Electric Drive on 49ft Ed Horstman

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forums and was told about this forum from a friend.

I have a 49ft Ed Horstman trimaran and I am thinking about taking out the 50hp diesel currently installed and replacing it with a electric system charged by wind and solar.

I plan on living aboard it in my retirement and don't plan on motoring much, just in and out of the harbor and on occasion when I would need it, otherwise I plan on using the sails. The idea of being independent from fossil fuels is very appealing to me. I think it would go well with the solar/wind electric system I already plan on installing.

Is this practical at all? A website of a company that was selling electric motors for just this purpose indicated that all I needed was something around 15hp for a boat this size. I'm on a bit of a budget and am also wondering how much such a system would cost.

 

Way more than diesel.

 

Just how far are you planning to Motor? More than 1 Mile? Less than 100 yards? Are you capable of Sailing you vessel clear into a moorage, should you come into a harbor on a cloudy day, and your batteries are 90% discharged? Before you pull the engine, better plan on being able to deal with the Discharged Battery situation, in ANY weather, or conditions. Otherwise Mr. Murphy is going to catch up with you, Often, and always are the WORST Possible Moment.

 

How big is your current battery bank?

It is possible but there are no off-the-shelf systems for boats of this size. You need to think about using something from the EV market and setting it up for marine use. You can expect some trial and error but there are a few doing it.

There are commercial systems up around 10HP but a bit small for you I think and also very expensive.

Rick W

 

TO go where "no man has gone before" (sucessfully) takes far more work , ca$h and time than most cruisers are willing to do.

If the diesel you have dies , a far smaller one will give 3k (no wind) and be cheaper.

I would wait till after the first circumnavigation to yank a tool you will probably learn to rely on.

If you want to be a pureist to impress someone , grow your own food aboard.



FF

 

A 15HP will get you in and out of a dock with no wind. In windy conditions it will be close to useless.