Frequently
Asked Questions:
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How long will the launch run and how far will it go on a charge?
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Are electric boats a new idea?
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Is electricity a practical or safe form of power when used around
water?
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How does a Harbour Launch electric drive compare with a similar
internal combustion drive in terms of complexity, repair, and maintenance?
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What should I expect in terms of maintenance?
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What type of batteries are used?
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How long does it take to charge the batteries?
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How do I know how much power I am using and how much is left?
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I still don't get it, is there a simpler way to understand or
explain this electricity stuff?
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What happens if I am out "there" and
I run out of power?
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Can I limit the amount of power consumed by my launch?
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How about a solar panel?
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Can you rig the Harbour Launch to sail?
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Can you rig the Harbour Launch with an outboard motor?
Are electric
boats a new idea?
In 1892, at the Columbian Exposition
in Chicago, the Electric Launch Company (ELCO) introduced the first
commercially viable electric motorboats to the world. By 1900,
electric powered pleasure boats outnumbered boats powered by both
steam and gasoline. Eventually, gas powered boats became more popular because
of their increased power and range. Today
however, electric power is used widely in a variety of marine applications
such as submarines, small ferries and a variety of military craft. Even
larger vessels such as the Queen Mary II are outfitted with electric
turbine drives. In most cases these craft use nuclear
power or fossil fuels to generate the electricity required to operate.
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Is electricity
a practical or safe form of power when used around water?
All powerboats utilize electricity
to some extent and most have some sort of battery or battery bank. The main safety concerns regarding electronic equipment used
around water are corrosion and vibration. To combat these elements
boat builders are required to use specially designed electrical
components and wire.
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How does a Harbour Launch electric
drive compare with a similar internal combustion drive in terms
of complexity, repair, and maintenance?
The internal combustion equivalent
to the electric drive would be a small outboard or an inboard gas
engine with an electric start, a transmission and a throttle / gear control. Either configuration includes a series of complex
interrelated mechanical and electronic systems including: fuel,
cooling, lubrication, exhaust, ignition, staring, charging, transmission,
and control. As well,
each individual system consists of a multitude of components and
parts, many of which are moving.
In comparison, the electric drive
is comprised of only three systems with very few components: the
24 volt D.C. electrical system including batteries, motor, controller,
gauge and throttle; the mechanical transfer system including motor
mount, bearing, pulleys and adjustable belt, and the 110 Volt A.C.
charging system including charger and shore power plug. Of these
components only the controller fan, drive shaft, motor, and throttle-arm
are moving parts.
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What should I expect in terms
of maintenance?
Murphy's law states: "If
something can go wrong it will" and there is clearly far more to
go wrong with a gasoline fueled boat than there is on an electric
one. As well, when something does go wrong, with a gas drive chances
are that a mechanic will be required to fix it. Conversely,
the electric drive can be easily understood and maintained by a
layman with little or no mechanical training. In
fact, aside from maintaining the water level in the batteries once
or twice a season, and monitoring the tension of the drive belt,
there is very little routine mechanical maintenance needed. In fact, if you choose the optional AGM maintenance free batteries
there is almost none. However,
every four to five years the batteries will need to be
replaced. At this
duration it is also advisable to replace the electric motor's brushes
and bearings, the underwater cutlass or shaft bearing, and the
drive belt at the same time. These are very simple tasks for any
marine mechanic.
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What type of batteries are used?
The Harbour Launch comes with stock
deep cycle 4D flooded (wet) lead acid batteries. These batteries
have removable caps and require some monitoring and maintenance
such as adding distilled water occasionally. The flooded batteries have are rated
for 1000 cycles and should last four to five years. We also offer optional absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries
that have about the same lifespan but do have some advantages over
the conventional batteries:
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The AGM batteries are completely sealed and maintenance-free, so there is
no water to add or chance of leakage.
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They have a very low discharge rate when stored over the winter without a
trickle charge.
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They will withstand freezing temperatures if stored completely dead, (A battery
of any type won't freeze if fully charged)
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They have a slightly faster recharge rate.
Although AGM batteries may be appropriate
under certain conditions, we feel that at almost twice the price,
we will allow our customers to decide whether or not the cost is
warranted. Generally speaking, we have had few problems with our flooded
4D batteries and feel that the modest maintenance, as well as the
general availability is worth the savings.
Because the lifespan and maintenance
of any battery is often determined by how well it is charged we
install a high tech "QuiQ" variable amperage charger, designed
by delta-q TECHNOLOGIES specifically for electric vehicles. We
feel that by investing in a superior charging system we will increase
the lifespan and efficient use of either battery type.
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How long does it take to charge
the batteries?
The batteries will charge completely
in less than 8 hours. A battery can also be charged at any time,
so it is often advantageous to take an extension cord with you
if you are cruising to a destination with a power outlet. However,
the batteries will perform better if they are deep cycled with
some regularity. So you should run the batteries down
(-110 AH) periodically.
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How do I know how much power I
am using and how much is left?
The Harbour Launch comes equipped
with a Link 10 Battery Monitor built by xantrex. The
link ten provides a simple and easy-to-use multicolor display that
shows volts, amps, amp hours consumed, and operating time remaining.
By pressing the "S" (select) button the display toggles
between these settings.
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" V" displays the Voltage available in the battery banks. The voltage will vary from 25.6 Volts for a fully charged
bank to 22.6 for a bank nearing safe depletion.
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"A" will display the amperage draw as a negative number from 0 to -30. This number represents the amount of
amperage (power) that you are consuming per hour, -30 being full throttle and maximum consumption.
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"AH" displays the total Ampere Hours (power) that you have consumed as a negative
number between 0 and -110. There
are 110 amp hours available in the battery bank so -110 would represent full
depletion.
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" T" displays the running time you have remaining, based on your average speed
over the past 4 minutes.
Also, there is a simple gauge showing
four green lights. Four lights on represents a full charge. Two
lights on represent a 1/2 charge and so on.
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I still
don't get it, is there a simpler way to understand or
explain this electricity stuff?
Sometimes it is easiest to explain
electricity using the analogy of money. Owning
any battery-powered equipment is like having a daily allowance. The Harbour Launch is like an allowance
of $110 per day. If
you want to spend the allowance quickly you may spend up to $30
per hour and shop for three hours and forty minutes. Or
you can spend $10 per hour and shop for eleven hours. Or you can
spend $30 in one hour and then spend the remaining $70 over the
next six hours. However you spend your money, you should always
be aware of what you have left in your wallet. To do this you always
need to know what you have spent. In this equation "A" (Amps) = Dollars,
"AH" (Amp
Hours) = Dollars Spent, and "T" = Shopping time remaining - spending
as you have over the past few minutes. Efficient boating = Getting
the most for your money. See Chart.
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What happens if I am out "there" and
I run out of power?
The same thing happens that happens
when you are out "there" and you run out of gas - only
with one acceptation - with an electric boat you may still make
it to
shore. Although
the Launch cycle is based on 110 amp hours, the batteries in the
Launch are actually 220 amp hour batteries. So there is a reserve - if it is absolutely required. The problem is that beyond fifty percent
depletion, the battery bank voltage will drop significantly and
cause the boat to slow down. As
well, the reserve will come at a cost - it will reduce the number
of charge cycles and may permanently damage the batteries. Certainly
this is not recommended as a common practice. As
with any other form of transportation the best idea is to plan
ahead and pay attention. Really you shouldn't be out 'there" and
run out of anything!
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Can I limit the amount of power
consumed by my launch?
The launch controller can be programmed
to limit amperage consumed, but should be considered only under
certain circumstances. For instance, if the owner of a rental fleet
wanted to operate boats for guaranteed 8 hrs a day, the controller
could be set at 13.75 amps and the boat would travel at a maximum
speed of 3.6 Knots (4 MPH) for the entire time. However, for the
average user, it is best to learn to understand the boat and operate
it based on your own requirements and sense of economy. It is very unlikely that you will want to operate the boat
at full speed all day long. Many
people choose to cruise at 10 Amps (3.3 knots) and just relax and
watch the world go by.
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How about a solar panel?
We are currently designing a 165-watt
solar panel system, which will be mounted on the surrey canopy. The solar panel will be able to completely recharge the battery
banks in approximately 16 hours of direct sunlight. Under similar conditions the panel will
produce 7.5 amps and could theoretically propel the Launch along
at around 3 knots without depleting the batteries. The
panels will likely add 35 lbs to the weight of the canopy and the
projected cost of this option will be around $1,600 CDN.
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Can you rig the Harbour Launch
to sail?
The Harbour Launch is designed as
a motor launch and we would prefer to keep it that way. There
are many advantages to owning an electric boat and going sailing
without wind happens to be one of them. Many
people use their electric boats in the quiet calm hours, cruising
in the morning, evening and after dusk. At
these times the last thing that you may want is a lot of extra
gear getting in the way while you are out enjoying yourself. If you want a wind-electric hybrid we
suggest a sailboat with an electric outboard or inboard.
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Can you rig the Harbour Launch
with an outboard motor?
That would defeat the purpose.
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If you have a question that
should be included in the FAQ page please feel free to contact
us.
