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by gabereiser 1868 days ago
Larger sailing vessels (10m+) are actually moving towards solar + hydroelectric with lithium batteries (48v) to power electric engines and generators. Sailing with wind power uses the hydroelectric generators and solar. Motor sailing uses solar and you regen a little bit from hydro or a wind turbine.

https://www.sailinguma.com/
2 comments
throw0101a 1868 days ago
Dan and Kika of Sailing Uma themselves recognize that this setup is not for everyone. Here's an interview with them on Sailing Ruby Rose on the subject:

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOAXi5huV1U

A better solution, for the time being, may be what Rebuilding Tally Ho is doing and use a hybrid engine:

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xohxmwPfctg

He specifically chose a Beta Marine (marinized Kubota) diesel that has an electric motor/alternator connected to a 48V battery bank. If either the mechanics or electrics go, he can use the other. For short jaunts, like in and out of harbours, he can use the electric system to preserve fuel. The system has re-gen capabilities under sail.

More pricey though.

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gabereiser 1867 days ago
Awesome thanks for that! I wasn’t aware of Beta Marine’s hybrid engine. Looks awesome but definitely pricey.
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PaulDavisThe1st 1868 days ago
The article essentially dismisses lithium batteries as non-sustainable.
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coryrc 1868 days ago
Which is dumb, because the "saltwater" batteries have manganese cathode and titanium phosphate anode... doesn't sound radically different than lithium iron phosphate.
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cfn 1868 days ago
There were a number of fires in boats at the beginning of using lithium batteries that put off many people from using them.
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throw0101a 1868 days ago
Because "lithium" means a whole category of things. See this mega-thread that was started in 2011 when people will still feeling things out:

* https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f166/lifepo4-batteries-...

The chemistry of LiFePO4 was settled on (versus something that used cobalt, à la Boeing's 787), and the risk of fires has been reduced considerably. You're more likely to have a boat fire from bad DIY electrical cabling and a lack of fusing.

For more than you ever wanted to know about marine electrical/electronics see Jeff Cote's channel:

* https://www.youtube.com/user/pacificyachtsystems/videos

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gabereiser 1867 days ago
All batteries are non-sustainable. They burn out eventually.
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