Electric Outboards - how long has yours lasted

[Egret]

Electric Outboards - how long as yours lasted, if it did go wrong, what happened and was it repairable?

 

[fredrussell]

I have a Torqeedo T801 from back in the company’s early days (2010 I think) when it hadn’t occurred to them that an OB should be at least a tiny bit waterproof! Its original battery is down to 70% of its original capacity but still useable. I bought a dead spare battery and re-celled it. I love it and over the years have tirelessly strived to seal as many as possible of the leaky bits. Wonderful little outboard.

 

[Boathook]

I'm late to the market compared with fredrussell, only having had my epropulsion for just over 2 years and little use during this year. I still have range antixieties even though I've got no near where the range would be an issue so far.

The big test would be anchoring in Helford River by Frenchmans Creek and motoring up to Gweek and back. Using the flood up and ebb back it should be do-able and hopefully next year I can try it. I do have a fast charger so hopefully a local pub will allow me to plug battery in for a donation to the electrics used and reduce range antixieties......

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We have an E Propulsion spirit, it’s only 3 years old. No issues to report, we love it. It’s like the bit in Harry Potter 2, where the students arrive by boat.

 

[Egret]

For Boathook - Helford to Gweek - 12 mile round trip, 3 hours at 4 knots -might be on the limit, depending on dinghy, and how lumpy the water is, but I am finding we can run the e-propulsions at about 30% power and get almost as much speed but a lot more range - just have to resist the urge to go faster - Experimenting with a hand held GPS or something like Strava (for bikes) on the mobile phone (there are others) will give you speed over the ground as a guide to work out whether you will be able to do the whole trip on the outboard or whether you will have to row a bit - or maybe a sail one way

 

[Boathook]

For Boathook - Helford to Gweek - 12 mile round trip, 3 hours at 4 knots -might be on the limit, depending on dinghy, and how lumpy the water is, but I am finding we can run the e-propulsions at about 30% power and get almost as much speed but a lot more range - just have to resist the urge to go faster - Experimenting with a hand held GPS or something like Strava (for bikes) on the mobile phone (there are others) will give you speed over the ground as a guide to work out whether you will be able to do the whole trip on the outboard or whether you will have to row a bit - or maybe a sail one way

I anchored up past frenchmans creek which makes it about 3 miles to Gweek boatyard each way. I reckon it would be about an hour to get there which isn't to bad, but in a dinghy is pushing it from the comfort point of view.

 

[chriss999]

My epropulsion is about 4 years old, not heavily used, and it behaves as new. Excellent machine.

On range anxiety. I go slowly to maximise battery life and am never anxious. Rarely over 30% power. Sometimes 10%. That extends range enormously.

Would it do Frenchman’s creek to Gweek? Not sure, worth a practice run beforehand on low power to assess the risks.

 

[Egret]

You could try rowing for a while for a break and a stretch - 3 miles is rowable if you have to - to my mooring and back twice, or an afternoon row - done many times.

Many thanks for some positive responses to the initial question - Had some uncertainties about how long it might last, but I can sleep soundly now.

Happy to hear any other comments.

 

[Marceline]

Our ePropulsion Spirit is still going great - think we've had it about 3+years now.

It did need some electrical cleaning though as it wasn't connecting after a few months (think some seawater had got into the contacts?) but its been fine ever since. Its a bit fiddly connecting the cables though - but the new designs of Spirit 2 and also those Torqeedo new Travels look to have much improved/simplified connecting them.

We rarely ever use even 1bar on the battery capacity screen - but we mainly just go from shore to our swing mooring. Its worked well in strong tidal waters such as Menai Strait and the much stronger Conwy River where we also helped rescue someone's small speed boat that had come slipped its mooring and had been blown by the wind/tides to the opposite side of the river where it got lodged in thick seaweed. We had to row though as we got close as the seaweed was so thick it wrapped around the outboard, but once we'd managed (eventually) to help get the boat clear we managed to free the prop and got on our way.

VERY glad to have purchased it - and having no petrol smells in the car when we drive with it in the back is one of many boons. That and never having to get it serviced or winterized (we just wash it with clean fresh water when we get home)

 

[stranded]

Torqueedo. 13 years in January. Zero maintenance. Zero problems.

 

[jlavery]

I'm late to the market compared with fredrussell, only having had my epropulsion for just over 2 years and little use during this year. I still have range antixieties even though I've got no near where the range would be an issue so far.

The big test would be anchoring in Helford River by Frenchmans Creek and motoring up to Gweek and back. Using the flood up and ebb back it should be do-able and hopefully next year I can try it. I do have a fast charger so hopefully a local pub will allow me to plug battery in for a donation to the electrics used and reduce range antixieties......

We've had our Epropulsion Spirit 1.0 for about 5 years, and love it.

Very regular use - battery now doesn't hold charge well, and cuts out after about 10 minutes of use at 75% power. Interested in @fredrussell's report of re-celling, and wonder if I can do this to my battery (I appreciate his was a Torqueedo).

We did exactly this trip - Frenchman's Creek to Gweek and back no problem. I'm always careful to not run at max power - can't remember if we used the tide with us both ways, but certainly did plan not to be pushing the tide!

 

[oldbloke]

We've had our Epropulsion Spirit 1.0 for about 5 years, and love it.

Very regular use - battery now doesn't hold charge well, and cuts out after about 10 minutes of use at 75% power. Interested in @fredrussell's report of re-celling, and wonder if I can do this to my battery (I appreciate his was a Torqueedo).

We did exactly this trip - Frenchman's Creek to Gweek and back no problem. I'm always careful to not run at max power - can't remember if we used the tide with us both ways, but certainly did plan not to be pushing the tide!

If you are wary of doing the re-celling. There are a number of people commercially re-celling bikes for about 1/2 the price of a new replacement

 

[fredrussell]

... Interested in @fredrussell's report of re-celling, and wonder if I can do this to my battery (I appreciate his was a Torqueedo)…

I copied this guy, Very straightforward, though you’ll need to buy a £50 spot welder. Mine used easy to source 18650 cells - I have an inkling that ePropulsion use a different type of cell:

S

Thread 'Torqeedo Travel 801 Recell'

12 Mar 2022

I asked in the forum last year about getting hold of a dead Torqeedo that I could revive, I bought a non-functioning one on Ebay and I've successfully recelled it. I had to buy a long Torq15 driver to open the pack and this is what I found




possible seawater ingress causing ruptured dead cells. You can see a shiny layer at the bottom of the pack, this is a solid rubber based sealant that holds the pack very securely in the case. I sent this picture to a chap called Lars in Germany who makes battery packs, he advertises on German Ebay and sells an off the shelf pack with a...

• StefanSG
• Replies: 35
• Forum: Practical Boat Owner's Reader to Reader

• 

 

[Sea Change]

At the cheaper end of the scale, I bought a Bison trolling motor and used it occasionally for a couple of seasons.
The actual motor never let me down, but the transom clamps and other mechanical parts were not really meant for daily use in a salty environment. When we changed boats I decided not to bring it with me.
I'd like to repeat the experiment but would do a few things differently next time. I think for less demanding applications these cheaper motors can offer a viable solution.

 

[Refueler]

The little Egg-beater that was supplied with the small inflatable I bought ... it fits into the bag with the dinghy ... has yet to touch water.

This year has been so many things to do .. and I never got round to testing it ... I also overdid the LiFe battery size - 100AH .. when in reality a 30 - 40AH would be more than enough.

Interesting reading posts ...

 

[Refueler]

Regarding waterproofing :

Corrosion X

Amazing stuff .... brush or spray it - it not only stops water based corrosion - but maintains electrical continuity ..... many modellers use it to seal sensitive RC Rcvrs .. servos ... ESC's etc.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

I have an ePropulsion Sprint 1 Plus.
3 years use.
I use it several times per day when cruising the west coast of Scotland. Mainly short trip to take the dog for a walk.
Using like that, a full charge lasts several days.
No significant problems, except the small connect which plugs into the top of the battery. That needs to be cleaned regularly and is it's a faff to fit.
I use a standard 230v AC charger on the boat, and that all seems to work well.
It will plane a Seago HY270 inflatable with just me on board (70kg), if I sit far enough forward to get the bow down. Full power for for about 1min, then 80% to keep it plaining.
I'm really pleased to not have carry petrol on board.
I wouldn't go back to a petrol outboard.

 

[Minerva]

At the cheaper end of the scale, I bought a Bison trolling motor and used it occasionally for a couple of seasons.
The actual motor never let me down, but the transom clamps and other mechanical parts were not really meant for daily use in a salty environment. When we changed boats I decided not to bring it with me.
I'd like to repeat the experiment but would do a few things differently next time. I think for less demanding applications these cheaper motors can offer a viable solution.

I have heard this before. I wonder if there would be merit in 3d printing a mount for the business end of the trolling motor to a shortened old topper rudder?

 

[fredrussell]

I think at least one of the trolling motors uses stainless steel parts. Haswing perhaps?

 

[toothless]

only issue i have had with my torqeedo 1003 was the sheer pin popping when i went through a big old clump of seaweed. there is never a good time for that. easy fix, though. it has been otherwise faultless for the 6 ish years I had it.

I now have two of the bigger torqeedo cruise motors. they also seem pretty robust, though the torqeedo CAN network can be a bit finnicky.