On Aug 1, 7:36 am, "Roger Long" wrote:
I've gone around the diesel electric question on a few research vessels
where it is a good solution.

It is going to be quite expensive.

It makes most sense when the loads while the boat is not moving are a
significant percentage of propulsion loads. This doesn't fit the ususal
cruiser profile (except maybe for Skip and Lydia

You had better have a builder who really understands it. There are going to
be some complex boxes and equipment in between the generators and the props.
Keeping them cool and dry will be a challange. The wiring will be unlike
anything most builders have seen.

It's going to take up a lot more space than a conventional propulsion plant.
There will be some effeciency losses so you will need to carry more fuel on
a boat that already is devoting extra space and weight to this enthusiasm.

When you have problems with it and pull into Pango Nowhere, it's going to
be amusing watching the locals trying to figure out how to fix it.

I love diesel electric but it would not have crossed my mind to try it in a
60 foot sailboat. If having a DE sailboat is a goal in itself because you
like to tinker and want to be a pioneer, cool. If you just want to sail and
cruise, I would forget it. You can use that space, weight, money, and
research effort much more usefully.

--
Roger Long

Fair call Roger . Only time I've seen it pulled off are for very big
anchor handling vessels and Mississippi river pushboats. With that
type of work with very very heavy loads it saves a ton of money on
reduction gears, and engine maintaince. The constant RPM is a charm,
and with all three gensets (EMD's) going they had the torque to snap
off anything.

He could save space and go small scale with some of the new Azipod
propulsors. I seem to recall someone's making a yacht size Azipod, it
would make racing around the bouys a blast.

Joe