[Rhodes22-list] Reply to Lou on Motors

[Bill Effros]

Luis,

I have long considered an electric outboard, but I'm now dropping the idea.

When my Tohatsu gave out at the end of the season I tried attaching a 
small electric outboard I purchased years ago as a backup for my 
dinghy.  I never used it much on my dinghy because I prefer to row, and 
because I soon discovered it worked much better on a big heavy 12 volt 
battery, than it did on the more portable starter battery I wanted to use.

When I messed up the Tohatsu, I tried mounting the electric outboard and 
discovered all kinds of problems I had never considered before.  Most 
notably, the head winds up almost out of arms reach when the prop is 
deep enough in the water.  What more, the long handle doesn't fit 
between the motor mount and the stern of the boat, so the motor has to 
be mounted backwards, decreasing the efficiency of the prop when moving 
forward.

While I felt I could work around most of these problems, I then started 
to confront the huge underlying problem: how much gas is left in the 
tank?  With gasoline powered motors this is pretty easy to determine.  
With electrics, it's just a guess.  If I want to motor to New York City 
from Greenwich Connecticut, I know exactly how much gas I've got to 
take.  Then I take a little more, and I don't have to think about it.  I 
can always get more along the way if I need it.

But how many batteries must I take?  And what do I do if the whole thing 
gives out on me at the worst possible time.  Like the East River, or 
Hell Gate?

I really knew I wasn't going to install an electric outboard when Dave 
Bradley offered to let me use his 3 hp gasoline powered outboard.  I 
jumped at the offer.  I had been seriously considering either mounting 
my electric, or sailing onto my trailer.  But I was not comfortable with 
either option.  Dave's little motor took a huge weight off my mind.  It 
had no trouble moving the boat from the dock onto the trailer.

I realized that no matter what electric outboard installation I came up 
with, it would never be as reliable, powerful -- pound for pound, or as 
easily refueled as a gasoline powered engine.

There's a reason most people use internal combustion engines on boats 
these days.  I've decided not to reinvent this wheel, although I must 
admit, in the abstract I considered it for a long time.

Bill Effros



Luis Guzman wrote:

>Lou,
> 
>I think that you should consider an electric outboard. 
> 
>I'm having problems with my motor and I'm considering converting an old 10 hp to electric.
>I found several sites on the internet with information on them. I'll send you some links later.
> 
>Luis
>
>Jim White <lemenagerie22 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>Hey Lou
>I have a 9.9 honda 4 stroke, and for what it's worth, love it. It's quiet, easily push button starts each and every time, and the best part is...in light air it makes great port side rail meat, due to it's ahhh, robust size. It has plenty of low end torque to handle current, wind and tide, I run a big moderate pitch 4 blade prop that handles low throttle well. 
>
>On a down note, the extra weight of the engine with myself and another heavyweight in the stern, tends to push a little water up through the thru hull drain when moving slow...
>
>Hey we haven't had a good two stroke vs. four stroke knock down-drag out in a long time, and I have a new wireless connection on this high speed roadunner cable, so bing it on...(just kidding)
>jw
>
>ed kroposki wrote:
>Lou,
>I had a clunker 8 hp on my boat and due to guest request got a new
>motor several years ago. I got Rummy's recommended 2 stroke, 8 hp Tohatsu.
>I choose the 8 hp from experience trying to go against current in the
>Intracoastal Water Way along the Florida, Georgia coast. When you go
>against the current on the ICW you need about 8 hp to make a headway that
>keeps guest complaints to a minimum. The guest did not appreciate sailing
>against the current and going backwards. Sometimes your choice is
>determined by others.
>Before you came on this list we had several knock down discussions
>on 2 strokes versus 4 strokes. Your buddy Roger got pissed off at us two
>strokers for environmental reasons. However, when you only use 3 gallons of
>gas a year, I just do not buy the environmental arguments. The negligible
>amount of oil put into the environment by sailboat 2 strokers does not
>outweigh the benefits of less weight and reliability. 
>As Rummy pointed out the 8 hp 2 stroke Tohatsu weighs only 50
>pounds. Your mother could lift it if you can not. You do not need a crane
>for an 8 hp Tohatsu. Just do not upset you secret buddy, Roger. He goes
>ballistic over 2 stroke engines. For sailboat use, his reasoning is too
>extreme on the environmental side. What are the pollutants that come from
>one of those 400 hp engines on a canoe, aka, cigarette boat?
>
>Ed K
>Greenville, SC, USA
>Addendum: "Reason can answer questions, but imagination has to ask them."
>Dr. Ralph Gerard 
>
>
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>
>Jim White
>Le Menagerie
>www.lemenagerie.blogspot.com
>
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