A 56 pound thrust is equivalent to about 1/2 hp gas OB, I think. The Torqueedo is equivalent to a 3 horsepower gas OB. Judy BlumhorstHyde Sails of Northern Californiawww.judybsails.comjudy@judybsails.com cell: 925.208.1692fax: 925.820.2327 skype: judith.blumhorstwww.HydeSails.com From: Howard Audsley <haudsley@tranquility.net> To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2014 9:34 AM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Torqeedo outboards A few years back during a time when my outboard was in the shop, I took to using a transom mounted 56# thrust Motorguide trolling motor. (M17). I mostly used it to get on and off the dock and around the marina, but at full throttle, I could get upwards of 4 knots out of it in a calm. At half throttle it was an easy 2.5 to 3 knots. And quiet. On a full charge with a group 24 deep cycle, I'm sure I could have had a range of 5 miles or so (one way). I decided I liked it better than the outboard, so that is what I used most of that summer..........until the day came when I had to buck 25 to 30 knot winds dead on the nose to get back to the dock on a dying battery. My 4 hp outboard would punch through that easy. This wouldn't do it. Haven't used it since. Battery life and charge is your big concern, but so is running out of gas with an outboard. But I think that for the same weight, gas will get you farther and you can see when you are about to run out of it. On Nov 13, 2014, at 11:18 AM, Dave Scobie wrote:
another consideration in using a solar panel is where to locate. a 45W, as as been discussed, will be about 2' x 2' in size (exact depends on model).
solar panel output is significantly reduced by any shading of the panel, or when the sun isn't directly overhead, or even a cloudless but 'hazy' day. even the shade from the mast (just the mast, not the sails) can reduce output.
-- :: Dave Scobie :: former M15 owner - www.freewebs.com/m15-named-scred :: M17 #375 SWEET PEA - www.m17-375.webs.com
On Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 9:35 AM, Bill Dixon <bill@miralee.com> wrote:
As Judith says, the quiet and easy shifting of electric propulsion are delightful. Plus, it is a gentle treatment of the environment.
Be cautious however in depending upon solar power to keep you motoring for long periods. Max (full throttle) power into the 1003 is 1 KW, and at 29.6 battery voltage that means you are drawing over 30 amps. A 45 W panel is going to deliver max 1.5 amps, or approximately 5% of full throttle requirements, and the specs say that it takes 13 hours to fully charge the battery which is rated at somewhat over 0.5 KWHr. I use PV panels for several systems and have found that it takes a lot of effort to obtain 13 hours of sunlight aimed directly on your panel. If you have long charging periods in between uses, that becomes less critical, but steady state solar propulsion would require larger panels.
Lapping water on the hull,
Bill M-17 Robbin Windsor, CA