Converting from sail power

[rabbi]

Keith,

If you are into tinkering projects and know a bit about electrics: Why not! Could be fun.
Just be prepare that electric propulsion is bleeding edge technology.
It's cool and trendy, but at the same time expect any of your suppliers to go out of business in a year or two. So no more spare parts. Basically you are the guinea pig to try it out _and_ pay for it.

Going solar is even worse. Just do the math: How much energy is created on the real estate that you have available on a normal cat. Lets say 10 sq meters. That would give you something like 15 kWh per day over the sunshine period.
That is just the energy of 1 liter of diesel. Maybe my numbers are totally off and you could double the energy output. Then its 2 liters...
How far can you go with 2 liters?


If you want to use the boat to cruise and not for tinerking, I'd choose a more conventional path:
Buy a diesel power cat (FP and lagoon have some) or buy a sailing cat ad strip & store the rig if you don't feel like sailing anymore. Sailing cats go 7-8kn cruise speed with excellent fuel economy, while most power cats are much faster and drink more.

[longjonsilver]

Here is a tri converted to a power yacht.

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/67941

jon

[44'cruisingcat]

Another option would be to keep the rig, but remove the mainsail and boom.

Then, when the wind is favourable, you'd still have the option of sailing, but with much less effort than a main requires.

[keithw88]

Thanks to all for your comments. I should have explained that I am not interested in going fast - sailing speeds are fine for me. What I am particularly interested in is having a successful electric drive system. A generator would be necessary for me to have all the things I find necessary - aircon at times, a water maker, etc, but I would like to have a lot of solar panels and clean quiet simple electric motors (I currently have two Perkins 4-236s). A rig makes solar panels far less efficient than they can be - even the shrouds cut the efficiency of panels badly, let alone the shadow effects of mast and boom.
I have sailed for over 50 years, and love pure sailing, but for Mediterranean live-aboard life the sails are decoration except for any long (say over 24-hour) trips; and I don't make many of those a year (maybe 5). The rest of the time one wants a clean quiet time at anchor and as few visits to a marina as possible. A big array of solar panels and an effective array of wind generators would make it possible to stay at anchor for weeks with using the generator just once every few days, or more often when aircon is needed (I prefer to use aircon only to cool a cabin before sleeping when it's been a particularly hot day).
That's the basis for my interest in this overall approach.
I would then have a sailing rig on a dinghy to get my pure sailing kick...

[Simi 60]

How about sell the cat and buy a larger motor cruiser?

We went from sailing cat to motor cruiser/ex trawler.
It was a cheaper purchase, offers far more comfort and load carrying ability and has roof space for 12 x 250w panels.

We currently have 9 and run a 240v 180 litre hws, 110 litre bar fridge, a 110 litre freezer a two door 500 litre fridge freezer all 240v plus lights, big screen TV's, PC, pumps etc.

Genset not needed most of the year and about 1 hour/day in winter.

Its been over a year since we went into a marina.

[mikedefieslife]

But he's in the Med. Where I am right now diesel is €1.70 per litre. Motoring anywhere is expensive, but then so too would a conversation.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

But he's in the Med. Where I am right now diesel is €1.70 per litre. Motoring anywhere is expensive, but then so too would a conversation.

OUCH thats $2.50 aud vs the $1.40 aud I pay now.
Shoots down my thoughts of getting a second boat for use over there.

[phalo]

I have similar age & dreams keithw88 and sold up the Seawind 1000 to buy a lighter power cat with an eye to planing at about 15K under diesel and cruising 7 or 8k with electric power and pv panels plus maybe a parachute sail.
I haven't found the right one yet but while looking did see a new sailing cat with inboard electric aux on the mud flats at Boonooroo besides the Sandy Straits opposite Fraser Is Qld but the owner was no where to be found and believe he took it to Tin Can Bay. While Australia might be a bit of a reach for you, someone might pick up the thread and tell us more.

I did build an electric vehicle out of a Suzuki Carryvan in the 1990 s with 50 Km range and 70Km/hr top speed (on the flat). It achieved 30th place out of 200 vehicles in the NRMA Hans Tholstrop Energy Challenge in Sydney at the time. However my marriage was never the same since my wife headed off to work in it one day with a horrible bang which blew the battery box apart Luckily the back seat protected her though her ears rang for several days. The computer battery box exhaust fan had failed.
Now I drive a Mitsubishi PHEV with about the same battery km range with less explosive battery and believe its power train could be ideal for what you and I want with it's two electric motors and direct drive IC engine which also charges the batteries when my solar powered charge from home expires. Enquiries to Mitsubishi have met with a brick wall as have requests for a advice/wire diag to connect solar panels on the roof rack to charge when driving and parked.
Otherwise my only concern with electric power for a boat is the effect of any loose DC current/field on metal parts of the boat in seawater.

[phalo]

I meant to mention IF Mitsubishi could supply the PHEV with a diesel motor

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Sell your boat and purchase a proper powercat. You're sailing cat will never convert over to a powercat due to the difference in hull shape. If you don't already own a boat, then it would be a dumb idea that's guaranteed to lose plenty of money.

Are you seriously suggesting that planing hull will have performance advantage over displacement hull when powered by a Torquido electric motor?