Electric Powered Springer.

[larrysanders]

I've just run into the chap who's bought my first boat, we sold her on a couple few years back. He's in the process of putting an electric powered prop on the back. Will this power a waterbug over a long distance, his idea is to top up the battery via a solar panel. If this does work why aren't more people doing it?

 

[Grace and Favour]

I've just run into the chap who's bought my first boat, we sold her on a couple few years back. He's in the process of putting an electric powered prop on the back. Will this power a waterbug over a long distance, his idea is to top up the battery via a solar panel. If this does work why aren't more people doing it?

 

 

Wellll . . as you know Larry - - he'll need to do a power audit, and balance his charging capability with his proposed consumption

 

 

It's going to be one hell of a big solar panel

[OldGoldy]

I've just run into the chap who's bought my first boat, we sold her on a couple few years back. He's in the process of putting an electric powered prop on the back. Will this power a waterbug over a long distance, his idea is to top up the battery via a solar panel. If this does work why aren't more people doing it?

 

He must have a lot of time on his hands (waiting time, that is, for his batteries to recharge)

[NB Willawaw]

It will need one helluva big solar panel

[Tony Brooks]

I've just run into the chap who's bought my first boat, we sold her on a couple few years back. He's in the process of putting an electric powered prop on the back. Will this power a waterbug over a long distance, his idea is to top up the battery via a solar panel. If this does work why aren't more people doing it?

 

 

 

IMHO Because "more people" do not have the money for enough cells or are happy with exceptionally restricted cruising range.

 

I would also question if the area of a Waterbug's roof is enough for the required number of panels.

 

Average output of a 60 Watt horizontally mounted panel was 1 to 1.5 amps per day during late November to late Jan and I have never seen more than about 3.5 to 4 amps at noon during high summer.

 

746 watts per hp and WW said a number of years ago a typical narrowboat needs about 2 to 3 hp at canal speed so even if we say the Waterbug only needs 1 hp thats 746/ (say) 13 volts = 57 amps so that is 57 Ah of battery capacity for every hour cruising. Batteries need between 10% and 50% more put back in than was taken out to get back to the same state of charge (depending upon who you ask) so the panel must supply (say) 57 x 130% = 75 Ah so work it out.

 

It is possible but at present (again in my view) impractical for most people.

 

Tony Brooks

[twocvbloke]

I've just run into the chap who's bought my first boat, we sold her on a couple few years back. He's in the process of putting an electric powered prop on the back. Will this power a waterbug over a long distance, his idea is to top up the battery via a solar panel. If this does work why aren't more people doing it?

 

 

I think he'll need a Jodrel bank worth of solar panels to run a motor for the lengths a diesel is usually used for, it'll be a high drain application which panels cannot keep up with...

 

Even just topping up wouldn't do much, unless they plan to travel in the dark and moor during the day...

[larrysanders]

The Honda outboard on the back was always pretty frugal... so it seems like a lot of expense for very little forward. He showed me the electric powered prop which he'd already bought for £150 and tried out.

[Rick-n-Jo]

Well this Kennet barge, ApolloDuck clicky, is solar powered! Mind you, it does have a pretty big roof and over 1Kw of panels.

 

The principle is perfectly sound, provided you do the sums and design it right. And there's more than one "right" way to do it. For instance, if the Springer is to be a weekend boat, a smallish solar array could charge a decent sized battery bank over several days, giving a day or two of mainly battery powered cruising.

 

It's versatile too. Easy to add shore hook up, wind or portable genny depending on circumstance. Of course get it wrong and be disappointed, but using an old Springer to experiment, well why not?

[valrene9600]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/07/se...tine_sola_1.php

 

Can`t seem to do links, maybe someone could sort it till i practise more.

 

Oh it seems to work

Edited February 6, 2010 by valrene9600

[Keeping Up]

If he mounted the panels vertically, maybe he could use them as sails?

[sebrof]

It's perfectly feasible, but you need a huge number of panels, and a huge number of batteries to store the energy.

 

It is MUCH cheaper to use a diesel engine.

 

S

[Phil Ambrose]

Well this Kennet barge, ApolloDuck clicky, is solar powered! Mind you, it does have a pretty big roof and over 1Kw of panels.

 

The principle is perfectly sound, provided you do the sums and design it right. And there's more than one "right" way to do it. For instance, if the Springer is to be a weekend boat, a smallish solar array could charge a decent sized battery bank over several days, giving a day or two of mainly battery powered cruising.

 

It's versatile too. Easy to add shore hook up, wind or portable genny depending on circumstance. Of course get it wrong and be disappointed, but using an old Springer to experiment, well why not?

 

Here in my neck of the woods the Broads Authority have a solar powered boat on Barton Broad, you can book a trip on her from Neatishead Staithe I believe, think she is called Ra.

 

Phil