Electric yachts - the future?

[Franklin]

I have 2x 100ah 12v lifepo4 batteries that I run in series.
Weigh about 11kg each. They were about $1000-1100 each at the time of purchase. You can buy cheaper these days.
4x 100ah 12v would be my preferred capacity for improved range.

Motor cost about $700 or $800.

I use the batteries for a variety of things, not just the boat, so that offsets the cost. I couldn’t justify spending that sort of money just for Boat batteries.

For racing you need to have capacity to motor for minimum 2 hours at 4kts in to 12kts wind (the speed requirements vary dependent on boat length). Some regattas specify long range.

[Ozzie]

Thread drift. But not completely. As this thread would further indicate, the forum is inhabited by those with backgrounds in engineering or just an interest in it, I thought you might like this crossover link between power and sailing. As an old, broken down, civil engineering designer, the most boring branch of the discipline, I always wish I’d gone into mechanical design instead. As such I have lurked on a few design forums over the years, ie Boat Design forum . This link came from my readings there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotor_ship

You can if you wish also look up The Magnus Effect, Anton Flettner and any of the other stuff mentioned on Wikipedia. All this talk of batteries reminded me that only low power is required to drive these “rotor “ sails .

I rarely watch TV , the internet is the biggest library in history.

By the way this is not theoretical by any means it’s been used and is used today.

[Peter T]

Wow, how very interesting. You are spot on about the library. What did we ever learn without it I wonder

[Andrew]

I have 2x 100ah 12v lifepo4 batteries that I run in series.
Weigh about 11kg each. They were about $1000-1100 each at the time of purchase. You can buy cheaper these days.
4x 100ah 12v would be my preferred capacity for improved range.

Motor cost about $700 or $800.

I use the batteries for a variety of things, not just the boat, so that offsets the cost. I couldn’t justify spending that sort of money just for Boat batteries.

For racing you need to have capacity to motor for minimum 2 hours at 4kts in to 12kts wind (the speed requirements vary dependent on boat length). Some regattas specify long range.

Thanks Franklin for those costings, specs and thoughts on other aspects it,
Good the batteries can be used elsewhere too, they wouldn't be too heavy to move like a similar amp/hr lead acid battery.

[Ozzie]

Thanks for that Franklin I have copied your post into my phone. When I get into bbq conversations about my opinion stated earlier in the thread I now have real world stats to back it up

As a young car owner in the 70s I pooled with my fellow designers to buy wheels magazines and still have a few of them. I remember the original prediction for electric cars was that battery packs would be universal and removable like “swap n go “ lpg gas cylinders. But of course it didn’t go that way. Until we overcome the fast change problems of electric car batteries the infrastructure for the superseding of internal combustion is a long way off. Imagine waiting two hours while the bloke in front of you at the servo charged his car

We still don’t have a Smart Car size vehicle with efficient solar panels on the top to supplement your batteries. Not commercially available anyway.

[Raya]

Ozzie,

John Cadogan gives a good run down of where we are at with electric vehicles in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gqbTHk4egw The technology is fine but the price is still the prohibitive factor for most of us.

I can't see how solar panels on a car would be of much help. There just isn't enough energy coming from the sun over the surface area available to make much of a difference no matter how efficent the panels become. Maybe enough to keep the air-con running when the car is parked.

If you want to upgrade the battery in your boat, Aldi has a special on 100Ahr deep cycle AGM batteries coming up next week (13th Feb) for $199. I've had the 40Ahr version of the Aldi battery in mine for a couple of years and it has been fine.

[Ozzie]

The big problem is range. The batteries limit range and therefore utility. If you drive to work but can’t go out of your way to pickup your wife or your dry cleaning. You then decide to take the hummer... or not buy a wattmobile in the first place. Si, even if the solar give you an extra 10 k range while parking at work it helps. Also we have get to the realisation we can’t drive a 1 tonne vehicle around to carry a single 85 kg person. We need new thinking on the part of the consumer as well.

When staying in Wales in 2019 it was pointed out to me in many old country towns the residences don’t have driveways to plug into the home power overnight you must park in the village parking lot. More infrastructure needed or no recharge. I hope I’m wrong but if you look how well many places have handled Covid. Well, I’m not optimistic

I’ll watch video tonight mate, thanks for link

[Peter T]

Brilliant post David. We haven't even seen the start of battery development yet but stay tuned for a few years, its going to get extremely exciting let me tell you

[Ozzie]

Up very early, back issues, don’t normally post at 4.30 am

Has anyone actually visited a showroom on electric cars. Because you really shouldnt be commenting unless you know the facts.

Actually [Name deleted as user no longer registered] I did but not from a salesman .

7 Reasons To Not Buy A Tesla … Yet

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/11/24/7- ... tesla-yet/

https://www.choice.com.au/home-improvem ... for-a-year

From that article.

“A mixed picture
Damien Moyse, CEO of sustainability nonprofit Renew, says that although solar with battery systems are now more economically attractive to Australian households than they were a few years ago, their appeal still varies by location, household type and energy usage. 
"It's fair to say more homes would now be able to achieve a 10-year payback [than in 2015], but a lot of homes still won't," he says. "The variation is huge … with larger, higher-usage houses getting better value out of a battery."

I doubt I’ll live long enough to recoup the cost of either .

[Greg]

I found a video I made of the trolling motor pushing the investigator:

Code: Select all

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/3FauwLitasbJHZdX9