[Public-List] A new Alberg DIY project on Youtube

[Kris Coward]

When my A4 gave up the ghost, I repowered to electric, following Richard and Margaret's lead repowering Into the Blue. I think their repower was documented on their blog (Sailing Into the Blue), and since I decided to roll my own mount/frame (instead of just grabbing an Electric Yacht motor), I documented the process of making my own frame on my blog (https://kiwano.melon.org/?p=1511 https://kiwano.melon.org/?p=1513 and https://kiwano.melon.org/?p=1531).

Both of our repowers were done before ABYC had put together proper standards for LiFePO batteries, so we took either the range or weight hit of putting in lead acids (which weigh about 6x as much for the same nominal capacity --- and since the lithiums aren't damaged by running them below 50%, that's 12x for the same effective capacity). These days I'd recommend going with the lithiums (LiFePO is much safer that the lithium ions in our phones, tablets, etc, and only about 10% less energy dense, and are what I based my 12x on), which should give about 30nm of range at 5kts in about the same weight as the A4 (the motor itself weighs less than a full tank of gas).

Not having done my own battery build yet, I don't have any documentation in my own blog, but my friend Madison documented her own LFP build pretty thoroughly in her youtube channel "The Digital Mermaid" (the battery videos are the oldest ones).

As a bit of food for thought, I kinda view the electric repower as having future-proofed Candy Cane through 2050, since we'll likely need to be off of fossil fuels by then. The surveyor who did my last insurance survey knocked a few $k off the fair market value for the repower though. That said, he's in his 70s, and while I definitely see a bunch of guys in their 70s who absolutely don't want to get involved with electric propulsion, all the guys around my club in their 30s think it's great, and tell me about how they want to do their own electric repowers when a good opportunity comes up. And since a lot more of the 30-year-olds will still be sailing in 2050 than the 70-year-olds will be, I stand behind the idea that I future-proofed the boat.

...and a bit of an anecdote supporting my decision to work on repowering my new boat to electric (a bit of a bigger project than repowering Candy Cane): when I was bringing said boat home from Florida, on the night I pulled into Georgia, I was single-handing and had put in a long day (so I was pulling in around midnight). As luck would have it, the dock I was assigned to (I'd called ahead) was parallel to the tidal currents, and the current was strong enough that I could match the motor speed to basically hover in place relative to the ground/dock, so I did that, steered over to the dock just close enough so that my fenders didn't quite touch, and casually walked off the boat with the bow line to tie her off, and then equally casually tied off the stern and spring lines before shutting down the engine and letting the docklines take over. If anyone had been awake at the time, I'm sure someone would've called me a show-off. The reason I mention it here though, is because there is no stall speed on an electric. If the tidal current had been half the speed, I wouldn't've been able to match it with the diesel, and that docking would've been difficult --- but with an electric, only my own skill would stand in the way of matching a 0.05kt current.

Cheers,
Kris

-- 
Kris Coward
https://unripe.melon.org/


On Monday, December 18th, 2023 at 08:09, paul duchene via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:


> Agreed. Has anyone seen where the lazarette was used to house a through hull outboard? My Universal four may be kaput, and it is a possible save for my tired old girl, Xanadu ll.
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> > On Dec 17, 2023, at 11:23 PM, Meredith Glacken via Public-List public-list at lists.alberg30.org wrote:
> > 
> > One of the great things about the Alberg 30 is how modifiable it is. I
> > don't think I've been aboard a single one that looks the same, and that's
> > very cool. A mod might be your cup of tea or it might not, but what makes
> > this email list awesome is all the helpful tips to those working on
> > projects from folks who have been sailing these boats for decades (or mere
> > days!)
> > 
> > We have some wonderful association members (including the owner of the
> > youtube channel linked in this thread) and others who are doing some
> > creative things to their Albergs and courageously documenting their
> > successes, failures, and experiments very publicly, and that's lucky for
> > us! Let's remember to keep the content on this email list positive and
> > support our fellow Alberg 30 sailors who are trying something new.
> > 
> > Linking the Alberg 30 YouTube channels that I've had some fun watching.
> > Anyone know of others worth tuning into?
> > The Rigging Doctor: https://www.youtube.com/@RiggingDoctor
> > Sailing Tritea: https://www.youtube.com/@SailorJames
> > Huub Vlogs: https://www.youtube.com/@HuubVlogs
> > Sailing Aqua Marie: https://www.youtube.com/@sailingaquamarie1708
> > 
> > -Meredith Glacken, Fleet Captain, Chesapeake Bay Alberg 30 One Design
> > Association
> > 
> > > On Sun, Dec 17, 2023 at 10:00 PM Gordon Laco via Public-List <
> > > public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> > > 
> > > Yup…
> > > 
> > > Gordon Laco
> > > www.gordonlaco.com
> > > 705-527-9612
> > > 
> > > > On Dec 17, 2023, at 9:52 PM, Glenn Brooks via Public-List <
> > > > public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > Truly astonished. All pain. No possible gain.
> > > > 
> > > > Sent from my iPad
> > > > 
> > > > > On Dec 17, 2023, at 5:53 PM, Michael Connolly via Public-List <
> > > > > public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> > > > > 
> > > > > Perhaps he likes long overhangs. He is attempting to protect his self
> > > > > steering gear from a rearend collision.
> > > > > 
> > > > > > On 12/17/2023 12:47 PM EST Hugh McCormack via Public-List <
> > > > > > public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Youtube kindly offered me this video today: Can You Make Your Boat
> > > > > > Bigger? | Windpuff's Rebuild [S1 Ep3] - YouTube<
> > > > > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-KKqXfwyQI> since I have searched, in
> > > > > > the past, for videos about our classic vessel. I then looked at the 2
> > > > > > previous videos to try and understand what his intentions are. I'm left
> > > > > > rather confused and slightly shaken.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Regards all,
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Hugh
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > These businesses support your Association:
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> 
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