Electric harbors are coming.
- Thread starter TomY
- Start date
my 66' british seagull 3hp is still in great shape (28# dry), my 84' mariner 8hp still runs perfect, my 87' merc 3hp (built by nissan) still humming along.
the old joke about the seagull was that if you were caught in a storm you can tie a rode to it and throw it over the side and use it for an anchor. when the storm subsides, pull it up fire it up and motor home. i'll be dead before i'll need to upgrade.
i wonder what condition the torqueedo will be in in 55 yrears
That's what I wonder about all this new gear. Is it so costly to repair that it becomes a throwaway item?i wonder what condition the torqueedo will be in in 55 yrears
Yes we do scoff at electric cars in the north. The battery capacity is dramatically shortened by the cold and it requires substantially more battery juice to keep the car warm. Electric cars really are a joke in the winter.
You will hear the stereo long before you will ever hear any engine noise on my Japanese motorcycle. Even with the stereo off, you will be hard pressed to hear it run.
Not every boat owner needs a Torqueedo. A 24 volt trolling motor will do just fine for many boats. Its quite a bit cheaper than a new outboard. This is what I use on a 24 ft sailboat, and it works just fine unless you get caught in 40+ mph winds.
I was going to say! Why the need to buy such an expensive Torqueedo? I thought you can buy electric trolling motors for far less if you are going to putt-putt around in your dinghy. I think an electric trolling motor would be a simpler solution rather than a gas or propane-powered outboard.
I have almost no experience dingys. Would you not have the problem with where to place the battery as opposed to the streamlined torqueedo.
Looking forward to a DeWalt outboard motor.
If it works for a lawnmower why not an outboard?
I have plenty of batteries when they come out.
If it works for a lawnmower why not an outboard?
I have plenty of batteries when they come out.
Now there's a nice niche business for an enterprising sailor with a garage machine shop and a need for a little extra income.
Oh, and when whomever you is are out there designing the DeWalt outboard make it so after I get the sails up I can flip a switch and the prop spins the motor to charge the battery.
Thank You
Thank You
Few people look at the entire supply chain when evaluating environmental impact. Transportation of goods also needs to be considered.
Someone once told me that they emit a lot of emissions because the engine never fully warms up. Not sure if it's true but thats what I heard
It is time to bring up what most on this forum already know. Electric boats, planes and automobiles do not reduce carbon emissions in total unless the electricity is generated via nuclear power, hydroelectric , geothermal, wind, or solar. Since those sources are now minimal but growing, at present if you use electric propulsion you are just removing emissions from your locale to someone else's. It takes more emissions to produce that battery power because of the inefficient conversion of heat to mechanical energy, mechanical energy to electric potential and back again. When you see the smoke stack of a power plant spewing heat - that is the cost of your clean energy. We need to improve this situation, and I think all these technologies will be the future but we are a long way from that. At present I'll venture that an efficient diesel causes less carbon emission than an electric motor. And, if I never smell the combination of marsh aroma mixed with diesel again, my life will be diminished.
I have an older model Torqeedo travel. It's about 12 years old and the battery has been rebuilt. Plenty of capacity for several hours on the water at low speed. The thing I like most about an electric engine is the low weight. At my age, I would struggle carrying, even a small gas outboard, down the dock, on to the boat, and over the side to fit it on my dingy. The Torqeedo is manageable because you can carry the battery separately. Also, I can drop it into the lazarette without worry about fuel leaking out. Or in the back of the car without the smell of gas.
I had considered getting a trolling motor, but back then there were no light weight batteries that would power it for very long. Today, I would consider a trolling motor coupled with a Battle Born lithium battery instead of the Torqeedo. Might save a few bucks and get cheaper replacements parts. I'm pretty sure electric outboards for use on tenders is here to stay.
I had considered getting a trolling motor, but back then there were no light weight batteries that would power it for very long. Today, I would consider a trolling motor coupled with a Battle Born lithium battery instead of the Torqeedo. Might save a few bucks and get cheaper replacements parts. I'm pretty sure electric outboards for use on tenders is here to stay.
if i had no dingy engine i would go electric, period. carrying gasoline on a sailboat for the dingy is a huge pain. dangerous, stinky, heavy, expensive, ..... it's a no brainer. BUT, until my gas gear wears out, i'm not in the market.
some do-gooder prolly going to make a law that my gas gear is illegal to use any more, same person prolly has stock in the electric outboard company. ..... and so it goes
some do-gooder prolly going to make a law that my gas gear is illegal to use any more, same person prolly has stock in the electric outboard company. ..... and so it goes
rode in my brother's chevy BOLT the other day. it was really nice, really fast. it's his new day to day car. he loves it.
he did not sell his 3 porches, his corvette, his honda hybred, his navigator, his f150, his cub cadet mower. he likes those too
his main hobby is long distance cycling.
he's a collector, just like me
he did not sell his 3 porches, his corvette, his honda hybred, his navigator, his f150, his cub cadet mower. he likes those too
his main hobby is long distance cycling.
he's a collector, just like me
What about these?
https://www.popularmechanics.com/ad...boat-hybrid-power-catches-a-current-15244084/
I have a co-worker who is a big boater and use to sail. He got this a couple of years ago and loves it.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/ad...boat-hybrid-power-catches-a-current-15244084/
I have a co-worker who is a big boater and use to sail. He got this a couple of years ago and loves it.
That Greenline boat looks like a nice trawler alternative. I think a sailing catamaran is more appealing (to me) and sails are probably more “green” than solar/battery/electric. Emphasis on the word “probably “ because I don’t know the full lifecycle carbon footprint of today’s synthetic sails vs. the full lifecycle of solar/battery/electric. One has to figure in manufacturing, recycling and materials transportation to know the full carbon footprint.
P.S. I’d have solar/battery on any cruising cat in addition to diesel auxiliary power, so in the end maybe it’s “greener” to do without the sails?
I sprung for the Torqeedo 1100 today. We were anchored this weekend and I had some boat projects, and I was encouraging my wife to take the dinghy out to get off the boat on her own. She said the reason she won’t go alone is that she’s afraid she won’t be able to start the Suzuki DF 2.5, or that she might injure herself pulling the recoil start (it kicks back on the cord quite often and the hard jerk can hurt).
We had discussed the Torqeedo the day before and I asked her if she’d use one of those. The answer was that she thinks she’d like it. Decision made, the justification was clear, and imho the expense is less important than having a happier wife.
Also, I doubled the solar power on my boat this year so we now have 370 watts. Generally that means on a sunny day we’re fully charged by around 13:00. The rest of the day is surplus capacity.
Now I need to try it and figure out a way to lock it. I have some ideas using cable and nicropress fittings. Will post results if I come up with a good solution.
We had discussed the Torqeedo the day before and I asked her if she’d use one of those. The answer was that she thinks she’d like it. Decision made, the justification was clear, and imho the expense is less important than having a happier wife.
Also, I doubled the solar power on my boat this year so we now have 370 watts. Generally that means on a sunny day we’re fully charged by around 13:00. The rest of the day is surplus capacity.
Now I need to try it and figure out a way to lock it. I have some ideas using cable and nicropress fittings. Will post results if I come up with a good solution.
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Those motors make an appearance from time to time in the eastern Caribbean.They may work well on days pictured in the OPs post, but they seem to be unsuitable for many of the anchorages here, especially in times of Christmas or brisk trade winds. Most seem to be quickly relegated to their home on the pushpit after a few weeks.