SolGato -a Solar Electric Sailing Catamaran - Please read the Description for Build Details

[@deitchqasti]

Great 🤨, not even done with my custom camp trailer build and now I’m planning a Solgato. Great job 👏🏽

[@kauaislash5]

Thanks! Glad it inspires. Your custom camp trailer building skills might come in handy if you decide you want to build a Camp Cruiser. SolGato has a shower curtain like enclosure that turns the rear seating area into a tent and there’s a side mount for a marine BBQ, but for a while I had a long bed high top camper shell mounted that was strong enough to sit/stand on, with the big back window opening forward and out onto the trampoline. It was mounted with Jeep style rubber hood latches and easily removable. There’s a video on my channel for reference. Some food for thought…

[@adamdarrow]

@@kauaislash5does your tent curtain thing work well? Does it keep out bugs?

[@Sun_Salt_and_Gasoline]

Ha, I had done a power catamaran out of a Tornado 4 years ago and now have a power hardtop on my current Seadoo Challenger 180. We must have been twins separated at birth 😃

[@kauaislash5]

How did those hulls work out for you with the added extra weight? Tornado hulls are definitely one of the better to use since they have pretty good volume

[@Sun_Salt_and_Gasoline]

@@kauaislash5 the tornado hulls have extra volume towards the bow, but little volume at the stern (designed for sails pushing the bows downward and they were fantastic for sailing, never pitchpoled it). For using them as a powerboat the weight needs to be shifted forward a lot, past the forward crossbar. I tried to predict how much and placed the seats close to the crossbar, but it needed even more. Ideally the centers of the seats will need to be exactly on top of the front crossbar. As far as ride quality- fantastic, they cut the waves instead of craching into them and everything always felt super smooth. Enough to make me look for another catamaran and get rid of my Seadoos. Currently looking at a Skater 24. Fastest I went with the Tornado was 17mph (modified the 9.9HP outboard). The Seadoo went 70mph and the Skater can do 120mph. Good incermental progression 😃

[@stefanlangheden]

Super nice build 🙂

[@adddude7524]

Wow, you're living the good life! Thanks for the full description!

[@thethoth1755]

"You got it made, in the shade"

[@gsftom]

Excellent build. Really like the decisions u made building the solcat. Hope to see more.

[@kauaislash5]

Thanks Tom. Will be applying the lessons learned from building and enjoying SolGato and incorporating a lot of similar features into SolLeon, my 30 foot build

[@TommyTirey]

great job, you could also post links of product supplies for those of us who wish to make a similar craft.

[@whereserik]

What a treasure to find this video! I will be studying it

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

Very 😎.... a few tweaks and up the range power and this could be a great tender for live aboards.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

yes

[@nosmovies]

Extraordinaire ! 😍

[@matthewclark2123]

God I wish I could make that or buy something like that out here on the East Coast.

[@emil8260]

beautiful. dreaming of an 8Kw version in the 30f range.

[@kauaislash5]

Thanks! Have just acquired the 30’ hulls for the scaling up of this boat. You can find footage of the hulls in another video on my Channel.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

that shoukd he gôd range

[@sharonbraselton3135]

8 kw bawter hp 1 kw 8 hiurss tio soeed

[@inforemix]

Nice build 😃

[@GunarsRodins]

WOW, seems very promising !

[@venturefanatic9262]

Without reading anything I recognized that Hull shape.

[@kauaislash5]

Ya, if you know Beach Cats, the rotomolded hulls are pretty easy to identify. Not the prettiest lines, but they do float a lot of weight and are low maintenance and nearly indestructible which makes them the perfect platform for a conversion like this.

[@MrBoatman46]

So cool well done

[@ronaldharris6569]

Simple and effective I like it

[@MooseBluewin]

thank you for showing your great work it is inspiring - now I feel I can do;)

[@garygerard4290]

cool looking boat I'd like to have heard some commentary about the build. I'm going to see what else you posted

[@alterego157]

LOL very cool toy 👍

[@peterlang515]

Very cool!

[@jonvon9250]

Pretty cool 😎

[@adamdarrow]

Can this carry four adults? Could two more people sit on the front trampoline?

[@skullcraftcustoms]

If you use a sabertooth controller you could use one joystick to operate that entire boat steering each motor like skid steer etc.

[@kauaislash5]

True, but I have found having full independent control of each motor works better for a variety of reasons.

[@skullcraftcustoms]

@@kauaislash5 What I think is the coolest is how the roof/solar array is lifted making it a sunshade as well. The best of both worlds... PS this video motivated be to buy a hobiecat as well. Only paid $400 for it and a trailer! Mine is for seafloor mapping but will likely set it up to be a pilot optional system so I can ride it or send it...

[@phillipvanrooyen3052]

Very nice. I specifically like the tilting motor mounts.

[@kauaislash5]

Thanks! I will be adding linear actuators to the system soon which is something they were designed to incorporate from the start. I’ve gotten too lazy to walk the hulls or reach back to grab the tilt/trim arms, and my new solar top is now wider than my original which makes the journey more challenging and a bit of a scramble. Plus it will be nice to be able to adjust both at once with the push of a button.

[@hoopaa6231]

Fantastic! I have been thinking of electric propulsion for our Corsair F31 on Oahu. It would be nice to mount one on each ama for maneuverability. Where did you get the brushless drives? Are they built for marine applications or did you build a housing? What kind of tri do you have? Aloha Cullen Corsair F31, Delta Vee, Honolulu HI

[@kauaislash5]

Thanks! My last Tri was a folding Farrier and I have already spent a fair amount of time thinking through the same idea you have for your F31. I assume you want to do this for slow speed cruising and maneuverability in harbor docking situations? The challenge is adding a system that doesn’t interfere with the performance of the boat during sailing and during folding/trailering while permanently modifying the boat as little as possible. Since the F31 has pointy sterns on the Amas which can partially submerge when pressed hard that tuck when folded, I would suggest you instead mount the motors to the outer inside ends of the Akas. Those should just be structural covers molded around the Farriers folding hardware? At least it still was on the F27 and 24’s, I think the F31 was the same and now maybe the arms are all composite with aluminum struts? Anyway the point is instead of drilling holes in the Amas creating a point for water intrusion and mounting them where they could drag in the water or obstruct folding, just mount them to the rear backside of the outer Akas. This will protect them from windage and spray during sailing and keep out of the way during folding/trailering and will still provide the same maneuverability you are looking for. Now for the second part of the challenge which is to make as little modifications as possible, for this reason I would suggest you consider a pair of EPropulsion Spirit motors. The reason being they have their own built in battery and they can be wirelessly controlled via Bluetooth. So that means all you would have to do is mount the motors and no additional wiring for power or control would be required. As a bonus, you could go with their Evo Spirit motors which can provide Hydrogeneration about 6kN, so during cruising you could leave the motors deployed and they would recharge all on their own without the need to remove the batteries for recharging! They can also take in solar power for recharging if you have already panels and a solar charger onboard you F31. If you decide to go this way, the only real challenge is fabricating a motor mount adaptor that works like a swing up trailer tongue wheel. Something that rotates to allow the motor to rotate perpendicular to the boat versus in the parallel plane. It could be something as simple as the mounting plates those trailer tongue wheels use with a block attached for the motor mount to clamp onto. However you would want to fabricate it out of aluminum or stainless. Anyway, that would be my suggestion. 2x1kW brushless motors mounting at the inner ends should allow the boat to do 360 using forward and reverse independent thrust without loosing a lot of ground and give you a cruising speed of 5mph. For reference, I used a single 55lbs trolling motor on my 20’ folding Tri to get on and off and around the morning fiend in Hanalei for a few seasons instead of the outboard. Worked fine except in strong winds. With a single motor you need the centerboard down, but with two, you could prob leave it up which would be handy for shallow water navigation and beaching.

[@ИгорьЗаряев-ч6э]

Е... й южный Урал где я родился! Самое главное в этом видео что люди могут привязать катамаран к пальме!

[@rolandasviscinis5237]

Ты что то плохое сделал в прошлый жизни 😆🌴🤥

[@TinyHouseBrazil]

Hello Will, Cool Rig you made. is this a Hobby 17?

[@kauaislash5]

Getaway

[@adamdarrow]

What boat and motor would you suggest for a four person version of this?

[@kauaislash5]

@@adamdarrow When I take more people out, they sit on the forward trampoline. That’s why the boat has an aggressive bow up stance. The forward beam then becomes their backrest with a pillow propped against and laid in front for comfort. In original form, the Hobie Getaway can float 1000lbs and handle 4-6 passengers. I like to stand on the front trampoline when navigating shallow water so I chose not to extend the hardtop any further, but if shade is important, you could certainly lengthen the top to cover/protect the front passengers and as a bonus you’d have more surface area for additional solar panels.

[@adamdarrow]

@@kauaislash5 thanks for replying! I think I will make one of these one day and essentially copy you. So you can take four adults even with the weight of the batteries and motors? Does it significantly reduce the speed and range? Also, I searched for those motors but wasn’t finding a purchase option. Where did you buy yours from? Oh, and, is your Hobie Getaway the 16’7”? I wonder about mounting the batteries so they can slide back and forth to balance out the different modes from two to four people…so the batteries are forward with two people and in the back with four. Anyways, thanks a lot. Your boat is an inspiration. What is your range with your setup?

[@kauaislash5]

@@adamdarrow Four adults is not a problem. Have had X3 up front. Speed and range isn’t so much affected as handling. It’s a small light boat, so the extra weight makes it more sluggish just like any boat. The batteries are best placed down low, mid hull and protected from the elements. There’s no need to shift weight around with electric trim on the fly. Yes, Hobie Getaway just under 17’. Any modern big volume hulled roto molded plastic beach cat would do. I would avoid older fiberglass low volume hulled boats. You can buy motors direct or through Amazon sometimes. Caroute Outdoor

[@adamdarrow]

@@kauaislash5thanks lot for the additional info. I am going to build one of these one day. Unfortunately the used Getaways and the motors are more expensive than I anticipated so I will have to save up. Just curious, what do you think about using more powerful Caroute motors, say 2kw or even the 2.7kw motors? Do you think they work better roughly as efficient as the 1.5kw motors at the same speed, say 5mph? I wonder how much this would increase the top speed. I am thinking a 5kw battery with close to a 1kw PV system (two large 500 watt panels).

[@adamdarrow]

@@kauaislash5 also, did you end up using the remote that came with the Caroute motor or did you get something else to control both motors from the same remote? Did you purchase the S platform or the R platform?

[@movinhouse]

Great job. Please can you tell me where you got the hulls from. Brilliant. If you don’t mind posting here

[@kauaislash5]

The hulls are from a Hobie Getaway

[@83ourlife]

I can’t afford a Silent Yacht(although I did ride on one Biscayne Bay Miami) but this one seems doable. Are those motors off a trolling rig or you build the housings?

[@kauaislash5]

Build details can be found in the video description. The motors are basically trolling style less the shaft, transom brackets and tiller, clamped in custom bracket mounts with remote wired control.

[@jamesjudice5347]

This is beautiful ! what river is this?

[@kauaislash5]

Hanalei River and Bay on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai

[@collowood]

beautiful set up if you ever want to sell it I will buy it.😊😊❤

[@williamfraser]

Great boat! How do the motor-mounts handle reverse thrust?

[@kauaislash5]

Thanks! The handles/arms are just for lifting and deploying the motors for trim/tilt adjustment. The forward and reverse thrust of the motors is then controlled by a potentiometer on the wired remote which can be operated from any position on deck by rolling the potentiometers with your fingers kind of like a computer mouse. There is no tiller for steering like an outboard, instead forward and reverse thrust are used independently to steer much like a tank.

[@williamfraser]

@@kauaislash5 you indicated that the motors are free to kick up, do they not tend to lift/pull themselves out of the water in reverse?

[@kauaislash5]

@@williamfraser Due to their weight and the angle of the mounting boards being greater than 90 degrees which means they have to swing back and up on an arc, the motors only really kick in reverse when too much throttle is applied (more throttle than one should apply). If I “hit the brakes” and come to an abrupt stop from full speed, they kick a little. I hit logs, drift wood, water logged coconuts, and some times run aground, and the system works great, but the soft FRP props take a beating. I will be adding linear actuators soon for remote tilt/trim so I don’t have to walk the hulls or reach back, and they’ll tie into the existing arms and be able to scissor a bit to absorb any kick on impact.

[@TC-yx1qt]

Around how much did all the parts cost?

[@kauaislash5]

Don’t know. Many were custom designed and made.

[@notoshaapproved]

Can I get some more info on the motors and controller, please?

[@kauaislash5]

Details are listed in the video description

[@notoshaapproved]

@@kauaislash5 I was hoping for a manufacturer. I'm working on a "Yakimaran (version2)" and am looking for something with a little more power. Check out the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpylqmqZe51oadU&ab_channel=NotOSHAapproved%21

[@davidtuttle7556]

How’s this a sailing cat when it’s not got a sailing rig?

[@kauaislash5]

Please read my reply to Shawn L for a description of SolGato’s sail rig

[@impuls60]

Which company makes those motors?

[@kauaislash5]

Caroute N200

[@PDSalling]

Hanalei River?

[@kauaislash5]

Yes it is

[@dustman96]

Where did you get the props?

[@kauaislash5]

The 2-Blade props are from Caroute and available for their motors provided they are used on a light displacement vessel. I have also successfully modified Torqeedo 2 blade props to fit the larger shaft and shear pin on these motors by reaming them and running the motors in reverse for forward propulsion since the Torqeedo 1001 motors/props are opposite rotation.

[@dustman96]

@@kauaislash5 Thanks. Do you have speed vs power use figures?

[@kauaislash5]

It wouldn’t really translate unless you had same boat in the same conditions. If you have a motor and can measure current draw under load, see if your motor is pulling its full rated max amp draw under load at speed. If it isn’t, it’s a good indication you can go with a bigger more aggressive prop. Most trolling type motors are designed to push large displacement boats so they are fitted with mild general purpose props to protect the motor controller. Generally speaking the bigger prop will hurt slow speed maneuverability, but give you better cruising speeds and a little more top speed in light displacement applications. The main advantage of playing with props on small electric motors like these is to be able to find/better dial in the most efficient cruising speed. For example, with the stock 3 blade props my cruising speed on sun only was about 4mph, and with the 2 blade props it’s closer to 5mph.

[@udovchjustin5941]

Are you in kauai?

[@kauaislash5]

Yes

[@ernestsmith9474]

What gave it away. The huge freaking volcano in the background?

[@joao.me110]

Sailing catamaran? Where is the sail

[@kauaislash5]

Did you read the details in the description? The sail rig is covered in there. If you want to see what the A-Frame Lateen rig looks like, there’s a mock up video on my Channel. I have other sailboats that I sail and only built the sail rig for SolGato for long distance trips where half of the leg is downwind. But 99% of the time I use it as a power boat.

[@shawnl3151]

Sailing?

[@kauaislash5]

Yes, SolGato has an A-Frame masted Lateen Crab Claw sail setup that mounts to the outer ends of the forward cross beam. The top sprit of the sail then becomes the 3 leg of the mast eliminating the need for stays, and the lower sprit then tacks inside the A-Frame for light wind cruising. The removable center rudder is dropped in and the solar hardtop is then lowered at the front to create a wedge and minimize windage while allowing for tacking of the lower sail sprit above. To drop the sail, you actually lift the lower sprint up to the top to close and spill the wind like a traditional Polynesian Crab-Claw. This keeps it off the deck when not in use and like a traditional sail, puts the volume of the sail up high to grab wind in swell and allow for headroom. You can also motor sail or raise and lock the motors in the trailering position. If you’re not familiar with an A-frame style mast, check out the AquaCat. It’s a great setup that makes trailering and stepping a breeze.

[@unendingjourneys]

May I know, where I can find this catamaran platform? Nice...

[@AngeloXification]

Make it autonomous 😅

[@Beerescuemaui]

This is so awesome ! Love it from Maui !

[@TommyTirey]

am finishing my shop soon and will be posting video of my solar cat that I designed and built last year.

[@howdyahworkthisthing1520]

Awesome. 🍻

[@jackmcandle6955]

A new style propeller is promising twice the efficiency, it should help a lot with battery range.

[@kauaislash5]

I don’t think there will be any big breakthroughs for an application like mine. There are a lot of other things that one could change that would increase efficiency, but eventually you reach a point where a design suits your needs and you begin to reach hull speed limitation, so you call it a day. I could get more speed and efficiency out of the boat, but then slow speed maneuverability would suffer, and that is one of the great benefits of using independent forward/reverse thrust of a pair of spaced motors, and a primary design feature I make use of every time I take it out. At this point, the best improvement I could make would be to step up to the next size motors which would give me higher max RPM and go to a 48V system.

[@swecreations]

I mean he only has $400 and maybe 15-20kg of batteries in that thing, he could easily get many times the range by just increasing the amount of batteries.

[@mlce4701]

Is this filmed on the north shore ?

[@kauaislash5]

Yes, most of the footage in his video is of Hanalei River and Bay.

[@mlce4701]

@@kauaislash5 one my favorite spots. Ty