Electric outboards

[Fogg 427]

Come summer I’m releasing myself whatever the govt is saying.

As Thomas Jefferson (3rd president of the USA) said “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.” 😊

[Deep Purple 517]

2 hours ago, Fogg said:

Even better, for the reasons of ease of use, it has family approval to spend the $ and they’re looking forward to trying it! 😊

 

[Fogg 427]

Superb!

[DrWatson 382]

On 30/08/2021 at 12:46 AM, darkside said:

Which is why as you can't plane any distance with the Torqeedo anyway why not just go super simple and light?

I very much like these, but the range is really limiting. 
 

we’ve gone with the cheapest Minkota I could find (enduro c30; 6.5kg)+ some zincs, and an 80Ah LiFePO4 9kg)from CS batteries. Have installed a 12v charger in the boat so can charge the outboard battery from the house battery. 

Will be giving it its first run these next two weeks so can report back after that. 
 

 

[Fogg 427]

For anyone who didn’t watch the video the guy found that after 2 trips totally about 9m (14.5km) the ePropulsion’s battery was down to 23% remaining capacity. And he was driving mostly between 75% and full-throttle with some time at lower speeds.

He also showed how it could be recharged by either:

1. Mains

2. 12v cigarette lighter

3. Plugging into one the ship’s existing solar panel (using optional extra MPPT solar controller)

4. Plugging into portable / folding solar panel (another optional extra)

In a later episode he also shows how it can be recharged using hydro generation by leaving the engine down whilst towing the dinghy - but he told me they don’t use this option very much and prefer solar mostly.

This kind of range / endurance even at higher speeds (5-6kts) means it would easily last all day on a typical busy family summer day ferrying people around the anchorage - and could easily be recharged overnight (8.5hrs for a complete recharge).

But if I ever know I need a faster / longer range to take the family exploring I can just swap it over for my Yammy 15hp 2S for the day.

[SloopJohnB 323]

1 hour ago, Fogg said:

 

But if I ever know I need a faster / longer range to take the family exploring I can just swap it over for my Yammy 15hp 2S for the day.

 

Good old fusel fuels.😉 We can't do without them.

[SloopJohnB 323]

NMMS club brought a e-propulsion unit about about 6 months ago does the job fine for laying the course and picking up the odd broken yachts.

[Fogg 427]

2 hours ago, SloopJohnB said:

Good old fusel fuels.😉 We can't do without them.

Yes don't get me wrong, I'm not buying an electric outboard to be some kind of eco-warrior 😇, it's purely a convenience thing. But I'm sure I will get some brownie points from the kids because as a convenient consequence e-power aligns with the narrative being 'fed' to them at school.

I do particularly enjoy dropping off my 6yr old in my 4.4L V8 amongst all the Teslas and hybrids. 😉

[Black Panther 1,674]

I will be interested in the ratio of use of one vs the other, or whether you will eventually get rid of the 15hp coz you never use it .

Angela and I discussed this thread this morning and neither of us can recall a dinghy trip that wouldn't have worked with your electric motor in the 9 years we have owned BP .

[Fogg 427]

My instinct is that the e-outboard will literally be on the tender (which is on the davits) for 90% of time. The super light dinghy + o/b combo (total weight less than 50kg) making the lift & drop super-easy.

The switch to the Yammy will be a rare occurrence - probably more to give it an occasional run than because I really need it.

If I haven’t used it after 2 seasons I’ll sell it. Or if you e-outboard is a disappointing flop then I’ll sell both of them, admit defeat, and go back to a Yammy 8hp 2S as a middle ground (had one a few years ago and was a v sweet unit).

[Psyche 709]

6 hours ago, Fogg said:

For anyone who didn’t watch the video the guy found that after 2 trips totally about 9m (14.5km) the ePropulsion’s battery was down to 23% remaining capacity. And he was driving mostly between 75% and full-throttle with some time at lower speeds.

He also showed how it could be recharged by either:

1. Mains

2. 12v cigarette lighter

3. Plugging into one the ship’s existing solar panel (using optional extra MPPT solar controller)

4. Plugging into portable / folding solar panel (another optional extra)

In a later episode he also shows how it can be recharged using hydro generation by leaving the engine down whilst towing the dinghy - but he told me they don’t use this option very much and prefer solar mostly.

This kind of range / endurance even at higher speeds (5-6kts) means it would easily last all day on a typical busy family summer day ferrying people around the anchorage - and could easily be recharged overnight (8.5hrs for a complete recharge).

But if I ever know I need a faster / longer range to take the family exploring I can just swap it over for my Yammy 15hp 2S for the day.

Be interesting to see how the range changes as the battery degrades.

[Fogg 427]

32 minutes ago, Psyche said:

Be interesting to see how the range changes as the battery degrades.

Given it’s lithium I presume similar to a phone ie if looked after properly maybe ~5yrs but depends on cycles?

[DoT 31]

2 hours ago, Fogg said:

Yes don't get me wrong, I'm not buying an electric outboard to be some kind of eco-warrior 😇, it's purely a convenience thing. But I'm sure I will get some brownie points from the kids because as a convenient consequence e-power aligns with the narrative being 'fed' to them at school.

Do you really think that caring about your personal impact on climate change is being "some kind of eco-warrior"?

What narrative would you prefer your kids to get? Climate science is a giant conspiracy by greedy academics who hate our freedom to burn things?

[Deep Purple 517]

1 hour ago, Fogg said:

My instinct is that the e-outboard will literally be on the tender (which is on the davits) for 90% of time. The super light dinghy + o/b combo (total weight less than 50kg) making the lift & drop super-easy.

The switch to the Yammy will be a rare occurrence - probably more to give it an occasional run than because I really need it.

If I haven’t used it after 2 seasons I’ll sell it. Or if you e-outboard is a disappointing flop then I’ll sell both of them, admit defeat, and go back to a Yammy 8hp 2S as a middle ground (had one a few years ago and was a v sweet unit).

If storage isn't a problem, keep the big motor. The e motor isn't going to pull you off a situation or run a second anchor out.

[CarpeDiem 507]

5 minutes ago, Fogg said:

Given it’s lithium I presume similar to a phone ie if looked after properly maybe ~5yrs but depends on cycles?

They have not listed the chemistry or capacity of the built in battery, looking at the voltages it looks like LiFePO4.

So you'll definitely get 500 cycles at 80% DOD - personally I wouldn't get anywhere close to that usage.

You may find that the unit cuts out at 30% actual DOD (while reporting 100% DOD on the display).  Impossible to know how they will have programmed the BMS/display unless they tell you.

[Black Panther 1,674]

Ive run out a 2nd anchor with oars. 50ft gaff ketch with appropriate anchors.

[Deep Purple 517]

9 minutes ago, Black Panther said:

Ive run out a 2nd anchor with oars. 50ft gaff ketch with appropriate anchors.

Was it a super lightweight inflatable?

[Fogg 427]

28 minutes ago, DoT said:

Do you really think that caring about your personal impact on climate change is being "some kind of eco-warrior"?

What narrative would you prefer your kids to get? Climate science is a giant conspiracy by greedy academics who hate our freedom to burn things?

Ok so someone took me seriously 😳.

Sorry!

[Black Panther 1,674]

1 hour ago, Deep Purple said:

Was it a super lightweight inflatable?

Avon redseal

[muzled 140]

Not really outboards but interesting article on new battery tech.

https://www.mining.com/german-researchers-develop-record-breaking-lithium-metal-cell/

In their paper, the group reports that with the cathode NCM88 and the electrolyte ILE, the lithium metal battery achieves an energy density of 560-watt hours per kilogram (Wh / kg) — based on the total weight of the active materials. The device also has an initial storage capacity of 214 milliampere hours per gram (mAh / g) and 88%of the capacity is retained over 1,000 charging cycles. 

Just did a quick google on what Li batteries are now and it says 100-265 Wh/kg, so quite the step up.