It's fun to speculate about the possibilities of alternative power
sources for boats. But, as a practical matter, simplicity plus tried
and true, seem to work best - if it's reliability you want. We have
just completed another southbound trip on Sno' Dog, our PDQ 34 - again
without a single mechanical problem. Since 2006, we've logged over
15,000 nautical miles and have over 1500 hours on our twin 4JH3
Yanmars - haven't had single a mechanical problem.
Along the ICW this fall, we met a number of boaters struggling with
mechanical issues, some awaiting the delivery of parts so they could
continue on their way. We also noted a surprising number of calls to
Sea Tow for one reason or another.
Diesel/Electric Hybrid systems work well in cars because of
regenerative braking, but this really doesn't apply to boats. There
may be some applications where it makes sense, for very low-powered
vessels (like Endeavour's new Electric Boat) but few people are
content to travel that slowly nowadays.
I think many experienced boaters make do with a good set of house
batteries (enough to carry their needs for 24 hours) plus an inverter
to supply 115 VAC as needed. The batteries can be recharged by the
engines, a generator, or possibly with solar or wind power. The only
fly in the ointment is air conditioning. The need for AC can be
greatly reduced by moving around with the seasons - on Sno' Dog we use
more heat than AC! Plus, we have many opening ports & hatches. (We
have a grand total of 65 hours on our generator!)
Henry Clews
Jensen Beach, FL
most recent blog: www.snodoglog.com/09Fall-Pg3.html
It's fun to speculate about the possibilities of alternative power
sources for boats. But, as a practical matter, simplicity plus tried
and true, seem to work best - if it's reliability you want. We have
just completed another southbound trip on Sno' Dog, our PDQ 34 - again
without a single mechanical problem. Since 2006, we've logged over
15,000 nautical miles and have over 1500 hours on our twin 4JH3
Yanmars - haven't had single a mechanical problem.
Along the ICW this fall, we met a number of boaters struggling with
mechanical issues, some awaiting the delivery of parts so they could
continue on their way. We also noted a surprising number of calls to
Sea Tow for one reason or another.
Diesel/Electric Hybrid systems work well in cars because of
regenerative braking, but this really doesn't apply to boats. There
may be some applications where it makes sense, for very low-powered
vessels (like Endeavour's new Electric Boat) but few people are
content to travel that slowly nowadays.
I think many experienced boaters make do with a good set of house
batteries (enough to carry their needs for 24 hours) plus an inverter
to supply 115 VAC as needed. The batteries can be recharged by the
engines, a generator, or possibly with solar or wind power. The only
fly in the ointment is air conditioning. The need for AC can be
greatly reduced by moving around with the seasons - on Sno' Dog we use
more heat than AC! Plus, we have many opening ports & hatches. (We
have a grand total of 65 hours on our generator!)
Henry Clews
Jensen Beach, FL
most recent blog: www.snodoglog.com/09Fall-Pg3.html
