torqeedo

[jviss]

Not quite so, on two strokes and electric.

1. Two strokes are still made that satisfy the environmental standards of today - particularly the Evinrude E-Tec series, which "has cleaner exhaust emissions than a 4-stroke, it produces 5 to 10 times less Carbon Monoxide (CO) while idling or trolling." (according to Evinrude). Used by the Coast Guard, Marines, Seals, et. al. 2. The energy for an electric propulsion system has to come from somewhere, no? It's not magic. I assume most sailors would run their main propulsion engine to charge the outboard electric's batts as well as the house batts - at much lower caloric efficiency and much more pollution per dingy mile traveled than any 2-stroke. Think about it. And the batteries themselves are big sources of environmental pollution, and have a very short life, in the total scheme of things. Think lead, and sulfuric acid. 3. The Seagull. Do your anchorage and mooring field neighbors a favor and toss that primitive noise-maker into the drink, and get a modern, quiet outboard. Those things are a pain in the ear - on what would otherwise be a nice, quiet morning on the water, except for some smug, pipe-smoking, granola eating Luddite insisting on making 1/2 knot against the current in his hard dinghy with the outboard with all the moving parts on the outside.

 

[John R.]

ARRGGGHHHH!

On another thread, I posted a question about porta botes (folding boats) vs. inflatibles. It's just like this thread - different people have different views, and there is no one, clear-cut answer. Why is life so ***^^### complicated?

 

[Bob V]

another vote for electric

I've been using my electric motor on a 14ft hardshell dinghy for about three years now. It works great. The only time that range is an issue is when I use it to go fishing which involves many hours of travel and then trolling. I solved that problem by hooking up two Optima batteries in parallel. It would be fuelish to use your main engine to charge batteries since it is so inefficient at idle and bad for the engine but solar works great and so does charging with dock power before you leave or during a marina stay. I also cruise with dogs and find that most of my trips are five minutes out and five minutes back, not much battery drain there. I use a single battery for most trips and it's the same one that came with the motor 3 years ago. I agree that batteries are a disposal issue but it's not like you're thowing them away every year. Also there are free hazardous waste disposal sites near my home and many of the material is recycled when you dispose of it properly. I appreciate all of the positive feedback that I get in the anchorages for my silent motor and you do not scare off all of the wildlife. I've named it Nevarude. By the way my dogs (like many others) like to get to shore early in the morning when many of my neighbors are still asleep.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Life is NOT so complicated, it's a matter

of CHOICES.Aren't you glad to have choices to make? Many people don't. Altogether too many people...Sometimes I feel it's kinda like the guy asking his mother which is the best girl for him to marry.You can ask the questions, but only YOU can make the DECISION.Peggie recently dropped some good ones in on this.It remains: Your boat, your choices.John, one of the other things about boating is the "herd mentality" which works both ways. I've had the pleasure to be able to live here in the Bay Area for over a couple of decades, and have been sailing around just about everywhere. I have yet to see more than 3 porta botes. While the herd mentality has its pros and cons, it would seem that the conditions here generally dictate what works and what doesn't.As far as outboard engines, just look around - but we don't know where YOU want to use your dinghy. Electric sounds great for the delta, and maybe weekending at Ayala or just in the estuary, but I wouldn't want to use one for any other service around here. What is partially missing from these replies is WHERE and HOW the dinghies are being used. The size and type of the boat are important in the selection of the electric engine and battery, but the USE also has to be taken into account (i.e., river, lake, estuary, shore and back, etc.).Your choices...

 

[RobG]

John

I have a Mercury Quicksilver Hypalon inflatable and I wouldn't worry about dogs with it. Hypalon is very tough. It has come through a couple of situations that I was sure would trash the tube and it came through unscathed. I have heard many opinions that a hard dink tows better but I have no experience with that. The stability of the inflatable is unbeatable. I can stand and move around in it without a hitch. That may be good thing with dogs aboard. I have a slat bottom and if I was going to do it again I would have gotten the inflatable floor. It creates a V bottom for better performance. I would think that would help it behave with towing too.Good luck.

 

[Ross]

I have been thinking about environmentally

friendly boating. Starting from the beginning.1. No plastic. It comes from crude oil.2. no metallic fasteners. The ore must be mined, refined, and shaped.3. no sawn wood. Saws are made from irom which must be mined ,refined and shaped.4. no machine woven fabric for sails. Machines must be made for weaving the cloth, machines require fasteners. and even wooden machines need to be shaped.5.dugouts are ok. they can be made by burning and scrapeing.6. paddles are ok. they can be shaped with stone tools7. sails woven by hand from palm fronds are ok. The palm can be collected with stone tools.8. ropes made from hand twisted natural fiber are ok. uses a renewable resource.But we live in the industrial age and nothing that we as individuals can do or refrain from doing will make any difference. If you don't recycle ALL of you paper, plastic, glass, metal, animal fat and cooking fat. If you mow your lawn with a power mower, if you use fertilizer, weed killer or insecticides on your lawn, you are part of the problem and not part of the answer.

 

[Benny]

They don't make small two strokes anymore.

The smallest they make I think is about 50HP. When they anounced they were being discontinued in 2006 I went and purchased a 2005 display model left over Mercury 3.3HP weighing 28 lbs. The 4 strokes are just too heavy for dingui work. The problem with the electrics are the weight of the battery, limited range and thrust, and price. Light powerful batteries will be costly. Perhaps in another 10 years they may have solve the issues and I may be out looking for one.

 

[frank balcer]

yamaha

Benny, just purchased a 2007 Yamaha 2 stroke 15 HP a few weeks ago to go on my new Mercury Hypalon. Luv the combination! Frank

 

[sand sailor]

do you put the rag

on with the cap so it can breatha little without spilling*x;d

 

[Aaron (navagear.com)]

Torqeedo video

If you're thinking about getting one of those Torqeedo electric outboards, you might be interested in the video we shot of setting one up and putting it on the back of a small inflatable. I'd tend to agree with some of the comments above...it's pretty cool, but small gasoline outboards are cheaper and more flexible. Still, it might fit your needs if your not expecting the range and speeds possible with gas.Our article is here: http://www.navagear.com/2007/06/torqeedo-electric-outboard-video-test/Best,Aaron Tinling

 

[jcherubini]

Torqeedo at West Marine

When I first saw the Torqeedo motor in the '07 West Marine catalogue, in typical fashion I started making notes all over the page. The text:'Endless charge cycles.'$500.00 more than gas.'Feeble/less robust.''Increased dependence on nukes.''Okay for a CANOE. Not for a YACHT.'The picture in the WM catalogue shows a 3500-lb 23-ft Sea Sprite with a Torqeedo 'comparable' to a 2-HP motor. A guy at the club with a Sea Sprite has a 6-HP Seagull. My cousin's (virtually identical) Kittiwake 23 has a 9.9. Now imagine trying to climb the swells at the end of the C + D canal with that little electic motor straining its heart out. No, wait-- imagine having made it all the way THROUGH the C + D canal with that motor.Now that I work at West Marine, I looked into it. The Torqeedo is about the best-designed electric motor you can have, with a motor that receives power in small sequential bursts, one after the other, around the circular magnet that drives the prop. So it (ironically) doesn't need torque. It's very high-efficiency and surprisingly simple (and VERY light, including its battery). But I still believe that the average electric outboard (and even the above-average Torqeedo) are best left to calm lakes and very protected bays. The literature claims a range of about 10 miles at something like 2 knots-- that's definitely protected-water performance. That's even too meagre for a dinghy.I don't know of an affordable electric outboard with anything close to the power needed for ordinary (not even hard) recreational yachting. The new 4-stroke compact outboards are far better. Consider the Mercury 3.5.