Electric engines eg Torqeedo Travel

The dreaded Iron Top Sail we sometimes have to rely on.....

Electric engines eg Torqeedo Travel

Postby Sarah Vaughan » Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:46 am

Has anyone had any experience with these new electric engines? Although expensive we are interested because they are so much lighter - however, we would like to try one out before committing to check whether it fits and can move the cutter along - the cutter is at the top end of the weight they are supposed to be able to cope with.....
Sarah Vaughan
 

Postby seasickwhale » Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:00 pm

Hi Sarah,

if you havent' seen it already - have a look in this month's PBO. There you will find a lengthy test of the torqueedos.
Happy Sailing

Stephan Radke
CC52 "Herr Nilsson"
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Torqeedo disasters in a CC19!

Postby Black Sheep » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:03 pm

Dear all,

When Black Sheep was built I decided no longer to go 4-stroke but electric. I was quite impressed by the technology of Torqeedo (and by its reasonable pricing) so in collaboration with Bob the first electric CC19 was born. See my album for the keel modification, and how the Torqeedo Cruise 2.O fits nicely.

Lets start with the good news: the trust and power from this 2 kW engine is indeed beyond my previous Honda 5 hp in my previous boat! Second good news, these Lithium batteries are really excellent!

BUT::mad::mad::mad:
The Torqeedo Cruise 2.0 outboard engine is not compatible with use in a motor well of a sailing boat. In two seasons with Black Sheep I encountered two seasons of deep Torqeedo-engine frustrations: electronic failures all the time. The Torqeedo outboards obviously cannot withstand passive motion of the propellor during sailing, it seriously damage their electronics (moreover their Cruise 2.0 model is not seawater resistant). I used the Torqeedo Cruise on fresh water only but I spoiled two brand new engines in two short summer seasons! After year one the first engine was so much electronically damaged that it was impossible for the factory to repair! I got a brand new one from the factory in Germany (too late delivery, wrong product sent...) but in my second short season I ended up with electronic failures again. Since then I am bombarding the factory with e-mails and regular mails in order to get a definite answer about the cause of all these electronic issues: up till today the Torqeedo factory refuses to give me an appropriate explanation and to admit that their initial commitment to use their engine in a motor well was wrong (in contrast to what would be expected from a german company they have serious support and administration problems).
Quite frustrated last week I sold my Torqeedo Cruise to somebody for Dinghy use (I kept the very nice but expensive Lithium battery).

Probably Torqeedo engines can only be used provided you take them out of the water during sailing (which is impossible since the propellor size goes beyond the size of the CC19 motor well).

Currently I am investigating alternative electric outboard engines, I'll keep you updated.

Have a nice season start!
Michel
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Elva electric engine successful

Postby Black Sheep » Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:01 am

Dear CC friends,

in this thread I promised an update on my ongoing electric outboard experiences. As explained before a Torqeedo engine cannot be used in a motor well because it has to be taken out of the water during sailing (the size of the Cape Cutter motor well would not support that).
Early 2011 I found an alternative electric engine which fits into the keel space that was originally modified for accomodating the Torqeedo engine in Black Sheep (see my album). The new engine is an Elva 1100L from AEE Marine in The Netherlands (http://www.aeemarine.nl). The company is active in electric boats for professional use and has a good feeling for a robust design: the Elva engine does not have permanent magnets, nor brushes, nor a gear box. When disconnected from the battery the propellor shows a free motion without any friction and without any noise (in sharp contrast with the Torqeedo noise).
In terms of power the 1100 model is only suitable for lake use (as most of the time in my case). For larger open waters having more heavy seas and headwinds I would suggest to install the Elva 1800L model (but that is slightly bigger and would require more keel space than my original modification).
I run the engine with a single 77 Ah Torqeedo lithium battery. Power consumption of the engine is modest as long as you do not need full throttle speed: In my case I recharge the battery only 3-4 times per season (on a weekly use basis).
So far after two summer seasons this electric engine turns out to be a robust silent solution, without complaints, errors or any maintenance.

Michel
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