Torqeedo Outboards?

[Adrian]

The real problem until you get used to it is the delay is long enough that you don't think you've put enough power on, so you put a bit more power on, and then it all comes at once...

Ian, Nestaway Boats

Yes this is what has happened, takes a bit of getting used to! Apart from this we love it, the main reason for us changing is my wife couldnt pull start the 2 stroke because of a bad shoulder meaning I had to go with her everytime she wanted to go ashore, for us this was worth the price premium alone.

 

[RupertW]

Yes this is what has happened, takes a bit of getting used to! Apart from this we love it, the main reason for us changing is my wife couldnt pull start the 2 stroke because of a bad shoulder meaning I had to go with her everytime she wanted to go ashore, for us this was worth the price premium alone.

That was the unexpected benefit for us too - all the expected ones we paid all that money for, then the pleasure of afternoons aboard doing maintenance instead of getting squiffy in a bar while she shopped.

 

[nestawayboats]

SHEAR PINS

Earlier in the thread there was mention that the Torqeedo 1003 shear pin breaks quite - maybe too - easily, although we believe this to be deliberate to protect the gearbox. The direct drive Epropulsion Spirit (which doesn't have a gearbox) doesn't seem to have the same issue, in our experience.

Torqeedo have recently announced a new direct drive model of their own, the 1103. We now have one of these in our hands and one of the things we noticed immediately on opening the box was that the 1103 shear pin appears to be a lot stronger than the 1003 shear pin. There are probably other factors I haven't thought of - material for one - but at first glance it seems that taking out the gearbox has given Torqeedo a lot more confidence in the strength of their drivetrain. The internals of the 1103 propeller also seem to be a lot more robust than the 1003 propeller (yes it is a different part number to the 1003 propeller, and no it won't fit the 1003!).

In this case, a picture really is worth a thousand words...



Ian, Nestaway Boats

 

[Bouba]

SHEAR PINS

Earlier in the thread there was mention that the Torqeedo 1003 shear pin breaks quite - maybe too - easily, although we believe this to be deliberate to protect the gearbox. The direct drive Epropulsion Spirit (which doesn't have a gearbox) doesn't seem to have the same issue, in our experience.

Torqeedo have recently announced a new direct drive model of their own, the 1103. We now have one of these in our hands and one of the things we noticed immediately on opening the box was that the 1103 shear pin appears to be a lot stronger than the 1003 shear pin. There are probably other factors I haven't thought of - material for one - but at first glance it seems that taking out the gearbox has given Torqeedo a lot more confidence in the strength of their drivetrain. The internals of the 1103 propeller also seem to be a lot more robust than the 1003 propeller (yes it is a different part number to the 1003 propeller, and no it won't fit the 1003!).

In this case, a picture really is worth a thousand words...

View attachment 76721

Ian, Nestaway Boats

So in fact what they are saying is that it no longer shears? Hit something with the prop and the drivetrain will stop. Remove the obstacle and carry on your way.

 

[nestawayboats]

That is probably the case yes. It's therefore more a drive pin than a shear pin. The software will decide "I can't turn the propeller even if I apply the full 1000W" and stop applying the power whilst displaying an error code on the LCD. That would certainly apply to weed, rope etc. I think in extreme circumstances the drive/shear pin might break if you hit something really hard at full chat, and thereby stopped the propeller instantaneously.

Whilst we don't have any experience with the Torqeedo 1103 yet - we should have one on the water this afternoon - we do have lots of experience with the similar (gearbox-free, direct-drive) Epropulsion Spirit. We cannot say that the Epropulsion drive/shear pin never ever shears, but I am not aware of one breaking in the two years we've been involved with them. The pins are easily replaced on both makes, should you break them.

Ian, Nestaway Boats

 

[Bouba]

That is probably the case yes. It's therefore more a drive pin than a shear pin. The software will decide "I can't turn the propeller even if I apply the full 1000W" and stop applying the power whilst displaying an error code on the LCD. That would certainly apply to weed, rope etc. I think in extreme circumstances the drive/shear pin might break if you hit something really hard at full chat, and thereby stopped the propeller instantaneously.

Whilst we don't have any experience with the Torqeedo 1103 yet - we should have one on the water this afternoon - we do have lots of experience with the similar (gearbox-free, direct-drive) Epropulsion Spirit. We cannot say that the Epropulsion drive/shear pin never ever shears, but I am not aware of one breaking in the two years we've been involved with them. The pins are easily replaced on both makes, should you break them.

Ian, Nestaway Boats

This is quite exciting for us electric fans I am very interested in whether the 1103 is better than the Epropulsion or it’s just catchup (still no floating battery?). Are Epropulsion planning an update?

 

[Aeolus]

Sorry for slight drift but this seems to be the definitive Torqeedo thread. When I press the button to switch on my Torqeedo 1003, the GPS does not seem to switch on - e.g. if I set off, I do not get a speed reading. I have to switch the Torqeedo off and then on again in order for the GPS to start searching for satellites. Is this normal?

Jonathan

 

[geem]

Presumably you include smelly, polluting, noisy, more difficult to store, more difficult to start, heavier and more dangerous amongst petrol's superior characteristics.

For me I couldnt think of anything worse than an electric outboard but that is because here in the Caribbean where we have an average wind strength of 15/20kts in the anchorages and sometimes an awful lots more, the thought of not planing when there is a good chop would be a nightmare. Our small engine is a 10hp 2stroke and the big engine is 15hp.
Getting wet in a small inflatable with small tubes and a small outboard whether its an electric or petrol is no fun. Its not an occasional thing, its an every day occurrence here if you dont have the correct tender and engine combination. Most people who arrive from Europe with a dinghy engine combination that was fine in the Med soon find the shortcomings once in the Caribbean. Most who decide to stay a few season soon end up with a rib and large two stroke engine.
Once you have this kind of tender it opens up whole new opportunities here. You can go miles in comfort and quite economically as you are on the plane.
I once spent three weeks in the Isles of Scilly with some other cruisers. We had a 9ft rib and Tohatsu 9.8 two stroke from our last Atlantic circuit. We dinghied about as a group of cruisers over the three week period. We used less fuel in our tender than the others in the group with small dinghies and small engines but we went far further. They were never on the plane but used lots of throttle to move along at snail pace. We used a small amount of throttle to plane and went several times their speed.

 

[Elessar]

For me I couldnt think of anything worse than an electric outboard but that is because here in the Caribbean where we have an average wind strength of 15/20kts in the anchorages and sometimes an awful lots more, the thought of not planing when there is a good chop would be a nightmare. Our small engine is a 10hp 2stroke and the big engine is 15hp.
Getting wet in a small inflatable with small tubes and a small outboard whether its an electric or petrol is no fun. Its not an occasional thing, its an every day occurrence here if you dont have the correct tender and engine combination. Most people who arrive from Europe with a dinghy engine combination that was fine in the Med soon find the shortcomings once in the Caribbean. Most who decide to stay a few season soon end up with a rib and large two stroke engine.
Once you have this kind of tender it opens up whole new opportunities here. You can go miles in comfort and quite economically as you are on the plane.
I once spent three weeks in the Isles of Scilly with some other cruisers. We had a 9ft rib and Tohatsu 9.8 two stroke from our last Atlantic circuit. We dinghied about as a group of cruisers over the three week period. We used less fuel in our tender than the others in the group with small dinghies and small engines but we went far further. They were never on the plane but used lots of throttle to move along at snail pace. We used a small amount of throttle to plane and went several times their speed.

You’re probably not the target market for patio furniture either.

 

[Tim Good]

You’re probably not the target market for patio furniture either.

hahahaha. Gotta go down as one of the top 10 forum replies.

 

[MikeBz]

You’re probably not the target market for patio furniture either.

Brilliant.

 

[geem]

hahahaha. Gotta go down as one of the top 10 forum replies.

I thonk you have mentioned before on this forum about crossing the Atlantic? If you do and you sail on this side of the pond or carry on in to the Pacific you will likely regret an expensive electric egg whisk.

 

[Bouba]

Sorry for slight drift but this seems to be the definitive Torqeedo thread. When I press the button to switch on my Torqeedo 1003, the GPS does not seem to switch on - e.g. if I set off, I do not get a speed reading. I have to switch the Torqeedo off and then on again in order for the GPS to start searching for satellites. Is this normal?

Jonathan

I can’t answer this, except to say it’s not normal (although the gps does take a minute or so to warm up) but I’d thought I’d just bump you up so someone more knowledgeable than me can answer

 

[Tim Good]

I thonk you have mentioned before on this forum about crossing the Atlantic? If you do and you sail on this side of the pond or carry on in to the Pacific you will likely regret an expensive electric egg whisk.

1. If I get my electric then it'll be in addition to my larger engine.
2. I want to go electric for environmental reasons as much as
3. The other benefits listed in this thread. For us those being:

- Unlimited source of 'electric fuel' via our panels and not having to carry as much fuel for the outboard.
- Electric is light and we can leave it on the dingy when we hoist it up on the davits
- Easier to pull up on the shore in remote places
- Little or no maintenance

 

[geem]

1. If I get my electric then it'll be in addition to my larger engine.
2. I want to go electric for environmental reasons as much as
3. The other benefits listed in this thread. For us those being:

- Unlimited source of 'electric fuel' via our panels and not having to carry as much fuel for the outboard.
- Electric is light and we can leave it on the dingy when we hoist it up on the davits
- Easier to pull up on the shore in remote places
- Little or no maintenance

I agree with all of that and I am sure in the right environment electric is great. I could imagine it would be great if we you wanted to strap it to a dinghy to get out to your mooring in the UK. No need to carry smell fuel in the car or issues of laying the four stroke down correctly. I am simply pointing out that in the Caribbean you dont see them for good reason. By way of an example, if you anchor at Jolly Harbour in Antigua and you want to go to the dinghy dock for shopping or a resaurant it is 1nm. The first part of the trip is across the anchorage and will likely be quite choppy. The second half of the trip is more sheltered. You fill the dinghy with groceries and you do the return trip. You get one of the typical 10min heavy Caribbean downpours and you are soaked. Not only from waves coming over the dinghy but from the rain. Instead of the trip being a chore it becomes a pleasure with the right dinghy/engine combination. It is no accident that Caribe/AB/Highfield ribs are just about all you see out here. Most run a 10 or 15hp.
We use our 15hp to wakeboard. We also carry two sets of dive gear and go diving a mile of two from the anchorage. We use it a safery boat if we want to go kitesurfing. I am not knocking electric just pointing out that it would be a round peg in a square hole out here. Now where is the garden furniture catalogue......

 

[nestawayboats]

We have been asked not to make any more Posts while the Forum looks at "some complicated issues re advertising". Apparently there has been a complaint.

I have spent quite a lot of time on this thread and thought we were being about as non-commercial as we possibly could whilst answering genuine questions. And I also - perhaps mistakenly - thought that posting under a name that reveals who we are is more "open" than posing as an anonymous forumite.

So apologies:
- to whoever it is that we have offended by posting
- that we cannot post again as Nestaway Boats until/unless we are granted permission to. I believe you can still PM us and that we are still allowed to respond to those

Ian, Nestaway Boats

 

[Bouba]

We have been asked not to make any more Posts while the Forum looks at "some complicated issues re advertising". Apparently there has been a complaint.

I have spent quite a lot of time on this thread and thought we were being about as non-commercial as we possibly could whilst answering genuine questions. And I also - perhaps mistakenly - thought that posting under a name that reveals who we are is more "open" than posing as an anonymous forumite.

So apologies:
- to whoever it is that we have offended by posting
- that we cannot post again as Nestaway Boats until/unless we are granted permission to. I believe you can still PM us and that we are still allowed to respond to those

Ian, Nestaway Boats

Mods, please be reasonable! The information that Ian provides is not available anywhere else. He is completely none partisan and mostly offers expert advice to people who already have purchased their outboard but just want technical advice or an idea which way the market is heading.
Electric propulsion (car or boat) is a huge issue at this juncture in time. Sane heads are in short supply, please do not censor them.
Thank you

 

[Mister E]

It is a shame that what is a technical thread and the only way the questions can be answered is by someone in the trade is stifled.
I have not seen any direct advertising just a company name. From who I can not get information on here.
Such a shame.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Our small engine is a 10hp 2stroke and the big engine is 15hp.

What sizes are your inflatable and yacht, please?

 

[RupertW]

It is a shame that what is a technical thread and the only way the questions can be answered is by someone in the trade is stifled.
I have not seen any direct advertising just a company name. From who I can not get information on here.
Such a shame.

Agreed and I’m really sorry that somebody complained - I have found the nest away contributions really useful as a Torqueedo owner and enthusiast for years. I have learnt lots of new stuff and was looking forward to learning more.