Thread: Electric Boats
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Old 08-14-2022, 09:25 PM   #192
Hippocampus
Guru
 
City: Newport, R.I.
Vessel Name: Hippocampus
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,892
Solar works when the sun is shining and is at a decent angle above the horizon. So even in ideal circumstances only part of the day and poorly enough during inclement periods to be nothing more than a trickle charge at best. That’s true regardless of brand or space allowed.
Wind takes up nearly no real estate. Does need >10k to give a meaningful output but fewer down days in many cruising grounds. In those it’s 24/7 output. We had 2 D400s and two standard house panels mono crystalline. Above posts were generated from 8 y of use. Neither required maintenance once installed.
View wind as a compliment to solar. Strengths/weaknesses of one the opposite of the other. D400s where mounted above a hard binimi. You’d needed to look to see if they were spinning. Need to look at production comparisons over a appropriate time frame. At least months Need to judge where you cruise and when to judge if the expense is worthwhile. Yes experience was with a full time cruising sailboat. Yes summer grounds are less windy (northeast US) and winter grounds were windy(windwards).yes summer grounds had longer days. So seasonal variation makes sense.
Even on an Arksen where every available inch is solar there’s not enough output to get rid of diesel propulsion.
Agree H has its place. Unfortunately don’t think it scales down well enough to be a viable choice for a mom and pop couple with occasional 2-4 guests.
Think for power the largest segment numerically for long term cruising boat new construction is in the $800k to $2.5m USD. Don’t think retrofitting makes any sense for hybrid nor pure electric. This discussion is irrelevant to used boats in my view
In that market deep water seems targeted to increase efficiency while preserving range, comfort and available speed over theoretical hull speed when needed. So the least modification in lifestyle if coming off a standard SD boat.
Artnautica seems to target range and efficiency. Arksen the same with the added focus on maximizing solar integration. Still they all use conventional diesel for passage making propulsion. Hybrid is offered as well. Hybrid probably only makes sense in a boat like the A58. Very low powered diesel with variable pitch prop. The KW required from the electric motor is therefore also quite low. That would allow intermittent non diesel use. The electric motor doesn’t care where the KW comes from-solar,wind, shore power, fuel cell, battery bank. So any source would serve.
H fuel cell has a lot to offer if.
Electricity used to split water is “green” generated.
H fueling stations exist along everywhere you cruise.
Your system has zero leakage. So you don’t need to refuel if your boat sits for awhile.
Unlike cars and trucks where infrastructure exists that’s not true for recreational boats. Even California had enough issues early adaptors were put off. You make be right and Toyotas bet will pay off on land but think my children probably my grandchildren won’t be cruising on H fuel cell boats
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