Removing the engine provided space for the main batteries and the electric motor
The electric engine itself is 108 volts AC and has a 50,000 hour life expectancy, as it only has two moving parts. The unit is sealed watertight and can run submersed, should the worst happen. Should parts be required they can be sourced from around the world, as they are widely used in electric fork trucks, he says. Plus, the Elco is not much bigger than the old gearbox. Stripping out the old unit and putting in the new electric unit was easy, as the EP-4000 has four engine mounts, which are the same pattern as a modern Volvo or Yanmar. Installing and aligning the engine took only four hours as it was bolted to the original engine beds and directly to the shaft via a rubber coupling. All the cables and controls for the engine are "plug and play".
The controls can be mounted anywhere in the boat as you can request cable lengths to suit your requirements, says Jamie. A 220 amp/hour battery bank was recommended to run the unit for Jamie's required application. "I installed 500 amp/ hours of deep-cycle traction batteries, to be safe." These batteries are designed for the commercial sector and are a real workhorse. A self-water system keeps the cells topped up. Maintaining the cell blocks requires him to visually inspect the batteries once a week to check for moisture on top of the cells and check the floats are all reading full. "I check the cell voltages monthly and do a specific gravity test to make sure the charging system is cycling correctly." Adding the electric engine to the Barbary has increased her weight by about 400 kilos after taking away the fuel tank, engine and gearbox. The battery box is completely sealed and is force-fed with air to eliminate hydrogen buildup. "We have installed a safety cutout should a fan fail, which will shut
down the charger. This battery bank allows the yacht to run for 26 hours at three knots, 18 hours at four knots and 14 hours at five knots."
Jamie says trying to charge 1400 kilos of batteries at 108 volts is not an easy task. "You can't just get a battery charger off the shelf that will do the job. Our charger is 94 percent efficient at converting shore power to the required amps to charge this system. "The charger is fully programmable and is easily modified if we feel the batteries are not getting the required amps or volts. At the end of the working day, all we need to do is plug her in to the shore power, turn her on and walk away." The Barbary now produces no noise or pollution and takes passengers back to the core reason for boating. "That is, to relax, commune with nature and gad about at a leisurely pace. "We can now do our planned route regardless of the wind direction with no noise, no fumes and a clear conscience. Lake Taupo is one of New Zealand's wonders and being able to operate a clean wake policy on its enclosed waters sits well with us and all who share it."
SPECIFICATIONS Rig
Length overall Hull length Draft
Displacement Power
Batteries
Speed under power Maximum passengers
ketch
44ft (13.4m) 40ft
5ft 8in 13 tons
20kW, 108 volt electric motor 54 x 2 volt cells 6.5 knots 28
March/April 2012 Professional Skipper 49
VIP.S84
