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Sailaways with diesel/hybrid engine


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Hi, we've been researching diesel/hybrid engines in narrow boats & wondered if there are any builders producing sailaways with these engines?   One company we spoke to said they didn't think anybody was at the moment.   If that's the case I guess one would have to buy a hull & buy the engine separately, or a second hand boat & fit a conversion? Unless one could find a reasonable existing hybrid boat for sale .   Presumably these engines will become increasingly popular so at some point you'd imagine they'll become cheaper too?  

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I don't know if you have seen these chaps or not, but I've had a chat with them and they were very interesting to talk to.

 

http://www.hybrid-marine.co.uk/index.html

 

And there was a fully electric widebeam on the duck the other day too.

 

https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/nottingham-boat-company-60-cruiser-stern/601695

 

 I know there are hybrid boats out there but I get the impression that they are built from scratch by people who really want them and will keep them for life. I've seen two I think come up for sale. Unless you bought a boat that for some reason needed a new engine and was priced as such then I think a new build is the most likely way to get one. Hybrid Marine have been at Crick show so it might be worth thinking about visiting there. 

 

http://www.crickboatshow.com

 

 

Edited by Tumshie
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1 minute ago, Tumshie said:

I don't know if you have seen these chaps or not, but I've had a chat with them and they were very interesting to talk to.

 

http://www.hybrid-marine.co.uk/index.html

 

And I was a fully electric widebeam on the duck the other day too.

 

https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/nottingham-boat-company-60-cruiser-stern/601695

 

 I know there are hybrid boats out there but I get the impression that they are built from scratch by people who really want them and will keep them for life. I've seen two I think come up for sale. Unless you bought a boat that for some reason needed a new engine and was priced as such then I think a new build is the most likely way to get one. Hybrid Marine have been at Crick show so it might be worth thinking about visiting there. 

 

http://www.crickboatshow.com

 

 

Thanks Tumshie, yes have been looking at their site & will indeed talk to them at Crick.

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Most people seem to be taking these hybrid installations out, not buying new ones!

 

 

Oh, why is that?

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Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Most people seem to be taking these hybrid installations out, not buying new ones!

 

 

Why?

 

1) Whats wrong with them?

 

2) Why buy the boat if you are going to take out the engine. 

 

 

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5 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Oh, why is that?

 

Because Beta have stopped supporting them IIRC, not all spares are available and breakdowns have most canalside 'engineers' scratching their heads rather than having a good working knowledge of them.

 

There is another thread on here about it, IIRC.

 

ISTR Beta are, or were, the only firm making them commercially. Or have you found another company? Or am I mistaken? 

 

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6 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Because Beta have stopped supporting them IIRC, not all spares are available and breakdowns have most canalside 'engineers' scratching their heads rather than having a good working knowledge of them.

 

There is another thread on here about it, IIRC.

 

ISTR Beta are, or were, the only firm making them commercially. Or have you found another company? Or am I mistaken? 

 

Yes it was Beta I was looking at;  did look for another thread, I'll look again.  Still though you'd imagine they'd become more popular & therefore better understood given the way things are going?

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7 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Yes it was Beta I was looking at;  did look for another thread, I'll look again.  Still though you'd imagine they'd become more popular & therefore better understood given the way things are going?

 

Why would they become popular, given they are more complex and less efficient than a mechanical system?

 

 

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8 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Why would they become popular, given they are more complex and less efficient than a mechanical system?

 

One could say the same about lithium batteries - ya know just saying :giggles:

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7 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Why would they become popular, given they are more complex and less efficient than a mechanical system?

 

 

Because they are electric and everyone knows electricity is very green and far, far better than disease. Bloody green wash :banghead:

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2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Why would they become popular, given they are more complex and less efficient than a mechanical system?

 

 

Well, we seem to going in that direction - green energy & climate change & all - diesel is going to get more expensive with prohibitive taxes, solar is ultimately free and surely a more sensible form of power in the long term.  Governments are paying fines if they don't meet their emission targets/promises, so they will definitely be raising taxes to encourage the take up of more environmentally friendly energy solutions;  so as the adoption of cleaner technology becomes more widespread, it'll also become less complex & more efficient & less expensive. 

2 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

One could say the same about lithium batteries - ya know just saying :giggles:

Exactly.

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1 minute ago, Dearhound said:

Well, we seem to going in that direction - green energy & climate change & all - diesel is going to get more expensive with prohibitive taxes, solar is ultimately free and surely a more sensible form of power in the long term.  Governments are paying fines if they don't meet their emission targets/promises, so they will definitely be raising taxes to encourage the take up of more environmentally friendly energy solutions;  so as the adoption of cleaner technology becomes more widespread, it'll also become less complex & more efficient & less expensive. 

I like the idea of them Mike on the other hand not coming round to them any time soon and while I don't like it he does actually have a point. We have talked about this before and I'll find the link for it in a bit. 

 

Toyota are at the moment advertising self charging hybrid cars but it is a bit of a misnomer because the don't self charge the diesel engine just has to work harder to make the electric which rather defeats the purpose and doesn't make them much greener. 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Confused! What are you saying? 

I am saying that far too many people have been brainwashed into thinking electricity good, diesel bad and they do not look any further than that. Look at the adverts for self charging hybrid cars when it has been shown many never unpack the charging cable from storage. At least hybrid cars can if so equipped use regenerative breaking, unlike a boat.

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4 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Confused! What are you saying? 

Tony is politely saying that they are a load of crap, as is MTB in their opinion and also mine. A friend had the beta jobby and suffered with it for years before buying a proper unit from Isuzu. Whats the point of paying huge amounts of money for something not yet developed enough to  replace existing stuff?  You will still need to run the diesel to get more than ten minutes boating in especialy in winter. Much like electric cars we are many many years away from them being able to replace i.c.e. You will render the boat virtualy unsellable and much like " Gas free " boats reduce the resale value at best.

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I've found the thread from last year now - is very interesting.  I guess it will take a while yet for the whole concept to become as sensible as I'd like it to be!  Thanks everyone for your opinions.

16 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

Found the thread it may or may not be of interest but still worth a read to see because we do chat about the hybrid engine here. 

 

 

Yeah, just read it Tumshie, thanks, interesting

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17 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

At least hybrid cars can if so equipped use regenerative breaking, unlike a boat.

perhaps the idea is to slip a rope onto the stern of a boat travelling in front of you, then switch the engine into regenerative mode, and relax as you prop rotates as a result of the forward motion of the boat.

 

of course hybrid is the way to go - everywun noes that doan't they?    :banghead:

 

snake oil is also available.

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1 minute ago, Dearhound said:

I've found the thread from last year now - is very interesting.  I guess it will take a while yet for the whole concept to become as sensible as I'd like it to be!  Thanks everyone for your opinions.

I would love it to be a thing, I don't think it is as bad as some would have you believe but it's not as good as it needs to be either.  I am a bit of a greenie and want to move down that route too but I'm also a pragmatist. 

 

I also don't believe that being 'green' is as hopeless as some on here may have you believe. 

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1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

That is the crucial difference.

 

If you want a proper hybrid boat, buy a motorsailer!

Which is fantastic for the Caley and why we have so many of they - bit of a stickler when on a canal with a bridge. ?

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7 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

Which is fantastic for the Caley and why we have so many of they - bit of a stickler when on a canal with a bridge. ?

The approach to the Caley has a height restriction of 89 feet so we have to be a bit careful and look at the state of the tide as we are 60 foot (+ windy-ometer) air draft.

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