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Is there anyone have electric drive on yacht? Pros-cons? In theory more cons but the last entry about this topic in this forum more than 3 years old. Technologies changed since then and Conrad Coleman just about to prove its reliability. 

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I have come across quite a fewfolk who have looked into going electric, so far none have come to fruition. The only example I have seen on the water was a dinghy with a largish solar panel topping up the battery was out at Great Barrier, he used it to get from Wairahi to port Fitzroy. Solar panel didn't leave a lot of room though.

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Even with some advances the overall situation has not changed much, ie if you are basically a day sailor just wanting propulsion out/into the marina and can plug in for a recharge then electric has its points. But for cruising your favorite locale for some weeks, an IC engine is still the way to go.

Just released:

http://www.sailmagazine.com/boats/design-and-technology/hanses-innovative-rudder-drive-system/?utm_source=sail-enewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=enewsletter

to get the 30 mile range it would need to be very flat water

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The long range ocean race is probably need less use of the engine (apart from generating power) than a weekend sailor, like myself or some of us. 

The real question pretty much answered with details and numbers. No question about to propelling in and out from a calm marina is durable with the simplest solution. How about coastal or even offshore cruising. How much engine use on a trip to the islands for example. Do you really have to motor on open waters when the wind drops?

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3 yrs ago already?? Wow time flies. Everytime we have this discussion here, it usually becomes argumentative ;-)
As said not a lot has changed yet.

The bigger issue is based around the question of what you want to achieve. Is it just getting in and out of a berth? or do you need some range?
As soon as you look at range, you need big storage, and then the ability to replenish what has been sucked out of the bank. For a in and out of the berth situation, you could look at a small electric trolling OB and a decent battery.
All summed up, Diesel is far waaaay cheaper as an install and to run. And will likely always be till the day the little Mr Fusion unit becomes available.

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In sailing the diesel-electric hybrid is going to be the closest thing to pure electric for a while. Being able to run a diesel in a consistent rpm at peak efficiency and being able to spin multiple props, You can now have a single 40hp engine at 170kg dry do the work of what sits today as 2 x 110kg engines and have them run both hull props and bow thruster and save fuel ( 8lph @ max vs 11lph @max). A small battery pack would also give you an overspeed option to double output for 5-10minutes in the really "oh sh*t moments"

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In sailing the diesel-electric hybrid is going to be the closest thing to pure electric for a while. Being able to run a diesel in a consistent rpm at peak efficiency and being able to spin multiple props, You can now have a single 40hp engine at 170kg dry do the work of what sits today as 2 x 110kg engines and have them run both hull props and bow thruster and save fuel ( 8lph @ max vs 11lph @max). A small battery pack would also give you an overspeed option to double output for 5-10minutes in the really "oh sh*t moments"

 

Check out this blog of a family building a Schionning. They have a small genset hidden away and twin electric drives: http://www.catbuildingblog.com/the-electric-system-on-our-arrow-1200/

 

In their more recent posts, there are some discussions about how the system is working now that they have launched the boat.

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Short distances, the electric option works, however coming back up the harbour from Issy bay on Saturday evening at a constant 6.2 knots into 20knot SW I would have been flat by Bean Rock unless a huge Battery bank . Whereas in reality the Yanmar kept purring along at 1.6 lph.

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The hybrid approach would be very tempting if building a boat from new I'd suspect. Zero emisisons for short in/out of marina etc., with decent range from diesel if required in emergency etc.

 

It's only a matter of time untill another generation of batteries comes along with an order of magnitude (or more) better energy density than current lithium (many approaches in research stages) and this will eventually change things a lot. Could be 5 or 40 years away.

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This topic always fascinates me for people's focus and reliance on modern technology.

 

People have been sailing around the world, "cruising", with zero emissions for centuries. Slocum did it first, and countless others since. Many accounts of people sailing from England or Europe to NZ in small engineless yachts.

 

A yachts primary motive power is from wind, which is fairly renewable I understand. In times of no wind, the only requirement is for a good anchor and plenty of rope.

 

Further, if not burning any fossil fuel at all is your thing and your not keen on the anchoring option, there are other options again than modern technology / batteries. Dee Caffery and some mates recently did a sailing race combined with cross country running (Three Peaks Challenge) around the UK. They were merrily rowing a 38 footer through the calm patches. Set up with proper sweep oars and sliding seats from a rowing skiff. The smaller or lighter the boat the easier it is to row.

 

The focus on electric drives and batteries does reflect the modern mind set for flicking a switch to get there quicker, in comparison to historical solutions to the same question.

 

PS, in the context of the OP's question, I think hybride drives are the only viable consideration at the moment.

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People have been sailing around the world, "cruising", with zero emissions for centuries. Slocum did it first, and countless others since. Many accounts of people sailing from England or Europe to NZ in small engineless yachts.

 

Yeah but those guys didn't have the issue of getting in/out ever shrinking Marina designs. Plus they knew how to handle a Boat. Jut imagine a Marina late Sunday afternoon with a multitude of Boats coming in after the day/weekend out and not one of them have a motor. It would be mayhem and most would never get anywhere near their Berth anyway. ;-)

Actually, making that even more scary, just imagine Team Wheels coming in with our 22tonne FC boat with no motor trying to find a berth. :wtf:

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People have been sailing around the world, "cruising", with zero emissions for centuries. Slocum did it first, and countless others since. Many accounts of people sailing from England or Europe to NZ in small engineless yachts.

 

 

 

There are also many instances of near misses around shorelines in those accounts! Just read one such account in Webb Chiles' 'Storm Passage' -- although he did state he didn't regret not having an engine at the time.

 

If you're going to have an engine, which most will, surely it makes sense to strive for the best available in terms of reliability, performance, emissions etc. if cost allows. 

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The question is not to having engine (whatever type) or not surely people still have chance to survive without engine, but the question is, is there a real alternative for IC engine or it is still unreliable. Not having engine with size of the marine traffic these days just insane. 

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The question is not to having engine (whatever type) or not surely people still have chance to survive without engine, but the question is, is there a real alternative for IC engine or it is still unreliable. Not having engine with size of the marine traffic these days just insane.

 

Ah, I was responding to the thread title of "Zero Emmission Sailing", which sounds like a misnomer to me.

If the question is "is there a better alternative to the IC engine", then that is a discussion around technology.

 

Interesting thinking and mindsets though, no one has kicked up about rowing a yacht. The focus being the need for motive power from a rotating shaft / power plant, rather than "how else can I propel a boat without wind".

 

And subject of marinas, I don't park in a marina, Black Panther doesn't, and I was thinking more in the context of long term cruisers (think remote Pacific) that may not have access to or capacity to carry endless volumes of diesel. In that context a solar recharged electric drive would be fantastic.

 

In the context of an electric drive to get into a marina berth, that is then plugged in to the national grid and thus the Huntly Coal fired power station (for arguments sake), I don't see the benefit.

 

In enclosed pristine bodies of water, such as Lake Taupo, there is a clear benefit of getting rid of the noise and fumes. There I'm referring to the tourist yacht Barbery, that has been running a full electric drive for maybe a decade now?

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Another aspect of the psychology of turning on an engine. When I did my Yacht Master ticket in the UK, there was a requirement to simulate an engine failure and then get the boat onto a safe mooring or berth. That required a real change in mind set, and necessitated the need to know how to sail a boat onto a berth.

 

The instructors favourite spot for "simulating" this was Cowes Roads. Two out of three of us passed this test, the third guy froze and basically shat his pants as the engine went silent and he looked up to see the Ilse of White ferry coming in.

 

I can't recall last time I sailed onto a mooring or berth, and wonder how many yachties here could or would do it. I find it very easy to telephone the Coastguard.

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