I can't speak to electric for a larger vessel, but we switched from an 8hp Honda outboard to an e-propulsion Navy 3 on our 25 mkII at the start of the season. It has been great so far, and is practically silent. That did take a little getting used to. Range anxiety is less than the fuel and carb anxiety. We seldom motor more than 3-5 NM, and use about 1/3 of the Navy battery each outing. We charge it up while getting the boat ready or after a sail (or general boat work) since we neither have nor want to install AC power onboard.
We're considering getting a Honda e2000 to have a sort of hybrid system if we ever decide to go further out. A similar strategy might be feasible for a larger boat. In the meantime, not having any fuel on board is very nice. No exhaust fumes going downwind is also great. We went through Annapolis Hybrid Marine, and they have been fantastic! I do like diesels, but electric is working out to be a great replacement for a noisy gas outboard. Best improvement since new sails! - Stephen On Tue, Aug 11, 2020, 12:44 PM CHARLES SCHEAFFER via CnC-List < cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > My two cents. I like my diesel, but if a repower becomes necessary, I'd > love to go all the way and replace the shaft and cutless bearing and strut > with an electric saildrive. A saildrive has a lot less drag. But the cost > is just too high right now to justify and range is still an issue unless > there is a huge solar panel setup to constantly charge the batteries. > > C > > > On 08/11/2020 11:16 AM Hoyt, Mike via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > wrote: > > > I would personally go insane owning an electric sailboat. > > > > I love the rumble and slight vibration of a diesel engine. It reassures > me and makes me feel all warm and cozy. > > > > Having a motor with a limited range that could die at any time due to lack > of battery power and need to be at a dock to next recharge would just put > me on edge when going anywhere. I can always carry more fuel and get more > fuel but do not always have the time or availability to dock a boat and > recharge. > > > > That is just me. Tesla has managed to make some very excellent cars that > do not seem to have this problem. > > > > One other thing is that if we all started having electric drives in our > boats our marina managers would increase electricity charges to all of us. > Our dockmaster once pointed out to me that our pricing model for > electricity was set up around members having C&C 30’s that used electricity > only to recharge a house battery and only occasionally. Give him one more > excuse to charge extra for electricity and he would be all over it like a > sailor is all over rum …. > > > > Mike Hoyt > > Persistence > > Halifax, NS > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > >
_______________________________________________ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
