[Rhodes22-list] Electric Outboards

[Lowe, Rob]

Peter,
One of the guys at our marina has a Torquedo and he loves it.  They are pricey.  He's got a smaller boat and the smaller Torquedo that has the built in battery.  At the end of the day he grabs the whole thing and carries it home.  

The problem with electric (as I see it) is the distance you can go on one.  I think the maximum time at full throttle is now up to a couple of hours (a big improvement).  Depends on how and where you sail I would think.  They would work well for me as I only motor short distances. - rob

http://www.torqeedo.com/us/hn/products/cruise-20-r-40-r/on-the-move-speed-range-run-time.html


-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of peter klappert
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 10:50 AM
To: The Rhodes 22
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Electric Outboards


Does anyone have thoughts on or experience with electric outboards? 

Practical Sailor pretty much says it's too soon. The 01/2010 issue reviewed the new Solid Nav 4-hp & seemed to prefer the Minn Kota RT80, though they found it "fragile compared to the Solid Nav." They mention a Torquedo 6-hp Cruise 2, but haven't tested it.

So I shelved the idea of getting an electric for the R22 I'll pick up in Edenton this summer, though I'm still considering carrying a small electric (a) as back up for a gas engine and (b) for trolling. Does anyone do this? How do you mount a small electric without removing the primary engine?

BUT.... 

About a week ago the 05/2011 Cruising World arrived with a review of outboards for pocket cruisers & dinghies & that makes the Torquedo Cruise 4.0 sound like a real possibility. 8 hp (9.9 thrust), 38 lbs, but expensive: $3800.

The Torqueda is much lighter than any gas engine but--aside from ease of mounting/removing--any weight advantage is probably illusory given the weight of high-quality marine batteries. PS tested the Solid Nav using a bank of 4 (!) North Star Energy 1 Group 24 AGM batteries. They run $373 each & weigh 59 lbs each.

I'm stumbling around in the dark here. I don't know if I can even define volt, amp, watt, etc. I like the environmental implications of electric, the lighter weight (I could mount the Torqueda myself), and I'd like to avoid the hassle of ethanol in gas  & consequent water absorption (or the cost of ethanol-free marine gas).

So if anyone has an opinion or has heard anything about electrics, I'll be glad to hear it.

P


DC / FL
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