Capn_Earl,
The education part of electric boating is indeed problematic:
1. boats are for play, not work
2. sparse knowledge, spread thinly
3. industry experts have "day jobs"
4. most experts don't know they are
5. how to stay informed and impartial?
As the next step forward, many have called for comparable on-the-water watts/speed/distance measurements, so potential buyers can compare apples and oranges. There is wide consensus that this would be very helpful.
The step after that, is probably what you are calling for: impartial education resources. Thanks to our tireless moderators, this ElectricBoats list is about the best there is for both steps, though it is like reading 30 large textbooks.
Trying to simplify, "AWeekDaySailor" started a Wiki early 2008 (in the links section: "An FAQ for eBoat design"), but it lacked wide-spread participation. He then offered "A Beginners Guide" (in the links too) that is very meaty and digestible.
Even more basic, GreenMarineRePower offers a free "Primer" pictorially introducing some basics of boats, fuels, and propulsion. We are trying to arrange day jobs, so the above two steps can be worked on more quickly. Everyone else is too busy to invest the 5000 person-hours required to provide a broadly researched, well documented, comprehensive, time and money accessible education resource.
There are many e-boaters that have made their own informational websites or blogs about their own boats. I find those extremely helpful and informative, but hard to find. Maybe if there was a folder in the links section on ElectricBoats labeled "eBoats", they would be easier to find. I've linked many websites on GreenMarineRePower, by boat type, then size. Most other lists are by boat name, which I find completely unhelpful, unless I already know all about that particular boat. It is like trying to buy shoes by searching online for salespeople's middle names.
Watts/speed/distance - This would be completely marvelous. I am encouraging the development of an auto-reporting wireless data-logger that could be cheaply incorporated in anyone's system. Amps, volts, speed, SOC, temp, logging and display, fire/water/gases/theft/power alarms. One yardstick that's affordable enough for most to use.
In short, I think your call for online education is right on target!
Thanks,
Mark Stafford
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "capn_earl" <mnixon@...> wrote:
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> My guess is that there are many folks following this group who are like me and cannot find continuing education courses (especially on-line) to learn more of the operational details of electric propulsion. Books that I have read have gotten me a start but come up short in helping me gain the knowledge that I want to have as a DIY'er.
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> If there are indeed those kind of on-line resources, I would appreciate any help locating them. If not, it would seem that a group such as Mark Stafford's Green Marine Re-Power foundation would be an excellent place from which to offer courses (for a fee) that could be developed by the industry leaders of electric boating. And in the end, an education/certification process would also help to promote quality design and implementation as well as safety for our new industry.
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