Electric outboards -opinions

[goboatingnow]

I’m looking at 3Hp electric outboards for a new air keel 2.4m rib

Any views on these outboards

[tkeithlu]

Hmmmm. Kind of a broad question. I guess we could list some pros and cons.

Lithium batteries have really changed this game (and lots of others). The weight of lead-acid batteries and their unfortunate performance curves are history.

It'll start every time. Small gasoline engines can get to be a PITA, particularly when used only occasionally.

Do you have a good way to charge the battery away from the dock?

Taking the West Marine model as an example, it is likely to push you along at 4 knots for 50 minutes (it says) so your range is about 3 1/2 miles. Is that OK?

It's going to cost you three times that of a gasoline engine.

[rwidman]

This yea I replaced an unreliable Honda 2HP outboard with an ePropulsion electric outboard. So far I am pleased and consider it an upgrade.

I can charge the battery on my boat, either when on shore power or when on inverter power.

The electric outboard takes no fiddling with a choke or throttle to start, I don't have to worry about running the carb dry before storing it and I don't have to worry about stale gas.

[NPCampbell]

If you aren't trying to plane I would use electric over gas in a heartbeat. No gas to mess with is a huge plus. However, as you go faster, or for longer distances, you won't be able to carry enough energy on board to make electric practical.

[grantmc]

I think electric would be better on a hard dinghy as they're so much easier to row than a rib.

[Adelie]

If you want to plane it’ll be pretty limited range.


At displacement speeds you can have almost unlimited range.


There are 3 ways to go:
A. 12v trolling motor. Replace the stock prop with a Kipawa which will improve speed or efficiency by about 15%.


B. Higher voltage electric outboard from Amazon, ebay, Alibaba, …. With this you can plane or go at a higher displacement speed.


C. eProp, Torqueedo, ….



Tradeoffs:
A. Cheap.
Immersed motor will have a somewhat limited life time, being diligent about pulling the power head out of the water will help.
Can mount a 100-150W panel across the stern and provides some power underway, and recharge the battery while pulled up on the beach or tied to the mothership.
Low investment so theft is less of a financial hit.
Being a DIY system there are many parts of the system you can Jerry rig.


B. Better speed, maybe even planing.
Efficiency hit at low speeds, prop is optimized for planing.
Probably could set up a dinghy carried panel but more involved because of the higher voltage.
Power head is atop the motor and out of the water.


C. Expensive but has a warrantee.
Nice big optimized prop so probably the most efficient at displacement speeds.
At the same time the least efficient for recharging the battery, the power out of the mother ship has to be converted to AC then back to DC.
Probably good dealer support in US, EU & Caribbean. Elsewhere???
One of these systems will provide regen power so it would be mounted on the mothership while underway for additional power at a marginal cost.
I am concerned about the immersed power head. Probably better seals than a regular trolling motor but same problem long term.
All the parts are proprietary. Anything breaks you need to have a spare or wait until it can be serviced, you can’t Jerry rig anything.


Pick your poison.

[Mirage35]

We just switched to a Torqeedo for the reasons somebody mentioned - gas outboards are finicky and I don't have any place to work on it when it finicks.

The first thing you learn is you can go far or you can go fast, but you sure can't do both. Limited experience to date suggests that we have about 3 hours battery at 3 knots; 45 minutes battery at 4 knots. Slower will go even longer of course, but I don't have those data points yet.

And it takes a long time to charge, especially on the 12v system, but it can be done and doesn't put an inordinate load on the boat's electrical capacity.

In short, it works fine for our use case which is basically puttering around anchorages, and in fact encourages us to do more of that because the motor is lighter so easier to install on the dinghy and, of course, dead simple to operate.

[goboatingnow]

I’m just interested in pottering around anchorages at 3-4knots

The current one I’m interested in is a 3Hp Haswing Ultima for around £1000

[neflier]

We're real happy with our Torqeedo 1003 and are on our forth season with it. It's light (3 parts, 29# total), no fuel to store and recharges from the house bank via a 12v cig lighter adapter (no need to go DC-AC-DC). Solar covers all our needs, including the Torqeedo. The downside is you will not be going fast. We run at 2-2.5 kts and that shows a 6 hr endurance. A typical day motoring around the Great Salt Pond at Block Island used about 25% of the capacity, which was topped off on the overnight. This was with the small battery.

Someone mentioned these providing regen power. I don't think they have that capability, at least not Torqeedo.

[Nicholson58]

What are you planning to do? We live aboard in the eastern Caribbean. All of the cruisers we know who had an electric OB got rid of it. You have to run the generator for charging- not saving any fuel. The distances required are at the limits. The time at slow, non plane speed are bothersome. In our situation, you must plane with groceries and two people for up to two miles minimum. If you want to participate in snorkeling at distant dive sites an electric is a no go. At the end of the season, the gasoline consumed/cost is not significant. Store all gas on deck, never inside anywhere.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

What are you planning to do? We live aboard in the eastern Caribbean. All of the cruisers we know who had an electric OB got rid of it. You have to run the generator for charging- not saving any fuel. The distances required are at the limits. The time at slow, non plane speed are bothersome. In our situation, you must plane with groceries and two people for up to two miles minimum. If you want to participate in snorkeling at distant dive sites an electric is a no go. At the end of the season, the gasoline consumed/cost is not significant. Store all gas on deck, never inside anywhere.

I don’t have a rib presently just a dinghy and most trips are simply from the anchorage ashore. My intention was a air keel small rib ( mainly as they are easier to row ) but I’ve no need to plane or go any great distance , typically distances would be under 1km

My current engine is a 3.5 Hp 4 stroke Mariner

From taking to people locally , most recharge from the boats 12v system overnight.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by neflier

...
Someone mentioned these providing regen power. I don't think they have that capability, at least not Torqeedo.

I mentioned it.
ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 EVO and Navy 3.0 & 6.0 EVO
https://www.epropulsion.com/spirit-evo/

[Pelagic]

Sophisticated Lady just installed at tested this

https://youtu.be/4OLbLei-7CQ

Different prop made a big difference

https://youtu.be/sdMxmQHfQBM

Great for just gunkholing around a bay.
Just love the quietness.
Will be interesting to monitor the long term battery performance and connectors on tender

[westernspirit]

We’ve had Torqueedo 1003 for about 5 yrs. used on a light Takacat catamaran style inflatable. 3 knts at 300watts; 5-6 knt 750 watts, wide open 950 watts. Battery’s 915 Whr (29v 31 Ah)so range 3 to 1 hr, 1 person can plane in my dingy at 950 watts.
I have 170 watt solar panel on my dingy on a rigid Bimini I fabricated; but built-in electronics of Torqueedo limit charging to 4amps (110watts) but can travel very slowly on solar panel charging Torqueedo battery. I Charge battery from house bank with a 12v-24v converter, Torqueedo charges in half the time at 24v.
Would never go back to gas and all the issues mentioned above with gas outboards. I have a spare Torqueedo battery for longer trips.