On 2007-12-15 03:50:00 -0500, Heikki said:

I have been speculating about a diesel-electric propulsion for a
smallish sailboat. Does anyone have links to, or experience with, small
electric motors that are suitable for continuous use - most of my
googling finds bow thrusters and other extra machinery.

I am thinking of a fairly small engine, say 5-10 Hp, to be used mostly
in manouvering in and out of marinas, and occasionally coming home from
a calm sea. Would it make sense to mount the whole engine on the
transom-hung rudder? That way it could turn with the rudder, and give
good steering in both directions. When not in use, it could be lifted
out of the water, so I could use a decent size of propeller for it.

For that sort of application, I'd go with a largish solar cell and
battery bank. During the week, let the sun charge things up, then use
it. Our little 10w solar cell would easily give a hour or two usage
with the new electric outboards reviewed in Practical Sailor recently.
Just in case, I'd have a little generator, but probably gas for light
weight.

http://www.practical-sailor.com/ for the outboard review.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/