Motor and Electrics


I discovered all I know about electrics at the age of seven when I stuck my finger in the back of a tube radio. However, local regulations for our local sailing area along with many other local authorities for inland waters in Europe, prohibit IC motors. So I was faced with the reality of pulling the diesel motor and installing an electric propulsion system.


I work on a very tight budget so having an engineer install a system for me or even buying a turnkey system was out of question. If I had had access to broadband and the profusion of technical forums that followed before starting on this project I would have saved myself a great deal of pain and money. So by the time I discovered groups like the electric boat forum I had already made many mistakes and amassed a collection of unusable junk.



My present system comprises of the following components:
  • 6-12v. 105 AH Marathon M12v105 FT. Lead-acid batteries from Exide connected in two parallel banks of three connected in series giving me 300 ah at 24v and charged by a Zivan NG3 at 24volts.
  • Curtis 1205 controller with Albright SW80 main contactor and SW182 changeover contactor, controlled by Curtis ET-103M(marine) 1-5v Electronic throttle
  • Etek 48volt 15 hp electric motor driving the existing 11 x 9 inchRH prop through multiple v-belts at a 2:1 reduction. 
  • 2-12v 80watt solar panels connected in series for 24volts.
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I want to spend as little as possible on this system as I consider it a test bed for future development. There is still an enormous amount of work to be done before I can test the system in the water, but
I am even at this stage, a convert to electric propulsion. The environmental benefits are now clear to most people but the availability of full torque at min. rpm makes manoeuvring at close quarters much easier. Anybody with experience of trying to manoeuvre into a tight berth with boats for and aft and wind and tide will know what I am saying.


The main disadvantage is energy storage (batteries) but our economic recession will spur rapid development of new battery systems, LiPo4 or others necessary for the new generation of transportation. The development of fuel cells and the ability to rapidly recharge batteries coupled with other developments will quickly usher in a new age of transportation both on land and water.

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