Going Electric

I've mentioned before in this blog my frustration with the Atomic 4 engine that On the Brink was originally provided. The engine simply was not reliable enough for us to enjoy sailing; I was always afraid that it wouldn't start and we would be stuck out on the lake no way back in an emergency. Doing the research on replacement led me to understand that a new A4 or similar engine would run in the range of $8,000, way too much for me to drop without my wife having a heart attack. Needing another solution
I kept researching and eventually discovered a relatively small but growing group of sailboat owners converting their late model boats over to electric motors. It appeared that there was a sweet spot in sizes. Boats smaller than 22' typically didn't have the ability to carry sufficient batteries to realistically use an electric engine. The cost for these systems ran anywhere from $1,500 and $8,000 not including batteries for a boat my size.
This great difference in price is the result of the different approaches to implementation. After my experience and research I typically put electric con versions in three categories:
1) Turn Key Systems - a quick google search will turn up several companies some with quite a long history of electric boats dating back more than a century. These companies offer turn-key solutions and will custom design, procure and install an electric motor into your sailboat for you. It appeared to me to almost be a menu type approach and for someone who just wants to get out and sail is an excellent choice. The systems are well engineered and are therefore reliable and beautiful to behold once installed. On the downside is cost, running anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000 a turnkey electric solution is similar in cost to a new diesel and would not work for me.
2) Kit Systems - A little further down in the google search you will find another handful of companies offering kits to convert your sailboat over to electric. Kits include everything you need and can even be pre-engineered to your needs. You simply order what you need and a box with all of the parts arrives on your doorstep for you to install. I got the feeling that this was the most common route for a budget sailor. Many of these kits are even sold by the same companies offering turn-key systems are are very high quality. The quality of product and level of engineering is highly dependant upon how much you are willing to spend; typically in the $3,000-$6,000 range.
3) DIY Systems - In the bargain barrel lie the DIY systems, this is where I did my shopping. One can find a variety of parts and pieces that makeup the more refined kit and turn key system. In order to sort through all of the information I looked at what the pre-engineered systems consisted of most typically and found some common themes; a 5kw motor and matched controller, a reduction drive and motor mount to hold it all together. Before I purchased anything I poured over information and researched as much as I could; I needed to make sure that I engineered a system that would be reliable and the cost would be kept to a minimum. Every choice was a compromise and is the subject of another post. In the end I went with the DIY route and never looked back.
I hope to start a series of posts detailing my engineering decisions, materials, costs and resources for others to use to advise their own designs so stay tuned.

A whole year has passed, a brief summary of the events.

If my last post was titled "It's been awhile", I'm not even sure what to call this one. Anyways, since the last post quite a bit has happened... actually over a year of activity.

For starters, the end of the season ended really well for us all. The Air and Water show was fun to see albeit briefly from the water. For added adventure I got too close to Navy Pier which was apparently closed to marine traffic and had the Coast Guard escort me away at gunpoint, that was a first. A few sails later and it was time to put On the Brink away for the winter.

Fall 2013 River Trip - Lakeshore Drive Bridge

In late September we took what we have discovered to be a bit of a rite of passage (literally and figuratively) for Chicago sailors; a river trip. The city has the most movable bridges of any city in the world and we got to putter past 24 of them, most nearing or over a century old. Due to the impact upon traffic the bridges are only opened for a few days each fall and spring for this annual ritual. Lots of fun with Eric, Scott and Laura as we and half a dozen other boats dodged water taxis and tourists on the way down river to Canal Street Marina at 18th street.

New Hatches built at the park district shop

The winter was an exciting time for the most part, repairing and replacing everything that I broke. Most notably was the replacement of the A4 with an Electric motor of my own design. I eluded to this in a previous post and will probably make a detailed one soon. I also replaced the old lazarette and forward hatches. The Chicago Park District has a woodshop up in lincoln park cultural center that is for public use. The great staff there helped me transform a box of teak flooring into some pretty impressive hatches. Not to be outdone, Laura earned her nickname "Hatches-O-Hoolihandy" by installing them on the boat and making the necessary tweaks to make them work perfectly.

Spring brought another river trip, this time with Matt, Scott and Laura. It was MUCH colder than fall but still lots of fun. As an added bonus I found a photographer that was taking photos of the boats on our march (told you it was a rite of passage.) The photos are spectacular and we even paid to have one blown up that is now hanging above our mantle. It was a great "sea-trial" for the new electric motor with great results.

Professional Photo of the Sprin 2014 River Trip at Lake Street - photo credit Milosh Kosanovich

Unfortunately summer was rather mild and combined with a heavy work load and buying a home we 

Concerts at Northerly Island from the dock with friends

didn't get out as much as the year before. A major advantage we had in 2014 was our location; the electric motor requires a plug-in so we had a slip. Our slip EJ12 is on the east side of Burnham Harbor right next to the music pavilion. Lots of evenings were spent with friends at the dock listening to concerts for free. We did have some memorable sails however including 4th of July fireworks, Air and Water show, and the Pinnacle regatta. The most memorable of the summer however is when Grandpa Dave came down for a day sail. As you know, grandpa is the one who taught me to sail and instilled my passion for the sea. I had a blast showing off and learning from him all day, I think he was equally as pleased knowing that he was my inspiration.

Pinnacle Regatta fun

Fall brought another trip up the river this time with Scott and Tina. This trip was much more laid back for us "veterans" and we cruised into Canal Street with ease on the last weekend of September. With fall comes the annual repairs and improvements list of which there are plenty. First up is replacement of the original teak rubrails that were battered and splintered after 40 years. Also, dropping the mast to install new wiring and lights for safety.