Electric driven boat

[rasputin]

One of those batteries ran the 35lb motor for about 3/4hour and still had plenty left in it. 

 

I have room for another 250w panel, but I don't own another if my experiment goes well I might buy another 

 

Should I just run the solar panel direct to the batteries as the forum members seem to think there is little chance of them getting fully charged 

Edited August 20, 2018 by rasputin

[peterboat]

18 minutes ago, rasputin said:

One of those batteries ran the 35lb motor for about 3/4hour and still had plenty left in it. 

 

I have room for another 250w panel, but I don't own another if my experiment goes well I might buy another 

 

Should I just run the solar panel direct to the batteries as the forum members seem to think there is little chance of them getting fully charged 

Use a solar controller you have some NIcads in there dont you? Plus the panel will be how many volts?

[NigelMoore]

43 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 The rough rule of thumb for trolling motors is that a fully charged 110Ah battery will give about an hour of propulsion. 

 

 

My 24v 1150 Watt output electric outboard has taken 4 adults in a small dory on a 3 hour river pub crawl using a 110 amphour battery, with 75% battery capacity left at the end (according to the motor’s built-in % of charge meter). The return trip was at full throttle the whole way.

[rasputin]

43 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Use a solar controller you have some NIcads in there dont you? Plus the panel will be how many volts?

for the Nicads 12v  for the sealed wheelchair batteries 24v

[mrsmelly]

You need to try one of those new fanged internal combustion jobbies. I have one at present and find it runs several hours a day for about a fiver even during the night or rainy January days. Also after my cruise my batteries are nicely charged as the internal combustion jobby whizzes a little wheel round that whacks lots of amps into the batteries. I think they may catch on and be fitted to other boats soon.

Forgot to mention I also get a large cauliflower of hot water at the same time as propulsion and battery charging.

[RLWP]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

You need to try one of those new fanged internal combustion jobbies. I have one at present and find it runs several hours a day for about a fiver even during the night or rainy January days. Also after my cruise my batteries are nicely charged as the internal combustion jobby whizzes a little wheel round that whacks lots of amps into the batteries. I think they may catch on and be fitted to other boats soon.

Some even recover waste heat and turn it into hot water!

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

You need to try one of those new fanged internal combustion jobbies. I have one at present and find it runs several hours a day for about a fiver even during the night or rainy January days. Also after my cruise my batteries are nicely charged as the internal combustion jobby whizzes a little wheel round that whacks lots of amps into the batteries. I think they may catch on and be fitted to other boats soon.

And these. Also helpful if cruising with the wife

[mrsmelly]

Just now, RLWP said:

Some even recover waste heat and turn it into hot water!

Great minds ?

[RLWP]

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

And these. Also helpful if cruising with the wife

Is your engine really that bad? If so, you need to sort out your engine installation

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, RLWP said:

Is your engine really that bad? If so, you need to sort out your engine installation

Nah, but the wife is.

[rasputin]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

You need to try one of those new fanged internal combustion jobbies. I have one at present and find it runs several hours a day for about a fiver even during the night or rainy January days. Also after my cruise my batteries are nicely charged as the internal combustion jobby whizzes a little wheel round that whacks lots of amps into the batteries. I think they may catch on and be fitted to other boats soon.

Forgot to mention I also get a large cauliflower of hot water at the same time as propulsion and battery charging.

Problem is, one of those things are v noisy, having come from a sailing background I miss that turning the engine off moment. I did a trail run with the electric last June and loved listening to the birdsong etc.

 

My whizzy thing sits on the back next to my ear, its not good at creating amps, or hot water for that matter, I could collect the telltale but I'm not sure what use I could put to a gallon of lukewarm canal water.

Edited August 20, 2018 by rasputin

[Murflynn]

9 hours ago, NigelMoore said:

 

My 24v 1150 Watt output electric outboard has taken 4 adults in a small dory on a 3 hour river pub crawl using a 110 amphour battery, with 75% battery capacity left at the end (according to the motor’s built-in % of charge meter). The return trip was at full throttle the whole way.

sounds like perpetual motion.  ...........................  you take out 3450 watt.hours from a 1320 watt.hour capacity battery and still have 1000 watt.hours remaining in the battery.

 

 

 

..........................  or maybe the beer was very good that day 

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

sounds like perpetual motion.  ...........................  you take out 3450 watt.hours from a 1320 watt.hour capacity battery and still have 1000 watt.hours remaining in the battery.

 

 

 

..........................  or maybe the beer was very good that day 

I think you have misread - the OUTPUT is 1150 watts, but the INPUT is only 80w ( 3 hours = 240Wh - or roughly 20Ah, leaving the battery around 75% charged, as it was only 95% charged to start with)

[ditchcrawler]

I met a steel Narrowboat this week in Western I think it was that was propelled by two electric outboard motors, very slowly. I don't know how his batteries were charged.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

8 hours ago, rasputin said:

Problem is, one of those things are v noisy, having come from a sailing background I miss that turning the engine off moment. I did a trail run with the electric last June and loved listening to the birdsong etc.

 

My whizzy thing sits on the back next to my ear, its not good at creating amps, or hot water for that matter, I could collect the telltale but I'm not sure what use I could put to a gallon of lukewarm canal water.

Ever thought of fitting sails? (Norfolk Wherries seem to cope with bridges) just think, none of those 'whose got right of way at bridges' moments, everyone gives way to sail ('cept fishermen).

[MtB]

3 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I met a steel Narrowboat this week in Western I think it was that was propelled by two electric outboard motors, very slowly. I don't know how his batteries were charged.

 

A genny running for 12 hours after mooring up, obviously...

[Murflynn]

9 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I think you have misread - the OUTPUT is 1150 watts, but the INPUT is only 80w ( 3 hours = 240Wh - or roughly 20Ah, leaving the battery around 75% charged, as it was only 95% charged to start with)

ahh!!   so the motor magically creates 1070 watts as it turns the propeller.  where can I buy one?

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

51 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

ahh!!   so the motor magically creates 1070 watts as it turns the propeller.  where can I buy one?

 

 

I think the company went out of business, it was bought out by one of the big Oil companies and subsequently closed down.

The motor's inventor (owner of the original company and the patent), as part of the sale agreement, was subjected to a 'gagging order' for 50 years, which covers "the development or sale of electric motors and similar appliances", so I guess not many of us will see this motor in our lifetime.

[Rickent]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I think the company went out of business, it was bought out by one of the big Oil companies and subsequently closed down.

The motor's inventor (owner of the original company and the patent), as part of the sale agreement, was subjected to a 'gagging order' for 50 years, which covers "the development or sale of electric motors and similar appliances", so I guess not many of us will see this motor in our lifetime.

So basically it was a threat to the oil companies so they closed it down. The technology for cheap sustainable energy exists far beyond what we know, but until the oil starts to run dry we will not get to see it.

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, Rickent said:

So basically it was a threat to the oil companies so they closed it down. The technology for cheap sustainable energy exists far beyond what we know, but until the oil starts to run dry we will not get to see it.

 

You've got it in one !!!

[NigelMoore]

12 hours ago, Murflynn said:

sounds like perpetual motion.  ...........................  you take out 3450 watt.hours from a 1320 watt.hour capacity battery and still have 1000 watt.hours remaining in the battery.

 

 

 

..........................  or maybe the beer was very good that day 

 

The beer was fine; the snide suggestion that I was in no fit state to get my account correct notwithstanding, the 3 hour trip took place. Whatever the dubious accuracy of the motor’s LED % charge remaining display, we arrived back with full power available.

 

The clever mathematicians are overlooking the fact that the maximum output is attained by a maximum 48 amp draw, but that lower speeds draw only a quarter of that or less. One does not have to run at full throttle all the time.

 

A 3 hour trip at maximum power would consume more than the battery capacity, but only half the trip (in distance) was on full power, using at most about 36 amp-hours for the 45 minute return journey.

 

Dawdling along for the 2 and a quarter hour outbound trip consuming 12 amps, would account for 27 amp-hours. Total consumption for the whole journey out and back being less than 65 amp-hours.

That would leave a little over 45 amp-hours theoretically remaining available in the battery, rather than the 75% according to the outboard’s LED charge indicator, but I did make that qualification.

 

The make of outboard is still going strong, and is about the best value going for these trolling motors. My only complaint with them is that the water sealing is not too good; mine is currently dismantled awaiting a replacement carbon brush spring that had corroded, and I shall put it back together with sealant this time, rather than relying on little O-rings.

[MtB]

12 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I think you have misread - the OUTPUT is 1150 watts, but the INPUT is only 80w ( 3 hours = 240Wh - or roughly 20Ah, leaving the battery around 75% charged, as it was only 95% charged to start with)

 

I've sussed what was going on here. The problem is that Nige was probably using a SMARTGUAGE to measure the battery charge!

[bizzard]

We litter picked the top pound of the river Stort for BW for 7 years with a large dinghy and Minkota electric outboards. Very Intensive running, from full ahead to full astern to pick up rubbish back and forth, bank to bank. It took us 3 to 4 hours, twice a month all year round. We had 1 110 amp battery, the motor was 3/4 hp. The one fully charged battery just did the job, but we did take a spare with a pair of link leads, just in case, especially in the winter when we got frozen and needed to get back quickly. After the pick we would go for a pint and take the motor with us in case it got nicked. Twice we had the boat nicked whilst we were in the pub, both times recovered, once abandoned and once a pair of goons that nicked it hid in it under the London road road bridge, we weedled them out and they ran away. Those motors had amazingly efficient prpellers, we sometimes towed a fully laden pontoon with it and recovered the odd abandoned boat with it. The motors prop thrusts wore a bit giving lots of play but they seemed to keep going, We got through 3 of them in 7 years, so pretty good.    They were all bought s/h.

Edited August 21, 2018 by bizzard

[Murflynn]

2 hours ago, NigelMoore said:

 

The make of outboard is still going strong, and is about the best value going for these trolling motors. My only complaint with them is that the water sealing is not too good; mine is currently dismantled awaiting a replacement carbon brush spring that had corroded, and I shall put it back together with sealant this time, rather than relying on little O-rings.

what make is it?

[rasputin]

It's not going well...