Electric Boats - Any good?

About 18 months ago I noticed a fine looking launch for sale in the Book of Dreams (Trade a Boat) website. It seemed a pretty good price and as I was in Melbourne next day I decided to go out to Williamstown to have a look.  I also think it was an excuse to  go to Williamstown as it always has something good to see for people who like boats like me.

Anyway the boat looked very good - so I bought it, about 10 minutes ahead of two others who were keen, sight unseen, from interstate. Of course the motor worked when I looked at it but when I got it home and we launched it a week or so later the motor did not work.

I engaged the services of Frank our local marine electrical engineer (no website but Paynesville Marine Electronics is at 61 Slip Rd) who took it home to his workshop and did his best to restore life. However the boat wiring was old and a number of people had obviously modified it, so it was decided to rewire the boat and install a new and smarter battery charger and dumb battery chargers are no longer de riguer. Being 36v also helped with this decision.

Bugger me dead - all working good on land - get it into the water and she only goes backwards.

After much head scratching the decision is made to rewind the 36v 3HP electric motor. Found a great business in Oakleigh that does the job and with some fine tuning of the controller Frank has her running pretty good.

The Egyptian Hyroglphics are supposed to say Ra (sun God) but I need to check this as it could mean something else !

So this is now like a new boat -apart from the batteries which were fairly new anyway but allowed to go flat. Frank resurrected these to health and also installed a smart gauge to show how many hours of cruising left.

I am now in the process of getting the boat back into survey and hopefully someone will lease or buy this vessel to conduct short tours around Paynesville and the canals. The vessel was originally built by Graham Daniels in Port Lincoln. Graham makes some beautifully designed boats and this particular 24ft design has been sold all around Australia, predominantly to tour operators. Graham has just sold his identical boat in Port Lincoln after operating tours there for nearly 10 years.

This particular boat has 6 large 12v truck batteries and can theoretically cruise for approx. 32nm per charge. So 8 hours at 4 knots, 4 hours at 8 knots, 16 hours at 2 knots - you get the idea?  However 1 hour at 32knots does not work.  4 - 5 knots appears to be the comfortable (and quiet) cruising speed.

It really is a great little boat. I took my 80yo Mum and a few of her friends (and their 4 large dogs) for a 3 hour cruise earlier in the week from Sperm Whale Head to our block on Boole Poole and back via Ocean Grange. It was very pleasant, quietly sneaking up on birds and wildlife and being able to talk normally.

I think electrical power is certainly an option for many boats and I know a few people who have happily converted. As batteries get lighter, stronger and cheaper this technology will increase in popularity.

I really do need to reduce the fleet - so if you know of anyone interested in running tours around Paynesville - then I have a deal for you!