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 Electric outboard?		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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FrankV
Navigator

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USA
134 Posts
Initially Posted - 07/20/2023 :  14:07:08  Show Profile
Anyone else use one? I am tired of gas motors. Not sure they are worth the money.
Frank Vaughan
250 WK/SR

DavidCrosby
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts
Response Posted - 07/20/2023 :  14:50:05  Show Profile  Visit DavidCrosby's Homepage
I personally am not sold on electric (outboards or vehicles).

I am quite satisfied with my trusty ole Honda 9.9. It has proven to be very reliable. I have put a LOT of miles/hours on it over the past 13 years. It was already 8 years old when I acquired it. (knock on wood - hopefully, I did not jinx myself).

If you are "tired of gas motors" - then I assume you find your outboard to be very problematic. I think lack of use is the biggest curse on any engine. If lack of or little use is the issue then electric may be more than adequate.
David Crosby "Small World"
'02 C250 WK #614
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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5882 Posts
Response Posted - 07/20/2023 :  16:34:04  Show Profile
IMO, electric motors are only practicable to get in and out of a marina, and, if there's a strong adverse wind or current, they aren't very good at that. My friend installed an expensive inboard electric motor on his 30' sailboat. He used it to get in and out of the marina. When he went cruising, he mounted a 9.9 hp gas outboard on the back. After a couple years, he pulled out the electric motor and installed a Bukh diesel engine.

Another friend tried using a small electric motor with two 12v batteries on a 23' light weight sailboat. After a couple days his batteries were drained and he was stranded on an isolated beach on the southern Chesapeake. Before he could get off the beach, he was badly sunburned and hospitalized.

If you need to extend the cruising range of an electric powered boat, you have to spend a lot for more batteries and solar panels. To extend the cruising range of an outboard gas motor, you only need to buy more gas and some jerry cans.
Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore
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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9047 Posts
Response Posted - 07/20/2023 :  21:29:29  Show Profile
This discussion will be comical in a very few years. Discussing electric cars, someone once asked me what we would do in a widespread power outage... I asked him what he thought would happen then when we drive our Tahoes to a filling station. Hint: You can't siphon gas from an underground tank!

My cruising friend with an electric dinghy is suffering from range anxiety, but at least he has oars.
Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
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cjnatas
Deckhand

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1 Posts
Response Posted - 07/31/2023 :  19:44:46  Show Profile
I bought a Tesla back in January and love it. So this season I went and got a navy 6.0 evo. It’s great. The battery is heavy which works out because I have at the bow where the table it goes. Where I sail it takes me about 10 minutes to get out to the main lake and the motor is so quiet. I would do some research on the navy 6.0 just to make sure it will fit your needs. I charge with a small solar panel. Also Mercury Avator is coming with a 9.9hp. Looks interesting because you can take the battery home and charge or have a spare battery.
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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9047 Posts
Response Posted - 07/31/2023 :  21:08:08  Show Profile
I just looked up the Epropulsion motors (Navy series)--very interesting. The 6.0 is said to be equivalent to a 9.9 gas outboard--they picture one planing a console-RIB about as a 9.9 would. Ranges are shown for various speeds. I've been thinking about a little RIB for knocking around Mystic--it would be neat to do it silently! (As with cars, a gas version is cheaper, for now...)
Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
Edited by - Stinkpotter on 07/31/2023 21:15:54
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5320 Posts
Response Posted - 08/02/2023 :  20:46:14  Show Profile
In the past few days, I sailed 30+ nautical miles down-wind and with a favorable current. The next day, I started back with a less-than-perfect winds (gusts and lulls on the nose) and an opposite current. I was making 5kts through the water but only 3.8kts over ground. I motor-sailed for most of the day.
For me to do that using a battery-based motor that runs about 8-9HP, I’d need a Tesla-style battery bank and that’s waaaaay bigger than a few Group 27 wet cell deep discharge batteries. At say 20 Amps for 6 hours at 350VDC, that’s around 42 kWh.
Dave, you’re right — we’ll all be laughing about this in a few years, but for now, electric propulsion does not work for me. Let’s hope that the battery developers continue to make larger batteries more affordable and safer!
Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
Edited by - Voyager on 08/03/2023 08:08:22
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bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1757 Posts
Response Posted - 08/11/2023 :  19:35:51  Show Profile
A good friend who owns a Capri 18 had a torquedo but now has a 4 stroke OB. I asked why he changed, and it was range. When wind dies out (as it can do on western Long Island Sound) the battery had limitations. He loved the quiet and torque, but got stuck one too many times. Electric will be a contender, but right now it is not ready for prime time.
Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.