Interesting Solar/Electric boat/voyage

[David G]

From last year --

A Father and Son Complete a Solar-Electric Cruise to Alaska

https://www.soundingsonline.com/news..._xEeZjbETVP6EU

[offbelayknife]

A couple links in, but here's their blog from the trip: https://solarsaljourney.squarespace.com/

Lots of details to dig into.

[rgthom]

I have been watching this unfold, it makes a lot of sense. Solar cruising is like sailing, you make progress when you can but keep the schedule loose to allow for days when conditions are not right. I have solar electric on my Walkabout now, which does 30 to 40 miles per day in summer sun. My retirement musing is a bigger solar powered displacement cruiser for two, not as big as Wayward Sun but the same type power.

-Rick

[rgthom]

Solar Sal is for sale, BTW, for any forum member with a lot of loose change in their pocket: https://e20af67d-64c8-4a23-9650-f7bf...d859bb6c5e.pdf

[cstevens]

I would love to add solar-electric auxiliary power to Skookum Maru. Not quite yet but Solar Sal shows that the technology is getting closer to making that possible so it’s only a matter of time.

[jsjpd1]

That boat was tied up across from Amazon when they stopped in Juneau. I didn’t realize they ran up all the way from Seattle on solar power, that’s pretty cool. It’s a neat boat, it’s pretty small though, I think we would need the 45 foot version.

[jshaley]

Rick,
Where can I find more information on your solar implementation on Walkabout? That is one design I keep coming back to...

I currently am floating dreams of a shanty boat and a solar Escargot seems like it ticks off a lot of boxes for me. I think the late designer, Phil Thiel, would approve. I thought it would be difficult but it seems a 3.5 HP equivalent electric outboard(s) is not much more expensive than a gasser...

John

[Hwyl]

$260k

[rgthom]

Rick,
Where can I find more information on your solar implementation on Walkabout? That is one design I keep coming back to...

I currently am floating dreams of a shanty boat and a solar Escargot seems like it ticks off a lot of boxes for me. I think the late designer, Phil Thiel, would approve. I thought it would be difficult but it seems a 3.5 HP equivalent electric outboard(s) is not much more expensive than a gasser...

John

John - Electric motors seem to be around 1.5 to 2 times the equivalent gas motor, but you have to budget battery and solar also. Depending on usage you need enough battery to power for a day, or enough solar to put out about the same power the motor uses, or somewhere in between. I like Escargot, but for solar a shanty catamaran with long narrow displacement hulls should be better use of the limited power.

The Walkabout solar thread is here: http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...amping-rowboat

-Rick

[Clarkey]

Rick,
Where can I find more information on your solar implementation on Walkabout? That is one design I keep coming back to...

I currently am floating dreams of a shanty boat and a solar Escargot seems like it ticks off a lot of boxes for me. I think the late designer, Phil Thiel, would approve. I thought it would be difficult but it seems a 3.5 HP equivalent electric outboard(s) is not much more expensive than a gasser...

John

Given that Escargot was intended for pedal drive it could be interesting/amusing to just add a crank motor ebike kit to it and create a human/electric hybrid?

[rgthom]

Given that Escargot was intended for pedal drive it could be interesting/amusing to just add a crank motor ebike kit to it and create a human/electric hybrid?

Ha! Now that is a good idea. Maybe $1000 for a 750 W ebike mid-rive motor and battery bought new. I am a bit nervous using ebike batteries as they are not as safe as LiFePO4, but they have higher energy density and are cheaper.