Hybrid Boats

[expilot]

1 hour ago, Paul said:

I think the issue with the dayboats and weed up at sommerton is because they are fitted with go kart motors

With respect, where does this idea come from?  None of the dayboats hired out by Phoenix Fleet Limited, the first boatyard to hire out electric dayboats thirty odd years ago, none had go kart motors - whatever they are.  They had - and still have - the original 48volt Nelco motors.  

As for torque, an electric motor delivers its full torque throughout the rpm range.  Electric boats are much more manoeuvrable at low rpm than any diesel can be.  Happy to demonstrate in either of my all-electric boats to any disbeliever or sceptic.

The seriousness of the weeding up problem at Somerton is vary much dependent on the type of weed picked up by the prop.  I do not know the names of the various weeds up there, but one is like wire.  Get that round the prop and you need a very sharp saw to get rid of it!  Another weed looks like lettuce and is much easier to shift.

[VetChugger]

When we tried to get to West Somerton in late June we got caught up with weed by Martham Broad on "Juliette". It almost stopped the boat dead. No thrust at all. It was very difficult to get it off and took a lot of forward and reverse to shift it. At one stage I was almost resigned to stopping and yelling for help from the yard.