My Catamaran's Electric Motor Setup (With Solar Charger)

[@muklin]

This was so informative, thanks!! The quality of your vids has increased heaps since your first videos too. Loved to see the Electric motor on the Proa, so versatile.

[@ktorn1]

I admire the courage to disassemble and mod a brand new piece of kit! Then again I suppose its better to learn it inside out before you start to depend on it.

[@markthomasson5077]

Ali Express…it ain’t going to be sent back whatever

[@dominictarrsailing]

Ha well it needed to change. And how complicated could it be? I also didnt open the bottom underwater part. Thats more risky!

[@waughthogwaugh3078]

Always so cool that you are so happy to have a go at alternative or fringe ideas. This tech is changing so fast! Those fires look scary. Another great vid, thanks for sharing.

[@dominictarrsailing]

Of course! Why would i sail a wharram otherwise! There is a lot of invetment going into battery tech currently and its getting better quite quickly. Im sure it will become mainstream pretty soon and it will be hard to sell your petrol outboard second hand...

[@orangespy]

My dude, love your videos. I like your reliance on renewable energy and appreciate the extra safety the electric outboard has given you.

[@1968lr]

The quality of information in your videos is excellent.

[@tanukish]

Good point about being on top of preventative corrosion protection.

[@xmarksthespot5188]

Super awesome idea of using a trolling motor , marine electric outboards are so expensive . Thanks for sharing this realistic approach to self reliance !

[@dominictarrsailing]

I started with a trolling motor but I would consider this one a big upgrade over those. this one is about equivalent to a 2-3 hp motor

[@dominictarrsailing]

but the thing that's good about it, is that it has a non-integrated battery, which in my opinion gives you more options

[@burtonsville]

Great videos. Sailed an Albin Vega 27 in the Baltic with 6 friends for 5 weeks, dumpster diving and generally having a great adventure. Your videos reminder me of that time. If you're ever in Pōneke and need a hand with boat projects I'd be happy to help. I'm currently doing the caravan and van life version of your adventures but tempted to take to the sea each time you release another video haha

[@dominictarrsailing]

Damn i was just there recently! Thats a lot of people in a small boat! I have a raven 26, pretty close to an albin vega i think, once had 5 people sleep on it! 4 fits better. Btw... the raven is looking for a new owner... id be very happy for it to go to someone who would take it on decent adventures!

[@dnomyarnostaw]

Very helpful visualising electronics in a salt water environment, on a small project. Vaseline jelly gets the tick of approval from many sites, so that's good to know.

[@dominictarrsailing]

I was recommended by an old engineer, and I used it on the terminal block for the bilge pump on my other boat, several years it sat on the mooring. with the bilge pump not going for some reason. Eventually i fixed it - realized the problem was elsewhere, the terminal block was perfect! just slathered in vaselene and then wrapped in electrical tape! I think it would have been underwater too!

[@peterhamilton3511]

Gtrate video Dominic, I enjoy your ingenuity and absence of huge quantities of money that seems to pervade everything.

[@marknelson6292]

I switched to an electric car when the transmission went on my petrol one a year ago. Loving seeing an electric boat!

[@dominictarrsailing]

Great! I love how much fewer moving parts there are in an electric motor!

[@quadcam24v]

I like your perspective, info and take on running electric. I'm a gearhead and chronic re-user at heart so a mono with a small diesel will likely be the path I'll take. Outboards are funny buggers, I see people running the same shabby outboard for decades and then others who see no end of drama.

[@dominictarrsailing]

Absolutely. It also amazes me what level of unrelyability people tolerate. I see people putting out in thier dinghy and the motor stopping and they have to pull start it again (and of course it doesnt go first time). Id rather row!

[@bobbycomputers]

Oh wow. That was cool. Solar is such a miracle really - always good to see you cut a hole in your boat too. lol

[@bobbycomputers]

Also when replacing batteries in my phone and laptop, I'm always worried about the possibility of a explosion - the glue is terrible to work with. I've been lucky so far. Those fire videos were terrifying

[@dominictarrsailing]

haha not in a part that could sink the boat! just the cockpit

[@dominictarrsailing]

solar is a gift from god, but batteries are a deal with the devil

[@majik-k8j]

Looks like a Pahi 31. Had one, sailed fast and comfortably. Did not need all those wires.

[@dominictarrsailing]

correct! it does have redundant rigging, but also I like that the mast doesn't fall down

[@johnnyT428]

I've been using an Epropulsion electric for several seasons on my 16ft gaffer. I was abe to use a step up controller and a single 50w panel to top it up. I'm now transferring it to my Wharram Tiki 26. I'll be posting vids on how it goes. The Gaffer though smaller is the same weight as the Wharram and would do 2-3 knots at a third throttle. I'm hoping to get similar speeds or slightly less. Please keep doing your vids- they are the best for the simple Wharram cruising ethos in my opinion.

[@dominictarrsailing]

that's great! I'd definitely want more solar panels though. Pretty easy to fit on a catamaran. In my experience it doesn't take too much energy to push anything up to about 2 knots then it starts to take a lot more. Especially when you are well below hull speed etc. I can scull my monohull (2.5 tonne) at a knot and a half, just using my arms. I'm curious to hear how well it goes on a tiki 26!

[@johnnyT428]

@@dominictarrsailing I will have more solar. The Epropulsion can also recharge it's battery whilst sailing using the prop as a turbine.

[@davidfrancis8899]

I have an epropulsion spirit the one that has regen. I bought 2 batteries from epropulsion with it at the time of purchase. I am working through issues with both batteries where they have sudden drop out . The battery either dies completely or drops to low % left . They both drop and the same % point each time .. one was at 48% the other was 25% .. it is repeatable … i returned one .. i am doing some testing on the other battery to try and work out if lower loading will cause or not cause the drop down .. i have been running them at full throttle . I posted this on epropulsion a few ppl chimed in that they experienced the same .. others were adamant they had never experienced it with their spirit.

[@johnnyT428]

@@davidfrancis8899 I've not had any issues with mine so far but cheers for raising your issues.

[@jeffcottis2489]

Nice work on protecting the motor.

[@MarkSpohr]

Good to see you using a solar boost converter. Smart. Also LiFePO4 batteries area good choice.

[@Moleasses102]

Impressive skills and reasoning. I connect so strongly with your concluding remarks about having to make decisions based on the weather and tides being a joy, and contributing to our awareness of and connection to nature. I am dumbfounded all the time by the number of "motor yachts with masts" powering around. Thanks for the great video!

[@dominictarrsailing]

absolutely. I sailed a 39 foot mono to Australia last year, and that made me understand it a bit. big boats are hard work to raise the sails, even me, young and fit, it was exausting! but the engine is just pushing a button! (unless it breaks down, then it's probably climbing into a filthy hole, or getting your wallet out) people seem to think big boats are better, but a small boat is much easier and more fun to sail too!

[@shoutatthesky]

Getting pretty flash now Dominic!

[@joeeigo9820]

I like the trade-off speed for a self refilling propulsion. It breaks this never ending rush cycle we find ourselves so often in. Often people refer to safety in regards to weather phenomens, especially on anchor, when you quickly need to move. But the real question is, why didn't you choose and setup your anchorage properly? There shouldn't be the need to leave in hurry in first place!

[@dominictarrsailing]

Absolutely! And in this modern age we have very very good weather forecasts so there is no excuse for that! our ancestors sailed engineless and built whole empires like that, people say yes but they died a lot. but now we have very good weather forcasts, and also accurate charts and navigation, and much stronger modern materials! so sailing engineless (or minimally engined) in the modern age is massively safer than it was for our ancestors

[@skaraborgcraft]

The corrosion on that bottom end circuit board is why im reluctant. Im thinking of running a hybrid system, but utilizing and inboard shaft. The 12-48v charger is a good idea, I run a 6v to12v pack on my old Honda XL, so i can run an led light and see where im going at night! Raw cells in a lock-box is a cheap and easy way to make a one-off system, if you know what you are doing.

[@dominictarrsailing]

I am pretty confidant that my unit doee not have a circuit board underwater like that. I havnt opened then bottom yet, but i picked one with a cylendrical shaped bottom end, not a round one... which i think has a small high rev motor and planetry gear like the torquedo. My hunch is that style will be more likely to have a circuit board (its the speed control) down there. Oh also there is another channel, sv_oiysh that had that problem with a torquedo and they replaced it with a new speed controller wired in from the top

[@LanceWicks]

Thanks for this vid, 6+ months in the making. :-) I've been exploring adding solar to my Velomobile (just lighting mainly). So this was really interesting. Thanks

[@dominictarrsailing]

velomobile! hmm you could probably achive a never-plug-in electric solar velomobile if it was used for commuting (not long distance) and not parked inside. although you might need a custom designed fairing that encapsulated the panels. I occasionally day dream about a cruising version of that solar car race they have in Australia

[@SavingMaverick55]

Cool setup, man. Looks like an ideal use for an electric outboard. I'll probably get one for my big boats dingy some day.

[@dominictarrsailing]

Sure, but i reckon even better is a proper rigid dinghy you can row. I dont understand why everone has these inflatable (deflatable) dinghies.

[@Worldslayer85]

Great video, be interesting to see where this goes.

[@dominictarrsailing]

thanks!

[@christymick141]

Very much enjoy all of your videos. Excellent stuff. Keep it up 👍

[@Jacalo69]

Thanks for your videos they are greatly appreciated. You mentioned your passage planning at the end there. A video on that process would be super interesting. I am an inshore (30 miles) qualified skipper and have done 90 mile crossings but all on monohulls with “reliable” inboard diesels. I today paid for a Pahi 26 and the gods willing will shortly take ownership. The considerations for a wharram with a trolling motor must just be different and I would appreciate your knowledge/experience. Thanks

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@Jacalo69 congratulations! You will have loads of fun in that pahi 26! hmm i already have quite a backlog of videos so one on passage planning will be a bit down the road but thats a good suggestion! I do have monohull experience but tbh i never really had a reliable engine so i have always planned in an enginefree way. So a bit harder to contrast the difference with relying on an engine. I am a big fan of electric propulsion but i think you do need to approach it as a more convienient version of engineless sailing. So, that requires using the tides to your advantage, and also having awareness of local weather patterns (but you learn about those quite quickly if you dont just start then engine) where i am sailing, the wind often picks up in the afternoon, and if so, usually drops off at night, so in that case plan to arrive by daylight - or stay out or accept youll arrive slowly. Mountains etc can interfere with the wind, so if i am going a long way i am more inclined to try to do it in one go. But really the trick is waiting for the right wind or just going where the wind wants you to go!

[@Jacalo69]

Thanks for your reply. Yes often we are making decisions on time restrictions, say holiday itinerary, rather decisions based on weather windows/conditions slowing down and just enjoying the privilege to be out on the water.Actually remember being caught in a terrible storm because my parents had arranged to meat people at a predetermined place. This was before internet and mobile phones. The boat is in Nantes and i think my biggest challenge will be the tides and crossing the channel to Cornwall, crazy shipping lanes. What is your pointing to the wind angle like?

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@Jacalo69 right. The most dangerous thing on a sail boat is a calendar! I learnt that early on. I havnt really measured it really accurately but i think my tacking angle is about 120 degrees. The boat goes so much better a bit further off, on a close reach, i generally try to avoid sailing to windward very far. Into a bay is okay, although sometimes i have done short passages (~100miles) close hauled on one tack the whole way. The ride is just much bumpier and wetter if the wind and waves is forward of the beam. I think it might be possible to point higher with newer sails, although really you'd need daggerboards. However i like being able to sail directly on to a beach! I dont mind trading a little windward ability for that! Im currently in a boat yard, and have seen the bottoms of a lot of large cruising cats, somewhat horrified to see most of them look like they cant dry out or run aground safely! With a pahi 31 if i get stuck i can jump off and heave the boat off (if i am quick, or just wait for the tide to come back up)

[@Jacalo69]

Thanks again. I’d like to get in contact regarding those sliding hatches sometime in the future. I have designed something similar but will need to tilt them outboard to then use the central deck as my workspace. But would you mind just briefly explain your navigation set up please. I am currently thinking charts , hand held gps , a rod heikel cruising guide for my zone.

[@maxthaysen5399]

super cool. thx for taking the time to show us!

[@RIVNUTBrainCaseSugaryGoodness]

well done from devon uk shame you cant fit more solar on your boat. great channel, thanks for making the videos

[@dominictarrsailing]

well... with a little imagination... I'm considering getting some flexible panels that I can lay on the deck to double the array at anchor or in calms, then store them in the cabin. Maybe be able to electro cruise all day in a sunny calm? would need electric autopilot too. I think having at least one backup panel is a good idea, if going offshore because I can easily imagine a panel getting damaged in a storm. I did loose a panel on my previous boat. I'm not sure what happened just noticed the glass had shattered! Managed to poke some wires in and it still worked so I had lights on the way back to where I could replace it

[@svprimitiva]

Very informative. If my gas outboard takes a dive, electric might be my next move as well. Thanks for the in depth video!

[@dominictarrsailing]

you are welcome thanks for watching!

[@chrisherd991]

Thank you for the tutorial esp showing what did not work. Where did you get the step up charger from?

[@dominictarrsailing]

everything was from aliexpress!

[@kaisailor1]

How much did that setup cost? I am considering going with electric drive...really leaning towards it. My boat is a skinny water 26' swing keel that I'm converting over to twin bilge keels. Keeping the same draft of course. I completely understand your reasoning for electric over gas. Actually I think I'll probably just keep a little 3.5 gas outboard under the cockpit as backup. I had one on my old porta boat dingy, it worked just fine. The tank was on top. I rarely used it. I would just use my sails 98% of the time. Good to see you still living the dream. I cant wait to build my Tiki...maybe get started later this year or next spring, too many house projects scheduled this summer. Cheers my friend, Fair Winds!

[@dominictarrsailing]

I think it came to 1800 nzd, not including the solar panels which I already had. monohulls take a bit more to push through the water... but I will try out this motor on my 26 foot keeler when I get up north... I think it will definitely do 2 knots maybe 3?

[@kaisailor1]

@dominictarrsailing Hey thanks Dominic, if you can get 3 knots out of it, that's pretty stellar! I looked into Torqueedos and Ocean Drives...but for what they cost. I could just about buy another boat! There's another 5hp motor on Amazon that's priced around $600...I thought about buying 2 of them to get 10hp, but it would double the amount of batteries and would need a second controller as well. I don't know if it's really necessary, or if it would just be overkill. But in my redesign of this boat, I'm building an aft-cockpit watertight locker with 3 compartments and a lid. I have been thinking of putting a motor in the two outboard lockers going through the bottom of the boat since the stern is barely in the water. I'm building a new kickup rudder mounted on stern. It's going to be kind of tight and messy looking if I mount my motors on the stern, plus I've got my swim ladder on port side stern. If I build the inboard stern compartment everything will be hidden and out of the weather. I like the electric drives because they're small and lightweight. Most of my sailing is in fresh water and brackish water with occasional salt water crossings.

[@davo3238]

Thanks for sharing, I've love an electric motor on my monohull, but it displaces over 2 tonnes, so I'd be in expensive Oceanvolt territory

[@dominictarrsailing]

I have since tried this motor on my 26 foot monohull, which displaces 2.5 tonnes and I still got up to 3 knots. I generally sail that boat enginess, it's actually much easier to sail it engineless than the cat is, because the mono tacks very responsively. when I emotoring I'm usually only going 2.5 knots anyway, to save power. so I think this motor would work just as well for a small keeler like that. And using an outboard has a significant advantage that you can take it off and put it on another boat easily. It's not just spending a lot of money to only be able to move one boat a short distance.

[@StingrayBay]

Awesome build Dominic, totally kiwi can do👍. If you are over in Queen Charlotte and need any greens or water look us up. Best wishes, Mark

[@dominictarrsailing]

Hey thanks! I am back up north now, so will have to be next time! What bay are you in?

[@StingrayBay]

Stingray Bay

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@StingrayBay ha of course!

[@Ron-dx9wq]

The biggest danger to electrics on a boat is not corrosion, it's vibration. Corrosion can be controlled with tinned wire, soldered connections, waterproof heat shrink, liquid insulation, sealant, Vaseline - all the stuff you do already. But wiring that isn't supported physically throughout it's length will eventually fail due to vibration. The constant motion of the boat will eventually work harden the copper strands inside and break them. The effective diameter of the cable will decrease, increasing internal resistance and decreasing the power delivered. This is insidious. The cable looks fine, there are no breaks in the insulation, but the power just isn't there any more. All cables must be supported: tightly in conduit, cable tied to something solid, or attached with hangars at short intervals. If you can move the cable between supports with just your fingers, vibration will get you.

[@dominictarrsailing]

Interesting... how long does that take? Ive tried to find some references to this but apart from a few forum comments i havnt found much

[@Ron-dx9wq]

Depends. There are too many variables: how much sailing you do, the motion of the boat in a seaway, the sea state (chop vs long easy swell), the unsupported length and weight of cable, etc, etc. Weeks, potentially, to years. A long loop of unsupported cable that swings like a pendulum at anchor would suffer much more quickly than a short length that only shakes a cm or two when pounding to windward. I was a Navy electrician in my 20s. I should add a note: you see this effect most often in the dim masthead lights in anchorages. Long runs of cable hanging and although in conduit, the cables are usually loose within the conduit. Add spares or rope so the cables are tight in the conduit.

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@Ron-dx9wq the navy! Thanks appreciate that context! I certainly have some cables that i could pin down a bit more but my anchor lights as still bright. (Actually, so bright that someone complained once!)

[@aaronfranklin324]

​@@dominictarrsailingI reckon the biggest threats are actually high voltage especially AC or positive polarity, PVC insulation, lots of fine strands. Really don't think navy guy has a clue. You'd do great having solid aluminium bar. Must be pure Aluminium. Or even stainless cable for most purposes if it's thick enough. Ten times thicker than the copper you'd need. BTW set a new distance record with the 55 lb Neraus 5/3 22km with 600 kg of displacement tender. 1 90Ahr Starter battery, 1 40Ahr car battery, 1 28Ahr lawn tractor starter battery. All flogged for several years. 2 days to recharge in dodgy weather with 1 150W solar panel, direct connected. Used full power for 10km home trip Tauranga to Kulim park to Sawmill hunters creek Matakana island. 1.5hrs over ten km. Heavy load of supplies DEFINATELY over 600kg displacement. Heaps more range with parallel connected baterries

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@aaronfranklin324 impressive! that's with the lewis road prop cone and RC plane prop right? and shaft fairing right?

[@alexforget]

Find yourself a small gas outboard. If it is a 4 stroke it will sip fuel, catamaran are already very efficient. You can have the same motor on your dinghy and big boat. Our 8hp pushed our loaded 30ft catamaran at 6kt using 2L of gas per hour. It will save you so much trouble and can save your life in bad weather. Anyway, keep doing your stuff, I really like watching how resourceful you are.

[@Maungateitei]

That might be good advice if it were not for the fuel we have today, sucking water out of the air and separating into a layer of water within a week if not kept hermetically sealed. And the need with ant outboard made in the last 40 years to flush with fresh water after every use, and spend more time on maintenance than you get using it. We are not one week a year holiday pleasure boat, more money than sense idiots man. You can't live on a boat, go places, and rely on any internal combustion outboard. And certainly not any made since the early 1980s. And DEFINATELY NOT 4 STROKE ONES!

[@Maungateitei]

I have a 1970 Tohatsu 5hp. And yes it's useful if I want some grunt in bad weather to get out of trouble. And can be run on cheap kerosene, worth 30cents a litre, without outboard oil. And will not have issues if it go's for a swim. Provided I wash it, inside and out with water, CRC, and give it a good run within a few days. It pushes Ten tons Of Tawai Wharram Oro at 6 knots. And uses about three litres an hour at full power.

[@alexforget]

@@Maungateitei Good, didn't know they would run on kerosene! The only downside I see is the noise. It's tiring if you have to motor all day with the high pitch noise. But then again nothing electric will give you 1/10 of that power and autonomy.

[@alexforget]

@@Maungateitei I have done it. In the heat and humidity of Florida and Bahamas in summer. I did clean a bunch of carburetors at the beginning but then added filters. We had a big filter near the tank and a tiny one just before the carburetor. We also had two 9.9hp engines. At some point we caught nets and ropes in our engine, lift it up, use the second one, we were going again before our buddy boat ever saw we add a problem. Now I am suspicious of a propeller I cannot lift out of the water, inspect and fix if required. I see so many sailboats needing to be hauled out in remote place because of problems with saildrives. Never heard of fresh water rinse.

[@dominictarrsailing]

I don't understand what you think I'm gonna use a motor for in bad weather. I've been through plenty of bad weather, never felt like I needed motor... if there is a lot of wind, sails are better! also, I am not ignorant about gas outboards! I've had them before, I've repaired them before... and well, Its much less trouble to just wait for the wind. I can do that reading a book without getting my hands greasy. And when the wind stops, you just do nothing and it will come back on it's own. That approach does not work when a motor stops.

[@DamianMackie-xw1eh]

Rawe bro. Keep creating!!

[@paulnorfolk3699]

Good on ya Dom.

[@Sparkritiker]

pretty sweet and quite educational. didn't expect that :-)

[@michaelknuckey4405]

Ahoy Dominic ! A Good Vid ! Yes, Petrol outboard are always have a Bad Smell around them ! 2 bad smells when in use , plus Noise & Vibration ! What Location at Vids end ? More please !

[@dominictarrsailing]

Tata island, in golden bay! Am back up north now. Nearly round north cape!

[@dominictarrsailing]

Great point about the smells!

[@michaelknuckey4405]

@@dominictarrsailing Wow !

[@michaelknuckey4405]

A "Fresh Express " Voyage ? How Long to Cape Reinga ?

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@michaelknuckey4405 arrived in bay of islands this afternoon. Much better run than our trip last time. I did not tack once! gybed when the SE became SW past farewell spit then again at north cape. 4 days 4 hours 28 minutes, from takaka to boi!

[@m1kalD]

Thank you for posting

[@rolandtb3]

Cost, risk, benefit, customizable, reliable. A tradeoff on cable length, size, controller, charging panel.s

[@markthomasson5077]

Be interested to hear how long a motor designed for inland lakes last on the ocean. Dominic, did you consider a long tail option? It has been done on Wharrams, the motor goes afore midships, with the tail gently sloping towards the stern. That way you can make a complete custom build, and all well protected from water.

[@dominictarrsailing]

Well it has a picture of a shark on it so it must be gor salt water ;)

[@dominictarrsailing]

Do you mean a diesel engine with the long driveshaft? Overkill on a boat this size and i also do not want to maintain nor pay for a deisel engine. Id much rather just wait for the right wind!

[@markthomasson5077]

@@dominictarrsailing no no! A simple electric motor attached to a long shaft , propeller on the end.

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@markthomasson5077 ah! Yes i did consider that actually but i think this off the shelf one is easier (especually since i can take it off and put itpon something else too) a built in motor is a lot money to not be able to use it on anything else!

[@thejollypoacher1074]

Keep the videos coming.

[@lightprint348]

I have been looking for something better than a watersnake electric beasty for a 13 foot displacment lapstrake ply cruising dinghy.... ill be interested in how this handles wear and tear.

[@dominictarrsailing]

Well ive been cruising pretty hard 1500 miles since i got it! Of course it comes off for a passage but comes out when i arrive. So its had a lot of use already. Still, wont really know for a couple of years

[@ximono]

Have you considered a yuloh? Maybe not as main propulsion, but as a backup at least.

[@dominictarrsailing]

Yes I have a yuloh on my other boat (the raven 26) hmm I guess now that I do not have a raised solar arch I could fit it on this boat, but I'm more inclined towards a R2AK style pedal drive behind the crossbeam, next to this electric motor.

[@ximono]

@@dominictarrsailing That's really cool, reminds me of the pedal boats I loved to use when I was a kid. Looks more efficient than a yuloh too.

[@TeamTrevZeroRace]

Could you possibly share links for where you bought that battery and motor?

[@dominictarrsailing]

this was the battery I got, www.aliexpress.com/item/33044607929.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.92.5eaa1802Lf4lSp sorry I can't find the exact motor on aliexpress anymore, but there are quite a few different ones there now

[@brucedrake8645]

How did you calculate the specs of the electric motor you needed/purchased? I think it’s the 2150w model?

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@brucedrake8645 i had a 24v trolling motor and when to the next size up, basically. Yeah it says 2kw, but when i had a power meter on it it i think i only got it to 1500? Or maybe 1900? It depends on how much current the battery can give

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@brucedrake8645 the cat is about 2 tonnes. I also tried it on 2.5 tonne mono, and got to 3 knots, without a very clean bottom either.

[@dominictarrsailing]

And on the proa, it can do 7! With a massive wake. Needs a faring on the shaft. Havnt matched the prop yet, that would probably made a big difference

[@brucedrake8645]

@@dominictarrsailing I need to move a 5 ton boat just around a marina but I am thinking that might not cut it if the wind grabs the front. I was going to try and move it with an old Torqueedo 1003 but now I think that might be insanity as that has even less power than yours. It might work in calm conditions perhaps. UPDATE: Turns out you can move a 5 ton monohull at 2.1kts using 1130W (Torqueedo 1003), it ate the battery but it worked! Flat calm conditions though.

[@norwestbayclan122]

Allo Dom gotta nu mota

[@bryrensexton4618]

👍!!!

[@CaddoCraft]

First!

[@CaddoCraft]

I'm surprised with all your attention to safety regarding energy storage that you appear to be using propane or some form of compressed cooking gas instead of a simpler and safer alcohol stove, such as an Origo or the many DIY camping ones you see all over KZbin.

[@dominictarrsailing]

hmm, interesting suggestion. It's actually very uncommon to see alcohol stoves in NZ. I could walk into any hardware store and come out with the cooker I have (and swap the LPG tank just about anywhere) but don't see alcohol stoves, not even in a marine store. However I will look into this

[@CaddoCraft]

​@@dominictarrsailing Well, that makes sense for sure. I have heard of LPG tank explosions on sailboats in Panamá, so it's definitely a risk - especially with cruisers doing DIY decanting in many places. This is not first hand experience, but I've heard that in more remote locations LPG is rather rare. The benefit of an alcohol stove is that you can use just about anything that burns. It's also incredibly simple (you can just put some rock wool in a tin can lol).

[@CaddoCraft]

@@dominictarrsailing watched all your videos starting with the Pahi restoration and you're putting out great content! I actually appreciate the low production value and super raw videos. But the audio quality can make watching difficult, even painful sometimes. It is very inconsistent in terms of overall volume and background noise. I suspect you could make big improvements without even buying new equipment - see if your video editor has something to normalize the volume 🙏

[@CaddoCraft]

Also, one of those dead cat filter things for your camera microphone for wind?

[@dominictarrsailing]

@@CaddoCraft yes I have one now but some of this is old footage that was more noisy