Zozza 270 Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Hi, As I am becoming increasingly a bit of a greenie, I am considering changing to an electric inboard motor, which would mean no need for the Beta 14hp that came with the yacht I recently purchased. So, I am putting the 'feelers' out there to see if anyone whom reads this board is interested in a top quality diesel engine. It's only had somewhere between 60-80 hours use, and I just had it serviced a couple weeks ago with no issues apart from routine maintenance stuff. The diesel was purchased new from 'The Engine Room' in 2010 (whom also did the service mentioned above) but not first used until 2011 when boat relaunched. All receipts available. These engines are $9500 incl. gst new and I'm wanting 65% of that - "that" being the engine and gear box for $6,000 and that is pretty much non-negotiable. If you can find a diesel of this Beta's quality and age at a cheaper price then good luck to you. I am not selling the shaft as would need it for my electric conversion if I do go ahead with that. The control panel could be negotiated too at a reasonable price compared to what you would have to pay new. Do note: All costs to remove engine would be for the purchaser to pay. The boat is currently on the hard at my place, so would have to figure out best way to lift it out. The engine weighs 90kg, Beta 14 brochure.pdf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,497 Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Keep us updated on the conversion. I would love to do the same but can't justify throwing away a perfectly good diesel (well, will be when I get everything sorted). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex TL systems 63 Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 I have read a few storys of boats that have gone electric, they seem to still have a lot of expensive failures with batterys and motors and end up being towed by boats with diesels when they run out of power? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
erice 731 Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 this guy seems happy with his conversion so far http://www.bwsailing.com/bw/gear/silent-running/ i wonder - what it cost? - how many hours it took? - how long it will last? as he seems to have intentionally under-spec'd his batteries meanwhile seeing more and more elec. assit bicycles around central auckland, esp. slicing through the jammed commuter traffic at rush hour fav. so far the b52 unfortunately it sells for for more than 2 japanese import cars wonder what the nz designed elec farm bike will cost Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zozza 270 Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 Well, I just worked out a near esstimate cost of getting the electric engine, the freight, and customs...it is no longer viable. The cost was astronomical. So, am keeping the diesel unless I find $19K under my pillow all of a sudden from the tooth ferry. Looks like I am going to be a diesel powered yacht for some time to come -- I do believe in the idea though. It's just a pity that NZ is so far away and to get anything down here costs an arm and a leg, plus the exchange rate is currently a bit shitty. Oh well... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
w44vi 17 Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Could you get a motor from a crashed / damaged electric car, nissan Leaf or similar ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
erice 731 Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 replacing a 14hp (100kg?) engine with a leaf's 110hp (>218kg with battery) may not work out either small yachts with small auxillary diesels are already pretty green Quote Link to post Share on other sites
w44vi 17 Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Add the weight of a tank, fuel and start battery and you're not far away from the electric equivalent and you have 24kwh battery and 8 times more power, way more than required in this situation obviously would probably suite a 40 plus foot boat My motor is 48hp and weighs 297 Kgs then add the weight of fuel and tanks, electric starts to look like a viable option Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fish 0 Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 I don't want to sound facetious, but sailing boats never used to have engines on them. When they did start putting engines on them, they called them 'Auxiliaries'. There are a few fairly clear practical issues with having an engine-less boat, primarily getting onto your mooring, worse so if you park in a marina, which makes sailing in just about impossible. On that thought though, modern diesels are generally specified to be able to push a boat at hull speed into a reasonable breeze. Hence they are powerful and as such big and heavy. If you are happy to forgo a level of service to be carbon neutral, i.e. not motor at hull speed into a 20 knot breeze, then you could go back to considering the specifications of what the old timers would call an 'Auxiliary'. If an auxiliary only need to be big enough to maneuver onto a berth, then that opens up considerably more options. I'm thinking about how IT and BP managed to adequately tow Island Time from Gulf Harbour, up the Weiti river and onto the haul out trolley, etc, with what, a 3 Hp outboard? There are now those electric outboards available. Substantially cheaper than a full electric motor set up, and possible quiet adequate for maneuvering around marina's and berths etc. I note a lot of the crazy fishos now have these little electric motors hanging off the bow of their boats, for stalking fish around rocks etc. So they are commercially available etc etc. Just a question of how fast you want to go and for how long? If all you want to do is get out of the berth and hoist a sail, then they may be a good option. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 618 Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 ralf sawell never believed in motors even though he had one in ripple,they cause electrolysis,necessary evil he called them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,174 Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Not exactly correct fish, we towed her up with a 15 hp, but there was a minute in the river where it stopped, and David did manage to push her against the tide with a three! Slow, but moving... About 4 knots possible with the 15 hp, an calm conditions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fish 0 Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Ah, 15 hp to move your boat sounds a whole lot more plausible than 3 hp. I guess the point I was trying to make was, if you are prepared to accept a 'lower level of service', I.e. Smaller, less powerful engine, then other opportunities for electric or green engine options open up. That said, I had a very brief Google search for electric outboards and was a little surprised at how many very cheap options were about. Starting from about $250. They did look ridiculously small though... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
erice 731 Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 time + tide wait for no man Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crocket 8 Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 I remember doing nearly a whole year without an engine and didn't have a problem getting in and out at all. Just take a bit of planning that's all. Sometimes we had to get a bit creative to get out as we were parked on the old pile set up in Whg town basin, 2nd row in, but you learn pretty quick. Just put a patch over the hole where the sail drive used to be and went sailing. (Argument with Volvo and the whole set up went back to them) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
erice 731 Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Tesla has also rewritten the economics of making electric cars. It tackled high costs by stringing together hundreds of small, mass-produced laptop batteries. Tesla claims that its power-packs cost half what big carmakers pay their suppliers for custom-designed large-format batteries http://www.economist.com/news/business/21695012-tesla-becomes-more-regular-carmaker-it-faces-bumpier-ride-charge?fsrc=permar|image1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 618 Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 now how would a electric motor go with running freezer?are these motors different to cars,cars seem to me you have to plug in to charge,what do you do with a electric boat motor when battery needs charging and your drifting?are they different and charge themselves through a alternator/generator? are there any ships running on them?if not there may lie the answer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
erice 731 Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 if you had enough solar panels feeding a big enough battery bank your average weekend sailor could motor for 10 min out of the marina, off the mooring etc. then sail for the day and still have enough battery for another 10 min motoring through a crowded anchorage to set the anchor then back again the next day hopefully 5 days of sunlight would put the energy back into the batteries for the next weekend theoretically that all looks fine for the average summer sailor in auckland however life gets in the way and if you want to run the elec fridge, car stereo etc. or it's an overcast winter or you decide to go out midweek before reaching full charge etc then you need to also carry a small petrol? backup elec gen to charge the batteries where i was last living the winter was harsh and full elec cars were in my idea a very, very bad idea driving at night in subzero conditions you would often have the lights on the heater on the heater fan on the wipers on rear demister on etc my 4wd van had electrically heated seats and special heating pads in the windscreen to help defrost frozen wipers from the screen http://i.imgur.com/zMIljOC.jpg all of that would be sucking driving range out of an elec car's batteries not much fun to have your car stop due to flat batteries when it's -10C outside and you can't even put your hazards on! plus in an all elec car you'd be brave to drive off the main roads in winter when you didn't have 4wd for the ice + hills Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zk-cessnaguy 1 Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 I've considered doing the electric thing on my boat, but the deal-breaker for me is the scenario of: it's wet; it's late; it's blowing a 20kt westerly and we're off North Head and need to get to Hobsonville. I just don't think that the tech as it stands is up to that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ballystick 66 Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 What about these? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tuffyluffy 76 Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 What about these? That looks pretty cool. I wonder what the torque is on the 15Kw (20hp) as it might be comparable to a 30hp diesel? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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