HARBOR TEST 2015

A few weeks ago I did another of the annual harbor tests I have been doing on BIANKA's electric propulsion system. Here is a graph of the results:

Results are similar to least years tests with no real significant differences. Here is a graph of this years data compared with the 2014 test:

Some of the other data comparisons of the tests:

 The % battery at the end of the test was 89.7% compared to 90.6% last year.

The Amp Hours used for the test was 16.5 compared to 15.2 for the 2014 test.

NOTE: Some of the increase may be due to the distance traveled for the the test. This year the distance traveled for the test was 2.2 nm while in 2014 it was 1.8 nm. The difference might be explained by the location of the buoys which are removed and replaced each year in the harbor.

The tests show that the Thoosa electric propulsion system is still preforming well. It has been eight years after I installed it.  Along with  the reduction in maintenance and cost savings it continues to reinforce the notion  that it was a good decision to convert to electric propulsion back in 2007.


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MORE REGEN!

A reader of this blog reminded me of another video I had seen recently regarding regen. Though it's not often that BIANKA will hit 7 knots under sail but, I'm happy when it does. But, this video of a test by ASMO MARINE shows what can be achieved by regen in the right conditions:



Interesting that they achieved this with a two blade folding prop too!

ELECTRIC PROPULSION GOES MAINSTREAM

It did not take long for West Marine to see the future. 

Sorry West Marine. Been there, done that:

I've been very happy with my ASMO MARINE Thoosa 9000 system which I installed in 2008. Still it's good to see marine electric propulsion systems start to appear in stores like West Marine. Many of us who made the switch are never going back to diesel. Others will follow in our wake. No pun intended.Because electric propulsion systems are easily upgradable everyone will benefit from an increased users and improved technology especially in the battery area. Having the world's first electrically propelled Nonsuch 30 it's such a pleasure to open the hatch to where the diesel use to reside and just have the smell of clean and not oil and diesel. It's also nice to enjoy a quiet conversation in the cockpit as you motor out of the harbor. Perhaps others will now start to enjoy the same pleasant experiences.


 

Going electric: Part 1: The why and how

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NOTE FROM CAPT. MIKE: IN THE SPRING OF 2008 I BEGAN THE CONVERSION OF MY 30 FOOT SAILBOAT TO ELECTRIC PROPULSION THE 20 "GOING ELECTRIC" POSTS ARE THE CHRONICLE OF THAT PROJECT:



Well the diesel engine that bought both joy and misery to my sailing seasons is finally out of the boat.

I had at first planed to re power with another diesel. But, Westerbeke had no drop in replacement. So I began looking around for other diesels engines too. Finally, I was pretty sure I would go with a Beta Marine diesel. I had heard some good recommendations and I like location of the major items to service were located It would make changing oil filters, and impellers very easy. Unlike the Westerbeke 27 where I had to change the raw water impeller pretty much by feel and hoping I did not drop any screws in the process.
Then one day I was on my boat and heard the whistle of the Port Jefferson to Bridgeport ferry as it left the dock. I recalled a conversation I had with one of the crew a few years ago about what powered the ferry. He said it was diesel electric. It was an "Aha!" moment. So I began to look at the idea of repowering BIANKA with an electric motor.

After much research and mulling it over in my mind and going back and forth on what the implications of going over to electric propulsion. It would require some rethinking and precautions when planning for trips. But, always in the end I reminded myself that BIANKA is a sailboat. So I decided to do it. It may be the best decision or an expensive mistake. So come along with me as I turn BIANKA into an electric powered Nonsuch.
Because I missed out on sailing all last season I did not want to spend to much time tinkering with components. So I decided to go with a Thoosa 9000 system from ASMO Marine. I looked like the best route for me to go and pretty cost competitive with a replacement diesel and much better for the environment and those who will be sailing on board. So after contacting the ASMO Marine rep here in the U.S. I started down the road to spec the correct ASMO system for my Nonsuch and my needs. It took a few months to convince myself that this was the route to go down. There were not any comparable boats to mine that had done this. But, as the fuel prices continued to rise and my less than pleasant experiences with repairing the former diesel I decided to take the plunge and order a Thoosa 9000 electric propulsion system.

OH JOY!

When it's a damp drizzly April in my soul there is nothing like the feeling of pulling into your driveway and finding two 45 lb packages that represent the entire new propulsion system for your boat. Well not exactly entire system. As the TV ads say "batteries not included" still I was happy to see those boxes rather than a four hundred pound diesel sitting there.
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Going Electric: Part 3: Before and after...

Click on the video below to see and before and after shot of the starboard side of the engine area view in the start for electrification process on BIANKA. It shows what things start to look like after removing the raw water and the Frigoboat refrigeration hoses and components.



Looks good no. But, look closer there is more stuff to be removed as I point out in this photo:

Let's not forget the raw water filter brackets mounted on the left and that Promariner electric noise/protection device (Blue labeled box) mounted above the foam installation. This device was connected to the alternator which of course went out of the boat with the engine. The hose in front of the Hydro Hush muffler once ran from the heat exchanger to to the fresh water antifreeze pump. It will soon be taken off the boat. I could leave the foil faced foam sound insulation in place but, it will not be needed with the quietness of of electric propulsion. But there are other more important reasons for removing it which I'll get to in a later post.

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Going Electric Part 7: Hosed again!

Now that most of the engine parts have been removed and the area has been cleared of all unnecessary vestiges of the internal combustion engine. It's time to focus on the area where the electric motor will be installed.
As you can see there is not a lot of room for it's installation. It would be much easier to install the Thoosa 9000 or any electric propulsion system for that matter if I had a straight line engine and transmission setup. But, unfortunately BIANKA had a Hurth V drive transmission and this is the area where the transmission connected up to the prop shaft as shown below: This arrangement I assume helps to save space with the engine installation as the engine sits over the prop shaft and the V Drive transmission allows for connection to the prop shaft. Even though there is not a lot of room one of the real nice things about the Thoosa 9000 motor is that is small. How small is it?

Small enough to be carried on board in a boat bag! Try that with a replacement diesel. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I still need to clean and clear out this area before one can start to install the motor. The photo below shows that yes there is indeed MORE HOSES to move along with a bunch of wiring. But, these items are only going to be removed temporarily. They will be reinstalled once the motor has been installed. Below is a photo that identifies some of the items to be moved:
Also hidden under the bilge hoses on the right is an AC wire and the propane line. NOTE: Make sure the propane tank is disconnected before you disconnect the propane lines. Also make sure all of the equipment is turned off before you disconnect the wiring to get it out of the way. Also note the you may have to reconnect the ground wires of the boat to a new terminal connection point . On BIANKA these wires were formally connected up to a single point on the now removed engine. As shown below:

You need to take a little time to think about how you are going to remove the wires and hoses. Because you may find that some are best to be disconnected and moved temporarily forward and other items are better to be pulled aft. Some of the wires may run through supports and are were run before connectors were put on the ends so removing them entirely may be more difficult than others.


Shown above are the wires for the bilge pump and the cables for the depth sounder, wind indicator and speedometer along with assorted ground wires.
I found that all the hoses that ran into the bilge it was easier to pull them back aft. While the wiring was pulled forward. Also these hoses have been sitting there for over twenty years and have gotten a little grimy making it a good time to clean things up. NOTE: Keep the bilge vent hose handy after you pull it back. It will be very helpful in venting the work area during installation as things will be getting dusty and it will also help in removing fumes once the fiberglass work begins.

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GOING ELECTRIC PART 12: Installing the mounts

Now that the stringers have been cut to to the prop shaft angle. Now we need to install the brackets to the stringer bed. There are made up of heavy gauge aluminum as shown below:

First we make sure that they fit and will provide the proper base for the motor mounts.

The next step was to provide a level base on the stringers. Epoxy was thickened and applied to the cut stringers. This will seal the open grain and provide for a solid flat surface for the aluminum angle brackets to lay on.

If you look closely at the above picture the thickened epoxy has been laid on the stringers. Some plastic wrap has been applied over it. The aluminum angle bracket has been laid on top of this plastic. This allows the aluminum bracket to be made level without sticking to the still wet epoxy. The metal bar laying on top of the stringer will be used to make sure the bracket is level. After this step the epoxy will be allowed to cure. The plastic will be removed the aluminum brackets secured to the stringers with bolts. Then the motor mounts will be attached to the aluminum brackets and then the brackets that will hold the motor are attached to the motor mounts as shown below:

If you look closely at the prop shaft in comparison with the previous pictures you will notice the prop shaft has also been cut down by about 9 inches. In the above photo you can see that the shaft face is flush while the previous photo shows the original shaft with the key way groove. The next step is to mount the motor.

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GOING ELECTRIC PART 13: Motor on!

At this point the diesel has been removed, the area cleared out of any unnecessary items, the stringers have been extended and cut, brackets and motor mounts have been installed. It almost is anti climatic how easy it was to install the motor. But, here it is:

Below is an overhead view. You can see the tabs where the wires will be connected and also the stuffing box through which the prop shaft travels. Speaking of the prop shaft....

Below is a photo of the original V drive transmission setup from the diesel days. The prop shaft ran under the transmission and engine. This made for some difficult maintenance issues of the stuffing box.

Below is a photo of what it looked like underneath the transmission. There was not a lot of room underneath to try and loosen the stuffing box nut. This made changing the packing in the stuffing box very difficult. It was also out of sight. You can also see the corrosion on the transmission flange from salt water that dripped on it over the years . The conversion to electric propulsion has made changing the packing a much easier procedure.

With the electric motor installed (below) the stuffing box is out in the open and much easier to get to compared to the photo above. This will make adjustment very easy. But, there is no free lunch. I will have to remove the Stafford coupling that connects the motor shaft to the prop shaft to replace the packing but, since it too is easily accessible and removable it is a much better setup from a maintenance standpoint.

I am very pleased with the installation. But, it is useless without some of the other components. Most importantly the batteries. So it's time to move on to the next phase which is installing the batteries, controller other components.

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GOING ELECTRIC PART 14: Before and after batteries

Now that the motor is installed it's time to move on toward the next phase of the electrification project which is installing the batteries. But, first let's take a before and after look at where we are:

BEFORE:

AND AFTER

Now that's so much better. That's the installed motor in the foreground and lot's of room aft. Of course you can't tell in the photo above but, the area not only looks clean but, smells clean now that the last traces of diesel and oil have been removed. At this point I would have liked to repaint the area a nice white color. But, it is mid June and I have to make a 200 mile trip to Newport Rhode Island starting in about two weeks to attend the Nonsuch Rendezvous. So there is not a lot of time to finish the electrification project, get launched and do some shakedown cruises. So I am skipping the painting. It's really not a critical thing to do and besides most of the area shown will be covered by the battery installation. I've not removed the existing stringers because they are integral part of the hull and removing them I feel would make the area somewhat weaker. But the stringers also prevent me from installing the size batteries I wanted. So I will use the stringers to my advantage along with some other existing items. I decided to build a battery platform on top of them. Here is where I began:

As the above photo shows I first installed a strip of wood that was level with the top of the stringers. This will help support that end of the battery platform. Note: This is secured to the area where the noise foam was previously installed and is one of the reasons why I removed the foam. Also by using a battery platform I am also raising them over the level of the raw water sea cock. Which I am keeping because I may use it as part of a raw water washdown system in the future. Raising the batteries will also keep them dry and easier to access for maintenance.

I next move on the the stringers which need to be prepped before installing the battery platform.

Here I filled the holes and cut outs where the diesel engine brackets were once installed. This was done to seal the grain and strengthen the area.

I then moved on to the platform which was made in two pieces so that I could fit them through the hatches. First I installed some strips of woods to serve as braces on the backside of the platform pieces.
Now that the braces have been installed it's time see how the platform fits.

Not bad. For the battery platform I used scrap pieces of wood I had on hand. The front section is pine the aft section is some marine plywood. Before installing the plywood I put on a couple of coats of West System Epoxy to help seal it. Also notice the cut out at the rear that allows access to the sea raw water sea cock. I am happy with the fit next I will secure the platform.

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GOING ELECTRIC PART 18: Tools of the electric sailor.

The motor is in place. The batteries are in place. Now comes the time where buying the ASMO MARINE THOOSA 9000 system really comes in handy. One of the reasons I went with the ASMO system was that it is relatively turn key product. Which is good because I am fast approaching deadlines to head off to a rendevous in Newport Rhode Island.

The Thoosa 9000 system provided by NGC Marine provided a controller that was prewired with about 15 feet of 2 AWG guage battery wires. They also provide an industrial type of throttle control and optional battery monitor both prewired with connectors that simply plug into the controller.

The only thing I need to do is to run the motor and battery cables cut them to length and put connectors on them and also interconnect the batteries to make the 48 volt bank. In order to do this properly I needed to buy two tools I did not already have:

The photo above shows a nasty looking piece of technology called the CACTUS CC-325 ratchting cable cutter. It cuts the big 2 AWG cables nice and flush and does it very easy too. If you are going electric it is a good thing to have onboard. You never know when you might have to replace a jumper between batteries or replace a connector. Another item you should buy and have available is this:

An industrial heavy duty crimper. This is needed to make secure crimps on the battery and motor cable lugs. Now the only thing remaining to do is to mount the controller and wire it to the battery bank and motor. Then plug in the throttle control, key switch and battery monitor and BIANKA will become the world's first electric Nonsuch 30.
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GOING ELECTRIC PART 19: WHAT'S IN THE BOX

So now I've got the battery cables and the motor all connected and ready to go. It's time to mount the controller box. But, first let's take a quick look inside.


It is a pretty robust layout. All the components mount on a thick piece of aluminum that serves as a heat sink for the all important motor controller. To me things are not that complicated and as I have an electronics background it seems it will be much easier to troubleshoot than all the things that can go wrong with a diesel engine. In fact the electric motor on board could be run directly from the battery if needed avoiding the entire controller box if I had to. But, at some loss of efficiency and speed control. I am beginning to appreciate the simplicity of electric propulsion over the conventional diesel engine that it replaced. When you think about it the diesels on board many boats are much more complicated the an electric propulsion system like the Thoosa 9000. Here is exhibit A:


This is the back of a typical diesel control panel in the cockpit. All these wires and connections not to mention the connections at the other end on the engine can make trouble shooting somewhat of a challenge compared to the single box controller of an electric propulsion system like ASMO's. In addition most diesel engines on board sailboats of a certain size also use electric motors at least to get them started. This adds additional complexity to the fuel and mechanical systems already inherent in ICE propulsion. Think of electric propulsion just hooking up the diesel starter motor to the prop and eliminating the diesel altogether and you get the idea of how simple the system is. Going to electric propulsion also eliminates all the problems with pumps (fuel, antifreeze and water) and the hoses that connect to them. Making electric propulsion even simpler. I like that a lot!

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GOING ELECTRIC PART 20: THE FINAL CONNECTIONS

Well it's time to mount the controller and make the finals connections. This is where the going with the ASMO MARINE THOOSA 9000 really paid off. As it is really a plug and play. Or I should say plug and propel system. But, first mounting the controller. I choose the location that was previously occupied by components of the Fridgoboat refrigeration systems and the antifreeze tank of the Westerbeke Diesel. Here is the before photo:
And below is the after photo with the controller and battery charger installed in the same area:

This location really worked out well. It is located close to the battery bank making for a short cable run. Is easily accessible from a maintenance standpoint and from the cockpit. So that the master switch located on the controller is easy to reach. One detail I should mention in mounting the controller is I used the mounting nut to provide an space of about a quarter inch between the back of the controller and the bulkhead it is mounted to. This was to help the aluminum heat sink of the controller to dissipate the heat more rapidly. Here is a detailed photo of the mounting arrangement on one of the four mounts:
With the controller mounted the only thing left is to plug in the cables. The ASMO MARINE controller comes prewired with the battery and motor cables. It also uses a combination Anderson and LEMO connectors for battery charger, throttle, battery monitor and key switch. These simply plugged into the labeled jacks on the controller as shown below: The only thing left was to mount the throttle. Since time was tight I had to jury rig the throttle which is a pretty industrial affair. It will look better once I make a proper mounting platform for it. But, for now I just ty wrapped it up at the helm where the diesel throttle use to be controlled from. It was ugly but, it worked:
I also made a temporary mount for the battery monitor and key switch and mounted them in the same place where the former diesel motor instrument panel was located. So the entire system is connected the only thing left its to try a test:

And so in June 2008 BIANKA became the world's first electrically propelled Nonsuch 30.

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