Electric outboard

[Dave O.]

I have a 260 with a Honda 9.9 outboard. It will need to be re engined soon and I was considering an electric outboard. ( echo or torquito). The only thing I didn't like about the Honda was it was too loud at high power settings (above 3/4 throttle). I do a lot of cruising in the Chesapeake and sometimes u just need to get there.
I hav a Honda eu 2000 generator but I don't think that it has the capacity to recharge the batteries as fast as a 9.9 equilivant would use. And what is the noise level of an electric outboard at high power settings? that's the main reason I would switch to electric is for noise level reduction. Has anyone had any experience with this?

Thx
Dave
Andiamo

 

[KD3PC]

You may want to do some serious research and talk to Torqeedo. Your boat is approaching the max for their 8hp-equivalent outboards, and that assumes a load of batteries (at least 2 - as they are 24or48vDC, and will not run on 12vDC) Batteries mean weight, support, and tie-down - something a small boat my not be ammenable to. Then there is the charging and control and the biggie for me, manual tilt - which means hanging off the stern.

You may end up with almost as many $$ in your electric system as the boat value and still only have an hour or so at full throttle. Their specs are generally flat water, nor current or wind, such as a protected lake or pond.

A small (eu2000) generator will not support on-board recharging. So you will need to add chargers to the list of needed items.

The noise varies from almost not there, to high pitch or whining, that annoys the crap out of some, and others don't hear a thing.

In all reality, the technology is just not there, yet.

 

[Benny17441]

I would not do it. Like you say," sometimes you just need to get there" and fast, whether for safety or convenience. I like electric outboards but they do not yet provide an affordable and efficient and reliable mean of propulsion to operate at full power for an extended range to get you out of trouble like a gasoline outboard could. I have had the need to motor for 5 hours straight at 1.5 knots just to reach safe harbor in deteriorating weather. For that and having to maintain a battery charging regime aside from the boat's house batteries makes me strongly favor gas powered outboards

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Good responses as I know all the equipment and to think of electric will alsoadd additional weight and loss of room. I would not suggest going electric. I grew up on the James River and the Chesapeake

 

[Stu Jackson]

This is one of the best short summaries of electric power I've read. Thanks, Benny.

To the OP: if you were on a small lake, I'd say maybe, but for where you are and where you boat, absolutely not. We sailed on a medium sized lake in our Catalina 22 for many summers. Even then, if they'd been available and trustworthy as they are now, I still would not have done it. We had an hour & a half motor in calm weather to get back to our slip from our usual anchorage. Sometimes the wind really piped up. Of course, when it was windy we sailed, but since it was always upwind at the end of the weekend, that was a two to three hour sail for a one hour motor in calm weather.

It's a simple SAFETY issue.

I would not do it. Like you say," sometimes you just need to get there" and fast, whether for safety or convenience. I like electric outboards but they do not yet provide an affordable and efficient and reliable mean of propulsion to operate at full power for an extended range to get you out of trouble like a gasoline outboard could. I have had the need to motor for 5 hours straight at 1.5 knots just to reach safe harbor in deteriorating weather. For that and having to maintain a battery charging regime aside from the boat's house batteries makes me strongly favor gas powered outboards

 

[Kermit]

I have a 9.8 Tohatsu 2-stroke. Works perfectly. As much as I'd like a silent motor I'm ok with the short time I have to listen to it. I doubt I would replace it with electric. Getting started from dead stop takes a good bit of throttle. But you already know that.