Messing Around in Boats – Cleanly, Electrically.

June 1, 2008 – Vol.13 No.11

MESSING AROUND IN BOATS – CLEANLY, ELECTRICALLY.

It’s nearly summertime here the Northern Hemisphere. Time to think about goofing off: Doing next to nothing. As a kid I spent many summer days literally sitting at the dock of the bay watching the tide roll away. I had a series of boats too. Some that rowed, some with an outboard motor hanging off the stern, some with a sail. All were holes in the water in which I threw every spare dollar I had. Still the water keeps drawing me back as it does most. People are really just fish out of water. This could be why so much of the world’s population lives near the coasts.

Nowadays I can’t imagine owning another stinkpot, as power boats used to be nicknamed by rag sailors. Paddling, as in a kayak, has some appeal and is popular, but I like a little freeboard between me and where the sharks hang out. (Don’t they make kayaks in bright colors so they don’t look like food from underneath?) I’ve always liked to row too. (I learned to row when I was about six.) Now, I don’t want to work so hard to get where I’m going. I’m thinking about another sailboat, perhaps with a little auxiliary motor. There’s another option too, thanks to a bevy of new products on the market: electric outboarding. Electric outboarding would offer the almost noiseless, pollution-free, serenity of sailing without worrying about minor things like too little or too much wind. Serenity mixed with a little bit of fun is what I want from being on the water, anyway.

Inboard electric boats have been around for over a century, electric outboards (homemade or manufactured) have been powering deck boats and boats used on reservoirs for some years. Certainly, too, small electric trolling motors have been available for decades, but now there’s a fair number of full-fledged small electric outboard motors on the market.

The difference between an electric outboard and an electric trolling motor is simply power. For very low speeds a trolling motor might do. For a little more speed and more hull to push, a more powerful electric outboard would be the answer.

Electric drive offers a greater torque at lower speeds than gasoline motors, so horsepower ratings for electric outboards seem a little low, but they’re actually capable of doing more work than the ratings suggest.

Electric outboard motors are limited only by available battery power. As batteries improve and costs sink, more powerful electric outboards will certainly be developed along with boats that match the high torque available with electric drive.

So here’s what’s out there in electric outboards - there may be more. (Let me know.)

--- Ray Electric. The grandaddy of electric outboards. The motor has been produced since 1974. Power ratings vary from 2.5, 4.0 and 5.0 horsepower depending on the cumulative voltage of batteries connected. The website offers considerable insight into electric outboards as well as thoughts on matching hulls with motors.

--- Minn Kota is the oldest manufacturer of electric fishing/trolling motors in the world. The company opened shop in 1934 in Fargo, North Dakota. It’s no surprise then that they now produce an electric outboard motor. The E-Drive is rated at 2 horsepower.

--- Briggs and Stratton, another old manufacturer best known for gas motors for lawn and garden equipment, offers its 3 horsepower Etek (tm) electric outboard motor. The company does say fresh water use only. (They must be worried about corrosion issues.)

--- Torqeedo, a typically slick design from Germany, comes in a few models, the largest having the thrust of a six horsepower motor. Plenty of power for a skiff or even a deck boat.

--- Zapworld, a specialist in electric transportation, is marketing a 4 horsepower outboard. The company says salt water is OK.

--- Griffin Leisure Boats has a six horsepower model it’s trying to market.

--- American Marine Electric Motor Company offers 5 and 6.2 horsepower models but little information about actually buying a motor.

--- Scout Boats has developed something a little more cutting edge and not an outboard, but worth mentioning: the marine industry’s first small fiberglass hybrid boat. The 14 foot skiff has a 20 horsepower gas outboard flanked by 2 electric drives that tilt into the water for all-electric propulsion. The gas motor is tilted out of the water to reduce drag. The electric drives can run for about 8 hours on full battery charge. A joy stick, like that with a computer game, controls speed and direction.

At first glance prices on electric outboards may seem a bit high, but with greater adoption prices could drop. After all, they are simpler machines than their gasoline counterparts. Of course there’s no fuel to buy but batteries are needed. Fortunately only a few pennies per mile for electricity is required for recharging. Solar is an option, too, for recharging batteries.

Electric drive has been used for marine propulsion for anything from submarines to cruise ships for over a century. If gas prices stay where they are, or get higher as expected, electric propulsion may become more popular in small, recreational boating.

Links:

Ray Electric Outboard
http://www.rayeo.com/index.html

Minn Kota
http://www.minnkotamotors.com

Briggs and Stratton
http://www.briggsandstratton.com

Torqeedo
http://www.torqeedo.com

Zapworld
http://www.zapworld.com/marine-ev

Scout Boats
http://www.scoutboats.com

Griffin Leisure Boats
http://www.griffinleisureboats.com

American Marine Electric Motor Company
http://www.amemco.com