100% Solar Electric Catamaran

[lborkey]

I've built a solar catamaran out of a 2000 Gemini 105M sailing cat. Some basic specs:

- 2x ePropulsion Navy 6.0 motors, 6000w each max.
- 16x BlueSun Bifacial 575w solar panels, max output 9200w.
- 2x EG4 100amp MPPT solar charge controllers
- 4x 48v 160ah LiFePO4 batteries
- 2x EG4 5000w shore chargers 120v/240v
- 5000w Inverter
- Starlink Internet
- Openplotter navigation with AIS

I've got two independent setups, motor, battery, chargers and panels. No fossil fuels of any kind on the boat.

Sweet spot is 5.3 knots @ 3200w, max speed is around 7.3 knots @12,000w. You pay dearly for that extra two knots. I've cruised all day and arrived back at my marina with full batteries.

Still in the testing phase, our longest cruise has been 30nm. We're hoping to do 60 to 70nm on the regular. This boat was built as an ICW cruiser between Norfolk, VA and the Keys.

Future plans include a water maker. I'm on the waiting list for an atmospheric RV water maker currently being developed.

Ask away!

 

[OzSolar]

Very cool!!!

 

[BentleyJ]

Super nice, I miss boating. skiing & sailing.
Everyone knows the saying: The 2 best days in a boaters life are the day they buy and the day they sell. That was definitely not true for us, we used all our toys as often as possible. Money well spent as far as I'm concerned.

 

[bluenomads]

Good on you!
Couple of questions:
How do you find the rear mounting of the outboards - do they get deep enough not to cavitate and do they come out of the water when going through a wake/chop?
How do you get up to clean off the panels - is there a hatch?

 

[yabert]

Really nice!
I'm so glad that you don't pay extra money for nothing simply to buy the epropulsion batteries.
What your solution for 12V? DC-DC? Simple 120Vac 12Vdc charger + battery?
I would also be interested for more details about the kitchen. Oven? Cooking plate?
Thanks to share.

 

[yabert]

Oh! of course I would like to see your batterie integration/fixation inside the boat.

 

[lborkey]

Good on you!
Couple of questions:
How do you find the rear mounting of the outboards - do they get deep enough not to cavitate and do they come out of the water when going through a wake/chop?
How do you get up to clean off the panels - is there a hatch?

They're pretty deep but a few inches more wouldn't hurt. I do get some cavitation in reverse. I've got anti-cavitation plates on order to help.

No hatch, we're just going to use a long-handled soft brush.

 

[lborkey]

Really nice!
I'm so glad that you don't pay extra money for nothing simply to buy the epropulsion batteries.
What your solution for 12V? DC-DC? Simple 120Vac 12Vdc charger + battery?
I would also be interested for more details about the kitchen. Oven? Cooking plate?
Thanks to share.

I've got 2 Victron 48v to 12v converters in parallel for my 12v loads. I've got a lead acid for my bilge pumps but I'll be wiring them to the converters (with a backup) at some point.

Oven is gone, we don't have any propane on the boat anymore. We've got an induction cooktop and we're getting a countertop microwave/toaster oven combo at some point. My wife said "why the hell would I need an oven? I ain't cooking on that thing." So, yeah.

 

[lborkey]

Oh! of course I would like to see your batterie integration/fixation inside the boat.

I'll get some pics. It started out pretty neatly arranged but a level of untidiness has ensued.

 

[sak54895]

Now that there's no rigging to stiffen the boat do you see flexing between the hulls? I ask because when we stepped our mast on a fountaine pajot catamaran the salon windows on the bridge deck started squeaking.

 

[billvon]

Future plans include a water maker. I'm on the waiting list for an atmospheric RV water maker currently being developed.

Cool build! Consider an RO water maker; they are pretty bulletproof these days (and take a lot less energy than an atmospheric collector.)

 

[Bluedog225]

Very cool. Would like to see many more pics.

 

[wpns]

Yes, more details please! I’ve been dreaming of a jet drive electric outboard, but I don’t think it exists (yet?).

 

[Will Prowse]

Yes please post more!

 

[robbob2112]

Yes please post more!

And off you go to price suitable boats to make a whole new series of videos

 

[Supervstech]

And off you go to price suitable boats to make a whole new series of videos

Yeah, I can picture him setting up some pontoon builds and cruising lake mead.

 

[wpns]

price suitable boats

I’m not convinced those three words should be used in such close proximity.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

If I could downvote this thread in some way, I'd do it aggressively. ONE picture!!!!???? COME ON!!! Even if the inside is a mess, multiple exterior angles would be great for starters!

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I’m not convinced those three words should be used in such close proximity.

"A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money."

and

"An airplane is a hole in the sky into which you pour money."

I've experienced the latter. The only reason it made sense at the time is I had a partner, and we used it to get our private pilot's licenses at an all-inclusive cost of $70/flight hour for every penny spent. Equiv. rental at the time was > $100 in the late 90s.

 

[robbob2112]

I’m not convinced those three words should be used in such close proximity.

I said suitable, not affordable - no boat is ever affordable.

 

[Bluedog225]

I'll get some pics. It started out pretty neatly arranged but a level of untidiness has ensued.

I’ll post a pic of my workbench if that mitigates the shame…

 

[Supervstech]

"A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money."

and

"An airplane is a hole in the sky into which you pour money."

I've experienced the latter. The only reason it made sense at the time is I had a partner, and we used it to get our private pilot's licenses at an all-inclusive cost of $70/flight hour for every penny spent. Equiv. rental at the time was > $100 in the late 90s.

To be fair…most any hobby is a hole to pour money… I will stick to pouring money into cars… anybody want a Mercedes diesel? I have around 30 of them…

That said, I had three boats. All three were free to me, and all three went away…

I have a nice kayak, and I am considering an aluminum fishing boat, I can use my trolling motor with…
Until I can afford a yacht I’m staying small from now on, and I will rent a boat any time I wanna go out on the water.

 

[jpwhit]

Really cool project! I'll also vote for more pictures.

It's good inspiration for a future project I want to do that's boat related.

 

[Supervstech]

I had a houseboat i recovered from a customers inlet.
Took a week to get it to a point sump pumps would empty the water out.
Finally got it on the water instead of undrr it, and towed it to a landing.
Hauled it to my shop, cleaned it out, and started plans to gut it, fix up the house part, and install an electric drive...

Then the city complained i had an ugly boat in my yard, and required it be removed...
So i gave it to a boat restoration company, and they fixed it up and sold it...

I had plans... but no time.

I envy those with the opposite affliction.

 

[wpns]

I had a houseboat i recovered from a customers inlet.
Took a week to get it to a point sump pumps would empty the water out.
Finally got it on the water instead of undrr it, and towed it to a landing.
Hauled it to my shop, cleaned it out, and started plans to gut it, fix up the house part, and install an electric drive...

Then the city complained i had an ugly boat in my yard, and required it be removed...
So i gave it to a boat restoration company, and they fixed it up and sold it...

I had plans... but no time.

I envy those with the opposite affliction.

My dad had a couch cushion: "Nothing works in an old boat but the owner"