I've thought about an electric drive while I was working on
Lionheart's shaft alternator problems. Lionheart is an Amel Sharki 41
ketch.

The shaft alternator is driven by one of those flat serpentine belts
used on newer cars that has a lot of little V's on the inside of it
from a large pulley permanently clamped to the shaft, which turns
under sail to provide power. The alternator sits on top of the shaft
behind the transmission on a little stand to hold the belt tight.

I don't see why that couldn't work backwards letting a motor drive
that pulley in your application. If you are going to have AC power
available, why not ditch the DC power nonsense and go with a variable
AC motor speed control and a suitable AC drive motor straight off the
alternator, making it all more efficient. There are some whopping
variable-speed AC motors available from electrical supply places.
746W/horsepower, you'd have about 6 hp off a 5KW genset at full
throttle. It'd be a long road home.....

A very old 6-71 has just been broken in if someone changed its oil
when they were supposed to. Is it hard to start in its condition?



Larry W4CSC

"Very funny, Scotty! Now, BEAM ME MY CLOTHES! KIRK OUT!"