than 100 Lbs.
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> It looks like my bogey is battery weight. There is no way I'm adding a ton
> of lead to this boat! I can get great performance from a couple 20HP
> outboards that weigh less than 120 Lbs each. Is there any hope of electric
> propulsion or am I dreaming?
>
