Torqeedo 1003 outboard on BC20

[Peter Taylor]

When I get my Bay Cruiser 20 I'm hoping to use my Troqeedo 1003 outboard on it. The idea is to have it directionally fixed while I steer with the BC's rudder and control the outboard with a remote throttle. Hopefully, the problem of the too long shaft (see Library article on OB's) will be addressed by shortening it slightly to fit the OB well (looks feasible) and having the battery separated from the OB keeping it where you would normally keep a petrol tank.

My question is about the available power. Although advertised as 3-4HP I realise it can only provide that sort of power for a short time. However my plan is to use it to get away from the jetty and a little way down the river. If it's windy this may use up perhaps 1/3 of the available range. However I will have a 12v 110Ah leisure battery plugged into it so the Torqeedo will continually be charging at 30W while I am sailing (and in fact will draw 30W while I am motoring). Hopefully by the time I need to use it again it will have recovered much of its charge and I be able to use enough power for long enough to get back up the river and onto the jetty.  The Torqeedo pushes my 15' sailing dinghy quite happily but the BC20 has much more windage and I'm not sure the the Torqeedo will manage.

Has anyone experience of using the Torqeedo - if not with a BC20, with a BR or similar boats. Can I get away with, in effect a 2-3HP motor capable of the occasional higher power burst. I do realise that if there's a strong current against me, I might just have to wait for the tide to turn!

Cheers,
Peter

[Johan Ellingsen]

I am experimentig with a Tq 1003 on my (progressively more modified ) CBL.
Propulsive power is more than adequate for most purposes except against really fierce
headwind,at approximately 50% power.With 2 mount-on and deep reserve LiFe
batteries totalling maybe 100 Ah,I hope to have 15-20 hrs of ekonomy running.
What I'm doing to the hull and power rig is another matter ...
Cheers,Johan

[Julian Swindell]

Hi Johan
It is much too long since we last heard from you. You must update us on what you are up to. I still have long term hopes of making the long trail up to Sweden to sail in your Baltic waters.

[Brian Robertson]

Peter,

The BC20 despite her sleek shape still has quite a high windage.  I have a 5HP Honda on mine and I found that I needed most of that grunt when I had to battle my way to windward in a F6/7 in a heavy swell. 

2-3HP should be ok in normal circumstances but I would be concerned that you have no safety margin.   

Brian

[Jim Levang]

Our Torqeedo experience was pretty limited since the bearings in our unit seized up after only a few hours of use. It was a used unit off of E-bay and the repair bill will be close to what we payed for it. Your experience is likely to be better because it really couldn't be much worse. Of those few hours of use, most were by my son so I'll try and get him on this forum to give a more insightful assessment. Our unit was an "801 Base" which ran at 24v off of two standard lead acid batteries. It was rated at 370 watts of propulsion power and it looks like yours is rated at 480 so yours should have a bit more guts. Our unit struggled to push the boat at 3 knots and needed 3/4 throttle to even get 2 knots which we deemed inadequate. The current through the ship canal from the Duluth harbor to Lake Superior proper is frequently that fast and we don't have tides to take advantage of. If you are adding a lead-acid battery, you might want to consider placing it in the cabin below the companionway. It will actually serve as useful ballast if you put it there. I will post a picture of what we did when I get home from work.

Jim

[Julian Swindell]

I used a Honda 2.3HP on my BC20 for the first few weeks. It can push the boat along nicely, but it has nothing in reserve. Against a strong Poole Harbour tide I was making barely 1/2 a knot over the ground, and in the busy harbour entrance that was quite unnerving. I replaced it with a Tohatsu 6HP and that gets me through anything. I even got through Hurst narrows between Hurst point and the Isle of Wight against a foul tide, which was a dumb thing to try to do but we managed. It does take up a lot of space, so I can see why Swallowboats are experimenting with ways of getting the engine well further back in the boat.

[Graham W]

I'll get a Torqeedo one of these days but not yet.  They now have financial and probably engineering support from Robert Bosch.  So I'm hoping that the eventual successor to the 1003 will be cheaper, have a more satisfactory range and will be smaller and even lighter - perfect for use where tidal currents are not an issue or where, like on Lake Bala, petrol outboards are not allowed.

[Peter Taylor]

Thanks to those who have given advice so far. I have posted a note in the library about using a 1003S.  This is based on zero experience with an SB since I'm waiting for Matt to start building my BC20 (hint!). However it does draw on extensive use of one on my Seafly dinghy and hopefully will be of help to others. The Torqeedo manual and promotional literature is confusing in a number of aspects.  In particular it is not clearly stated that you can directly couple the motor to a 12V supply to charge the battery even while it is being used. Given the comments in this thread, I have tried to give a sensible description of what the motor can and can not be used for. However, it would be good if those who have actually used a Torqeedo on an SB could check the note and edit it.
Thanks, Peter

[Graham W]

Just think how much Torqeedo would benefit if Bosch knew how to make Dyson-style digital motors.  Of, I forgot http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-20067754

On the other hand, having read about what a digital motor actually comprises, I wonder what all the fuss is about.  It seems that the technology has been around for years, except perhaps in vacuum cleaners.

[Peter Taylor]

They could have gone to a model boat club -  brushless outrunner motors with digital speed controllers (and also lithium-ion batteries) have been standard in fast electric model boats for quite some time!

[Graham W]

I was just looking at the Torqeedo website.  It seems that their motors already share with the Dyson variety electronic commutation, rare earth magnets and brushless technology.  Not that I understand what it all means but it sounds impressive.

[Peter Taylor]

As far as I'm concerned the vital word is "brushless"... it means the motor is likely to keep working longer without maintenance; one reason I'm willing to take the risk of voiding the warranty and modifying the motor so it will fit in a BC20 OB well.  Instead of using a mechanical system (which eventually wears out and needs refurbishment) to switch the current direction as the motor turns, its all done electronically. The rest (rare earth magnets and outrunner motor geometry) just increases the power and torque for a given energy input.

[Johan Ellingsen]

Hi guys,

What happened to the illustrated feature on cutting up the Torqeedo,just when I needed it?

[Graham W]

This one? http://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/?page_id=820