Ian.S
Well-Known Member
Looking for a Flybridge or possibly a sports cruiser 40/42ft. Quite a few are fitted with gas hobs and ovens etc. Does anyone know how much it would cost roughly to change the boat to electric? Thanks in advance.
Quick query
- Thread starter Ian.S
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Mr Googler
Well-Known Member
Generator? What cooking do you want to do? Induction hobs arent mega money nor are ovens but depends on sizes etc…. The smaller they are the more expensive. Stuff for caravans or motorhomes handy to look at. Ive got a 2 ring induction and a microwave built in and an air fryer on the side. Covers most things really. Zap it, crisp it or boil it.
apart from the appliances…the only other cost would be running a new decent 240v spur on a new trip…perhaps 1 per inbuilt unit. Call it £1k all in with super dooper appliances?
Ian.S
Well-Known Member
I’m not really thinking of a generator, more for when plugged into power at a marina. Is it difficult to remove the existing say 2 ring gas hob and replace with an induction hob to fit in the same space? Same with a gas oven,is it easy to find the same size in electric?
Mr Googler
Well-Known Member
Give us some dimensions but not really difficult
electriQ 30cm 2 Zone Domino Induction Hob - Plug In and Go eiQ30INDP | Appliances Direct
electriQ 30cm 2 Zone Domino Induction Hob - Plug In and Go eiQ30INDP | Appliances Direct
dunedin
Well-Known Member
So how will you cook, or even heat a kettle, if on anchor, on a mooring - or at a pontoon with no (or failed) power supply?
Many of us keep the gas cooker - but also have portable electric hob which can be used when on shore power.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
and what about when underway ?
Unless your boat spends 99.9 % of its life moored up .Keep that gas aboard. ?
Ian.S
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice. So basically if I’m going for electric then I need a generator? What are the costs involved with having a new generator installed?
Chris_d
Well-Known Member
Whenever I've looked for a boat we always dismiss the electric only boats that are shorepower dependent marina queens 
what don't you like about gas?
what don't you like about gas?dunedin
Well-Known Member
Why go to the cost and hassle of changing? Portable induction hob for in harbour costs from about £50 and get best of both.
Boathook
Well-Known Member
Has your engine room got the space for a generator ?
You need to look at what power the hob and oven require to decide on generator power. I suspect that you won't get much change out of £15K for a half decent installation.
Ian.S
Well-Known Member
I haven’t got anything against gas,it’s just from what I have read it seems to me that gas is the less favoured option due to the added dangers of storing gas aboard.
I haven’t bought the boat yet but the plan is to be a “marina queen” in the main,so will have shore power maybe 90% of the time, which is why I was thinking electric as the better option.
Maybe,like what’s been said I’d be better not discounting gas boats and adding the portable induction hob.
I haven’t bought the boat yet but the plan is to be a “marina queen” in the main,so will have shore power maybe 90% of the time, which is why I was thinking electric as the better option.
Maybe,like what’s been said I’d be better not discounting gas boats and adding the portable induction hob.
PCUK
Well-Known Member
I've used everything including diesel and now stick solely to gas.
ylop
Well-Known Member
No you could go massive solar power and lithium batteries. And of course you can go shore power only - but that may affect your resale options as your future buyer may have different aspirations.
Nobody can possibly answer that - way too many variables. But almost certainly way more than any value it adds to the boat. You’ll also need to maintain and service the genny so not just the one off cost.
I’d treat that with a pinch of salt. On brand new boats with solar and lithium it is perhaps becoming more common to avoid gas but of all the boats that already have gas only a very small number rip it out. Gas has dangers, but so do mains electricity, large power banks and generators. Storing gas creates a mild headache for the designer - but he’ll already have solved that - what are you going to put in your gas locker. There may have been a small surge in conversions when calor supplies were uncertain, but those issues seem to have been resolved (for now at least).
Ok but ignoring the resale point - what are you doing the other 10% of the time. If you don’t own the boat how do you know it will be 90:10? I wouldn’t limit my options. Even as a marina queen, needing shore power adds a hassle (and sometimes a cost). When they allocate me a berth that my shore power cable won’t reach to, or where the power trips out for that whole pontoon just after the “technical” staff went home and “it will be reset in the morning”, I turn the gas on… you’ll be calling deliveroo!
I’d certainly start there - once you’ve owned it for a year you can decide if it’s worth the cost/hassle to do something more permanent.
thamesS23
Well-Known Member
dunedin
Well-Known Member
Until very recently perhaps 99% of boats use gas for cooking. And provided manage sensibly (gas stored in ventilated locker, professional gas safety check every 5 years or so) not a big risk element compared to driving to the marina.
Yes more are moving to electric only - BUT it often needs a generator (£10k?) which creates lots of noise and pollution or better large lithium battery and solar installation (lovely but needs space and also £k's).
petem
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't have gas on a boat.
We swapped our old gas oven for a microwave / grill and left the old gas hob in place (without a gas bottle). It's a Sportscruiser so it's not likely that anyone is going to be doing any serious cooking on board. And it's even less likely that they'll be cooking anything at all at anchor.
So don't believe the nonsense that you NEED a generator.
Your biggest challenge will be finding a 500mm wide built in microwave oven as most domestic units are 600mm wide.
We swapped our old gas oven for a microwave / grill and left the old gas hob in place (without a gas bottle). It's a Sportscruiser so it's not likely that anyone is going to be doing any serious cooking on board. And it's even less likely that they'll be cooking anything at all at anchor.
So don't believe the nonsense that you NEED a generator.
Your biggest challenge will be finding a 500mm wide built in microwave oven as most domestic units are 600mm wide.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
We have a MK1 Princess 45, which is 100% electric, the gas was removed long before we bought the boat. It has a large diesel generator in the lazarette locker.
When we unplugged from shore power, no galley, no TV etc etc. Want to boil the kettle, start the generator, bit extreme to run a 12 Kva generator to boil the kettle, even more extreme to run it at anchor to watch TV.
So, time for an upgrade. Swap the lead acid batteries for Lithium, fit an inverter and some solar panels. Other than the occasional run, just to "exercise" it, the generator doesn't get used. Neither do we plug into shore power when we visit other marinas. Plus, with a mobo you're moving around, generation power with the alternators.
We have a 4 ring induction hob, replaced the old halogen hob at a cost of £150, new Panasonic combination microwave, about £200, seen the price of gas boat cookers ? Electric kettle, TVs, fridge etc etc. Recently changed the fridge, new 12V/24V fridge £1000, new 240V domestic fridge £160 and it's bigger and better.
Talk above of Lithium/solar packages costing thousands, much exaggerated. Lithium isn't a must, but certainly a giant plus. I'm doing 314Ah batteries, with top of the range BMS, setup and ready to go, £550. Same amount of usable AGM batteries will cost you more. Needs a DC-DC charger, £150, new fuse and holder about £60. If your existing mains charger is not suitable add a little for that. £1K should cover the lot, plus fitting. We saved more on the new appliances than the Lithim setup cost (less fitting which i obviously did myself). Unless you're very young, you're not likely to need another battery as long as you keep the boat. Solar cost depends on how much you can fit.
The above is a far superior setup than using gas and virtually anyone looking to buy a 40 odd ft mobo would likely agree. Who doesn't like cooking for free and vastly reduced electricity/diesel bills ?
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Agree with the microwave comment, but we found some Panasonic combi ovens @ 505mm wide.
Ian.S
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the tips and advice,it’s greatly appreciated.
Where I plan on berthing the boat the electric is free in that it’s included in the annual berthing cost,so it just made sense to me to have electric rather than pay for gas.
I got it that you can’t put a kettle on etc when not in a marina but I’m keeping the boat somewhere hot,so I’m unlikely to want a brew or a hot meal whilst out on anchor for a few hours.
Maybe the new battery setup is a good compromise and at reasonable cost, but I’m not keen on having solar panels stuck over the boat.
Just for info, I’m looking at a phantom 40 or princess 40/42 fly
Where I plan on berthing the boat the electric is free in that it’s included in the annual berthing cost,so it just made sense to me to have electric rather than pay for gas.
I got it that you can’t put a kettle on etc when not in a marina but I’m keeping the boat somewhere hot,so I’m unlikely to want a brew or a hot meal whilst out on anchor for a few hours.
Maybe the new battery setup is a good compromise and at reasonable cost, but I’m not keen on having solar panels stuck over the boat.
Just for info, I’m looking at a phantom 40 or princess 40/42 fly
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petem
Well-Known Member
I've seen some of those but often they require more clearance to the sides / top / bottom than a 500mm aperture can provide. People seem to get away with them though.
