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2021-05-18; 15:37:32 EDT
Member Since
2020-07-08
Posts: 278
Well I know water is 7.4.... and fuel floats... But thanks for the clarification!!!See the original archive post
On Tue, May 18, 2021, 1:40 PM Hank <hnw555 at gmail.com> wrote: > Actually, 6 gals is about 36 lbs as gas is about 6 pounds per gallon. > > On Tue, May 18, 2021 at 2:24 PM Tom Van Heule < > tom.vanheule at intrinsicprograms.com> wrote: > > > Thanks Reuben. Great write up/recount. > > To add fwiw... 6gal of gas is also about 45lbs. I'd prefer the gas be > > opposite the engine for the balance. (8hp 4.strike.is about 89lbs?) > > > > I personally like low maintenance, a lot. > > I am finding myself more energy/pollutant conscious as time goes on. I > > still grill steaks. > > > > Fair winds , all, > > > > On Mon, May 17, 2021, 3:09 PM Reuben Mezrich <reuben.mezrich at gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > > > I apologize for the delay in responding to this thread, but I’ve been > > > traveling (finally took advantage of being vaccinated and it's the > first > > > time we’ve seen the grandkids in over a year) > > > > > > As Stan indicated, I had an electric outboard installed on the Rhodes > 22 > > > that he rebuilt for me and which was delivered on Dec 22 to me in > > Sarasota > > > by the team of Nick and Chris Geankoplis. > > > > > > I chose the ePropulsion Navy 3 engine, the E80 battery, a 20 amp > charger, > > > and a top mounted remote control (which Stan mounted on the port > coming). > > > The E80 battery (which weighs 100 lbs) was placed in the space normally > > > occupied by the 15 gallon water tank and a smaller 5 gallon water tank > > > shoehorned in next to the battery and its charger. This put the battery > > low > > > and amidships for good weight distribution. The engine, which weighs > > about > > > 54 lbs was mounted on the usual electric motor mount. > > > > > > I chose the ePropulsion over a Torqueedo because it had better specs > at a > > > lower cost for a more or less equivalent system. > > > > > > The ePropulsion Navy 3 is a 3kwatt engine, equivalent to a 6hp gas > > engine. > > > It weighs 54 lbs and I chose the short shaft version because the > distance > > > from the propeller hub to the transom clamp is the same as that > distance > > on > > > a long shaft gasoline outboard. The battery stores ~4.1kwatt-hours and > > as I > > > mentioned weights 100 lbs. The 20Amp charges will bully charge the > > battery > > > in ~6 hours. They do sell a 40amp charger that will fully charge in 3 > > hours > > > > > > What follows are my thoughts after using the engine for about 4 months > > > > > > Pro’s > > > > > > There is little (actually so far no) maintenance. The unit has a > > brushless > > > DC motor mounted in the pod at the bottom of the shaft where the > > propeller > > > attaches so it is water cooled and there are no moving parts except the > > > propeller. > > > > > > No fuel or oil is required. I keep the boat in a slip which has a 120 > > volt > > > outlet nearby and so simply plug it in after each sail. You have to > > > remember to unplug it before leaving the slip for a sail. > > > > > > There is good weight distribution with a 54 lb engine at the transom > and > > a > > > 100 lb battery low and amidships > > > > > > The engine will push the boat at hull speed -~6knots - at least in > flat > > > water without much wind. > > > > > > It seems to have reasonable range - about 5 hours at 4 knots. It will > run > > > longer at lower speeds or less at higher speed for an effective range > of > > > about 20 miles, about what you’d get with 3 gallons of gas on a > gasoline > > > outboard. But to be honest I have not actually tested the full range > and > > > I’m reporting what the computer in the remote throttle control reports > I > > > would get if I pushed it all the way. > > > > > > The remote throttle is a pleasure to use, nicely at hand and displays > > speed > > > and time/distance remaining at the current speed. > > > > > > > > > Cons > > > > > > It is expensive compared to a gasoline outboard. My total coast was a > bit > > > under $5,000 and it would have been worse but Stan passed on to me what > > the > > > distributor charged him. > > > > > > > > > The biggest problem is that service and support is non-existent. The > > > company is based in China. There are no service personnel in the US. > > There > > > is no parts depot in the US. The East Coast distributor is Mack-Boring, > > > whose main business is distributing and servicing Yanmar diesel > engines. > > I > > > purchased my unit from Mastry, located in St. Petersburg, who also > mostly > > > deals in Yanmar engines but also handles ePropulsion and Torqueedo > > > engines. The salespeople at both Mastry and Mack-Boring have been very > > nice > > > and tried to answer some of my questions, but they are not service > people > > > and have no resources in terms of parts or engineering support. A few > > > cables were missing in my original delivery and it took a month to have > > it > > > shipped to me from China. I expect that as the ePropulsion equipment > > > becomes more popular in this country they will start stocking parts in > > the > > > US and perhaps even open a service office, but that's really just a > hope > > on > > > my part. > > > > > > There is no equivalent of a friction control to keep the engine from > > > turning. When I’m using the Rhodes tiller to steer the boat I’d like > the > > > engine direction to be fixed (with the prop pointing aft) but there is > no > > > mechanism to do that. They do sell a “locking arm” which is sort of a > > > U-bolt, about 10” long that extends from the starboard side of the > engine > > > mount and does lock the engine but unfortunately it interferes with the > > > rudder and limits its range….its a very kludgy design. > > > > > > There is a tiller that can be attached to the engine but it can only > > angle > > > up ~70 degrees from the horizontal and with the engine lowered it would > > > have to angle up nearly 90 degrees to clear the transom. I plan to fix > a > > > tiller mount to the top of the engine, sort of how Stan affixes his > > rudder > > > to outboard engine coupling, to give me better control of the engine > > > direction..It would be particularly useful when trying to steer in > > reverse. > > > > > > The propeller has only two blades and there are no options for a 3 or 4 > > > blade propellor. From my meager understanding of propellers I would > think > > > that the efficiency of the engine could be improved by a better > > propeller. > > > > > > The bottom line is that I don’t really think the company had sailboats > in > > > mind when they designed the engine. > > > > > > So...If I had it to do over again I don’t think I’d choose an electric > > > outboard again. You can get a new 9.9hp gas outboard with electric > start > > > that weighs about 90 lbs for about $2,500 (e.g. Tohatsu). I would > imagine > > > the savings in the cost of the engine would pay for at least a few > years > > > worth of maintenance. > > > > > > Reuben Mezrich > > > Pelican Cove in Sarasota > > > Cell: 410-499-8922 > > > > > > > > > On Fri, May 14, 2021 at 8:48 PM stan <stan at generalboats.com> wrote: > > > > > > > Hi Peter, You remember Doc Reuben from Sarasota who tried to hitch a > > > > test sail with you. He ended up with an epropulsion outboard we > > > > installed on his Rhodes. I never got a chance to try it. But by now > he > > > > knows the good and the bad. You have his email address in your > > > > computer. Can't think of a better reviewer to send you to. When I > > told > > > > him the best doctors I have run across got an engineering degree > first, > > > > he raised me by saying he got three engineering degrees before going > > for > > > > his MD. There may be some fodder there for a fresh poem if you are > > still > > > > at it. > > > > > > > > stan > > > > > > > > > > > > On 5/14/21 4:54 PM, peter klappert wrote: > > > > > I'd be glad to hear from R22 skippers who use electric outboards. > > > > > Recommendations (pro & con) would be welcome. > > > > > > > > > > I'm also selling my Mercury 9.9 BigFoot. Very low hours, but it > > needs a > > > > > minor repair & professional tune-up. I'm in Palmetto, FL, and > > reachable > > > > at > > > > > 202-821-2679. > > > > > > > > > > Peter Klappert > > > > > s/v Aeolia (2012) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *>>>>>>>>> *[image: Sailboat on Messenger]* <<<<<<<<<* > > > > > > > > > > *Peter Klappert5012 Bay State Road Palmetto, FL 34221* > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
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