Electric outboards

[DBA Forum (B) - Nigel Crompton]

My Tohatsu 6hp is getting a bit on the heavy side for manhandling, I'm considering getting an electric version, pricipally for pottering on those tiny dutch town waterways.

Anyone using one, and if so where and how do you secure the battery in t'boat ?

[DBA Forum (B) - Peter Cawson]

Nigel - I have a small "egg-whisk" type of electric motor that I'm pretty pleased with. It has nowhere near the power of even a 2.5 hp petrol engine, but it is very light and easy to handle. They won't cope with fast-flowing waterways, but exploring Giethoorn or Loosdrecht for example, or just getting to the other side of a canal, ideal

Power is quoted as thrust and I got the most powerful I could find - 80 lb or thereabouts. I think I got it from http://www.fishingmad.co.uk/electric-outboards/ at a reasonable price.

I have 2 Yuasa "golf buggy" type batteries of 38 Ah that I charge by simple connection with jump leads to my stern thruster terminals, so they live in my lazarrette. The main engine recharges them as it deals with the thruster batteries. Having 2 relatively small and handleable batteries (fitted with carrying handles) I can go as far as I want on a single battery, knowing that the other can bring me back!

Although it has 5 speeds and the fastest is surprisingly powerful, I tend to use 4 most of the time as the range is substantially greater.

These are cheap motors designed primarily for fisherman to move slowly and quietly once they get to their fishing ground using a petrol outboard, but for my purposes it's great.

There are much more powerful and costly motors such as Torqueedo - http://www.torqeedo.com/us/ and a manufacturer based in Giethoorn, NL, but there are hugely expensive and much heavier.

Hope this helps

Peter

[DBA Forum (B) - Chris Williamson]

I have a big bison one to power my launch. Currently the 110 ahr battery sits behind my bench seat and gravity does the rest, but I plan to build a plywood box around it.



At full tilt the bison (54lbft as I recall) pushes the 10' fibreglass row boat along at 4mph ish. My only quibble is that given 5 speed selections, the first 4 are more or less identically slow then 5 is full speed ahead.






Chris
D. B. Orca




-------- Original message --------
Forum (B) - Nigel Crompton'
Date:22/07/2014 10:38 AM (GMT+00:00)
subscribers
outboards






My Tohatsu 6hp is getting a bit on the heavy side for manhandling, I'm considering getting an electric version, pricipally for pottering on those tiny dutch town waterways.



Anyone using one, and if so where and how do you secure the battery in t'boat ?

[DBA Forum (B) - Peter Cawson]

I would suggest 2 smaller batteries, so you have a reliable means of getting home. Also they are much more easily moved into or out of the boat. I just plonk them on the slatted floor of my 2.7m inflatable. There're not going to go anywhere - the accellearion won't have them shooting back and the cables with the Bison are long enough to easily reach the batteries.

Yes the lower speeds are similar, although each is faster than the last, but Speed 5 is much faster and consumes disproprtionately more juice, so range is reduced at Spped 5.

Peter

[DBA Forum (B) - Chris Green]

Post by DBA Forum (B) - Nigel Crompton
My Tohatsu 6hp is getting a bit on the heavy side for manhandling, I'm
considering getting an electric version, pricipally for pottering on those
tiny dutch town waterways.

Surely an elecric outboard plus battery is going to weigh a lot more
than the equivalent petrol one isn't it?

[DBA Forum (B) - Peter Cawson]

No - Bisons weigh between 8 and 13 Kg. Yuasa 24 Ah battery less than 9 Kg. Suzuki 4 hp engine 25 Kg

The main point is the weight and bulk of individual items. It's easy to manhandle a small light motor, then a single battery, much more difficult with an engine that weighs more than the 2 together. Easy to store too. Any no petrol on board. And a fraction the price. And no starting problems.

For occasional use on canals and other relatively still water, I would suggest the egg-whisk is the obvious choice. If you need it every day or for long journeys, or on the sea or fast-flowing rivers, the 3-5 fold extra cost of a petrol outboard may be justified.

Peter

[DBA Forum (B) - Chris Green]

No - Bisons weigh between 8 and 13 Kg. Yuasa 24 Ah battery less than 9
Kg. Suzuki 4 hp engine 25 Kg

But you're not comparing like with like. A 4hp engine is the
equivalent of something like a 3000 watt electric one. That would
discharge a 24Ah battery in no time at all.

[DBA Forum (B) - Nigel Crompton]

[quote="Chris Green" post=56317]
But you're not comparing like with like. A 4hp engine is the
equivalent of something like a 3000 watt electric one. That would
discharge a 24Ah battery in no time at all.

[DBA Forum (B) - Adrian]

On Tue, 22 Jul 2014 11:38:45 +0200, "DBA Forum (B) - Nigel Crompton"

Post by DBA Forum (B) - Nigel Crompton
My Tohatsu 6hp is getting a bit on the heavy side for manhandling, I'm considering getting an electric version, pricipally for pottering on those tiny dutch town waterways.
Anyone using one, and if so where and how do you secure the battery in t'boat ?

I have had a Mercury Thruster electric outboard for my dinghy for
years. It's great.

Its energy comes from a "leisure battery" about the size and weight of
a car starter one, which has run the motor without flagging (albeit at
low speeds) for up to six hours at a time. I bought it at the same
time as the motor, and charge it once a month which I guess is why
it's still alive.

The battery in one hand and the motor in the other makes a nice
balanced load for e.g. portaging around derelict locks when
prospecting abandoned navigations.

The dinghy is a tiny two-person folding one, which is only ever used
on stillish (including slow rivers) protected waters . But that's the
only circumstance in which I have ever needed one in the barge.

Lock the motor and the battery (which sits on the bottom of the
dinghy) to the dinghy if you leave it unattended. And lock the dinghy
to something strong!

It was just right for e.g. exploring the town centre waterways of Gent
during the DBA gathering. And so silent that you can sneak up on
ducks, if that's your thing.

Adrian




Adrian Stott
Tel. UK (0)7956-299966

[DBA Forum (B) - Chris Green]

Post by DBA Forum (B) - Nigel Crompton

Post by DBA Forum (B) - Chris Green
But you're not comparing like with like. A 4hp engine is the
equivalent of something like a 3000 watt electric one. That would
discharge a 24Ah battery in no time at all.

Chris, Peter is not comparing like with like - there's no point to it.
Go back to the OP. We're talking about motors for pottering around in little
more than ditches, in nice weather. My 6hp Tohatsu (which pushes the inflatable
at 16kph flat out solo) is will be running little more than idle speed.
Speed is not the issue.
For such purposes, for me at least, an egg-whisk + two batteries are becoming
a much more attrative proposition

But you can get petrol egg-whisks as well as battery ones can't you?
:-)

[DBA Forum (B) - Nigel Crompton]

"But you can get petrol egg-whisks as well as battery ones can't you?"

Yes, for twice the price, and still an awkward 18kg. But horses for courses ....

[DBA Forum (B) - Colin Stone]

Post by DBA Forum (B) - Chris Green
But you can get petrol egg-whisks as well as battery ones can't you?

:-)

Of course - but as pointed out it is easier to carry 2 x 15/20kg than 1x 30+kg, especially now that only heavier 4 strokes are available new.

And the elec ones are quiet.

My 5HP Tohatsu 2 stroke with integral tank is pretty portable, but elec would much better pottering through the Hortillonages.

Colin Stone
KEI
Sent via BlackBerry® BIS

[DBA Forum (B) - Peter Cawson]

Nigel - To give you some idea of the range that can be achieved with an egg whisk powered by a 28 Ah (it may be slightly less) battery, 2 of us in a 2.7 m inflatable went around the "streets" of Giethoorn, then across the lake and around the long reed bed trail - a journey of over 2 hours. We switched batteries (probably unnecessarily but best to change before they get too low) half way around the trail. We also used it to go around the old defensive canals of Zwolle plus an excursion past the houseboat mooring and back without the need to change to the second battery. Another great trip away from Levana was through miles of the tiny channels in the SW corner of Loosdrecht Plassen - a place well worth visiting, despite older versions of PC Navigo suggesting the Plassen can't be accessed
if you're over 12 m!

I use sealed Yuasa batteries (golf / disabled buggy type) that are designed for running quite low then recharging. I would avoid wet batteries and would go for 2 smaller ones rather than a single big one for weight reasons and for guaranteeing your return without resort to oars! The battery condition meter on the egg whisk is far from accurate, although it gives some idea.

Peter

[DBA Forum (B) - Colin Stone]

Peter,
How large is your whisk?

I have a Tohatsu PTA 96 inflatable with airmat floor and keel. 290 cm long and 32kg. Carries 4 people/520kg.

So wondered what size to power it?

Colin Stone
KEI

Sent via BlackBerry® BIS

[DBA Forum (B) - Peter Cawson]

Colin - I think this is my dinghy - http://marinedirect.co.uk/waveline-deck-with-keel-wl270saxs4-p-378.html

and I use a Bison motor, this one or maybe an 80 lb earlier version - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BISON-86-FT-LB-ELECTRIC-OUTBOARD-MOTOR-/330611282298. At speeds 1 to 4 it moves forward without breaking the water surface, so very efficient. At speed 5 it starts to build up a bow wave so much faster but the range is reduced and more noise from the water. Having said that, I use speed 5 quite a bit, eg across lakes.

Very pleased with it for what I use it for - ideal in canals, rivers, etc. As I said before, not the best choice in conditions where more power is required - strong currents, long distances, or at sea, but I've never wanted more while I'm on Levana.

Peter