Trixena
New Member
Hi I'm look for advice on the right size electric outboard engine for a kingfisher 20 + for using it around the Solent . Thanks
Electric outboard for a kingfisher 20+
- Thread starter Trixena
- Start date
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum.
You will need a minimum of 2KW outboard which typically costs over £3k plus batteries and charger. So you are looking at between £3500-4000. Range will still be limited and you will need charging facilities after every use of the motor.
Probably neither practical nor economic.
You will need a minimum of 2KW outboard which typically costs over £3k plus batteries and charger. So you are looking at between £3500-4000. Range will still be limited and you will need charging facilities after every use of the motor.
Probably neither practical nor economic.
Malish
Well-Known Member
+1 if you are intent on having it as your primary means of mechanical propulsion. The usual e motors for tenders will not cut it for you. If you are still intent then Nestaway Boats would be good place to start Electric Outboard Motors – Nestaway Boats
dunedin
Well-Known Member
+1 for Nestaway boats- not just for the electric outboards, but I believe they did the conversion to ePropulsion saildrive for a small Sadler, so can give first hand experience if the options (all of which are expensive, but the OP may have reasons for wanting electric which if matched by a substantial budget could be met).
nestawayboats
Well-Known Member
It depends what you want to use the outboard for... and how much you'll use it (as opposed to sail). We have several customers using the 1kW type to which Tranona and RivalRedwing refer (eg Torqeedo Travel 1103, Epropulsion Spirit PLUS) on "daysailers" such as the Hawk 20, Swallow Yachts Bay Raider Expedition, and various Drascombes/Deben Luggers etc. As an auxiliary - on and off moorings, motoring when no wind at all - the 1kW motors work pretty well for these boats. And really well for the new world, opened up by electric outboards, of pleasant (no fumes, noise or vibration) light-air, lightly-assisted electric motor sailing. If you apply say 100W (10%) of power you can point up a few degrees and "sail" half a knot faster, whilst increasing apparent wind etc etc. Some of these users have a second battery to double the range, but don't actually need them very often.
The Kingfisher 20 at about 1.2 tonnes is heavier and less easily-driven than most of the boats mentioned above, so whilst a 1kW motor would will still work as an auxiliary you would need to use a greater percentage of its power to achieve the same thing, so the range/run time would be less. You probably would want a second battery and you would have to be happy with 4 knots under power at most.
But having said that another customer with a Swallow Yachts BayCruiser 26 (at least 2 tonnes as sailed, more if water ballasted which I think this one usually is) used a Torqeedo 1103 (plus two spare batteries, ie three in total for 2.7kWh capacity) for a whole season... and very nearly stuck with it. It is a boat that will sail if there's any wind at all, and one massive advantage was he could use same motor for his tender. However with his mooring 7 miles up Chichester harbour in combination with desired entry/exit times to the Solent, to get desired tidal direction, he needed to motor in/out of harbour more than a lot of other people might. A subsequent upgrade to a larger electric propulsion system (3kW outboard with 8kWh of battery capacity) was more than sufficient.
I've converted my own Sadler 29 (about 4 tonnes empty) to a 6kW "pod" (like the bottom of an outboard, permanently mounted to bottom of boat) with 18kWh battery capacity and that has also been more than sufficient, including some flat calm weekends requiring several hours of motoring.
As the other posters mention though, more power costs a lot more money, eg:
- a 1kW Epropulsion Spirit PLUS with a second battery (total 2.55kWh capacity) comes in around £2700
- a 3kW Epropulsion Navy 3.0 with 9kWh battery capacity (you don't have to have that much) and charger etc comes in at about £6500
I don't know what the current value of a Kingfisher 20 is, but likely less than the second example. However outboards and batteries are of course transferable should you change boats in the future, and electric ones seem to be holding their value secondhand.
Ian
Nestaway Boats Ltd
The Kingfisher 20 at about 1.2 tonnes is heavier and less easily-driven than most of the boats mentioned above, so whilst a 1kW motor would will still work as an auxiliary you would need to use a greater percentage of its power to achieve the same thing, so the range/run time would be less. You probably would want a second battery and you would have to be happy with 4 knots under power at most.
But having said that another customer with a Swallow Yachts BayCruiser 26 (at least 2 tonnes as sailed, more if water ballasted which I think this one usually is) used a Torqeedo 1103 (plus two spare batteries, ie three in total for 2.7kWh capacity) for a whole season... and very nearly stuck with it. It is a boat that will sail if there's any wind at all, and one massive advantage was he could use same motor for his tender. However with his mooring 7 miles up Chichester harbour in combination with desired entry/exit times to the Solent, to get desired tidal direction, he needed to motor in/out of harbour more than a lot of other people might. A subsequent upgrade to a larger electric propulsion system (3kW outboard with 8kWh of battery capacity) was more than sufficient.
I've converted my own Sadler 29 (about 4 tonnes empty) to a 6kW "pod" (like the bottom of an outboard, permanently mounted to bottom of boat) with 18kWh battery capacity and that has also been more than sufficient, including some flat calm weekends requiring several hours of motoring.
As the other posters mention though, more power costs a lot more money, eg:
- a 1kW Epropulsion Spirit PLUS with a second battery (total 2.55kWh capacity) comes in around £2700
- a 3kW Epropulsion Navy 3.0 with 9kWh battery capacity (you don't have to have that much) and charger etc comes in at about £6500
I don't know what the current value of a Kingfisher 20 is, but likely less than the second example. However outboards and batteries are of course transferable should you change boats in the future, and electric ones seem to be holding their value secondhand.
Ian
Nestaway Boats Ltd
