I'm very interested in your results, John. Please keep us informed of how it works. My thinking is that sitting anchored in a decent current might provide at least a trickle of charging current overnight when solar panels are useless. And with the charging efficiency of today's LFP batteries, anything you can glean is net positive.
Yes, I’ll update what I find for sure. My next boat will likely be a trailer sailer again (if past performance is any indication of future direction) so I’m hoping it works well. Cruising up a fjord at 6 1/2 knots will hopefully provide a better solution than anchoring in 6 knots of current though. 😳. Cheers.
A friend of a friend says he starts out each spring with a list of 25 projects to be done and goes sailing when the list is pared down to 100 remaining . . .
Our Torqeedo sail drive regeneration feature is more of a sale feature than a sail feature. Disappointed with regeneration performance, I suspect the towed outboard will be similar. The Yanmar alternator with a dc to dc charger may prove more reliable.
Thanks for the input, Jay, I've wondered whether that feature is actually useful (by which I mean is the charging worth the drag while sailing).
Though, in this case, it would be worth it to me for the double-takes he'll get from people wondering whether the small electric motor is chugging that 25 foot boat along nicely, and also why it sounds so loud :)
We have the Torqeedo pod drive with the folding propeller, so it’s in the water all the time. Just have to give it a bit of “throttle “ to open the blades then the little “regeneration “ light comes on. That’s the only thing I have noticed from regeneration on our system. At 6.5 kts we are well into the range that it regenerates. I am still impressed by how positive the response is with this drive system. With a folding propeller on a diesel drive system there is a brief (well it depends on how fast you approach the pier as to how brief) lag before it has any noticeable effect, the electric is practically instantaneous. Off topic…..
I'm excited for you! If I wasn't so crickety I'd want to steal aboard and go with. Have a fab trip - got my fingers crossed for you. Looking forward to pix!
Dragging the electric motor to recharge the battery is not nearly as efficient as just using the alternator on the engine….
Probably so, haven’t experimented with it but as I mentioned the real application might be for trailer sailers. Cheers.
I'm very interested in your results, John. Please keep us informed of how it works. My thinking is that sitting anchored in a decent current might provide at least a trickle of charging current overnight when solar panels are useless. And with the charging efficiency of today's LFP batteries, anything you can glean is net positive.
Yes, I’ll update what I find for sure. My next boat will likely be a trailer sailer again (if past performance is any indication of future direction) so I’m hoping it works well. Cruising up a fjord at 6 1/2 knots will hopefully provide a better solution than anchoring in 6 knots of current though. 😳. Cheers.
A friend of a friend says he starts out each spring with a list of 25 projects to be done and goes sailing when the list is pared down to 100 remaining . . .
Yes Sir! A great saying and such a healthy way to approach the problem!
Our Torqeedo sail drive regeneration feature is more of a sale feature than a sail feature. Disappointed with regeneration performance, I suspect the towed outboard will be similar. The Yanmar alternator with a dc to dc charger may prove more reliable.
Thanks for the input, Jay, I've wondered whether that feature is actually useful (by which I mean is the charging worth the drag while sailing).
Though, in this case, it would be worth it to me for the double-takes he'll get from people wondering whether the small electric motor is chugging that 25 foot boat along nicely, and also why it sounds so loud :)
We have the Torqeedo pod drive with the folding propeller, so it’s in the water all the time. Just have to give it a bit of “throttle “ to open the blades then the little “regeneration “ light comes on. That’s the only thing I have noticed from regeneration on our system. At 6.5 kts we are well into the range that it regenerates. I am still impressed by how positive the response is with this drive system. With a folding propeller on a diesel drive system there is a brief (well it depends on how fast you approach the pier as to how brief) lag before it has any noticeable effect, the electric is practically instantaneous. Off topic…..
Thanks. Nice to have options. Cheers.
I'm excited for you! If I wasn't so crickety I'd want to steal aboard and go with. Have a fab trip - got my fingers crossed for you. Looking forward to pix!
John, best wishes and looking forward to your article and photos from the Journey/Adventure!!
Can you share any interior photos?
Rob,
I couldn't figure out how to attach any to this? Sorry.