Torqueedoing

[Sea Rider]

Needed an alternative powering system to combustion engines to power a sib/rib used to follow rowers at a close albufera, which has banned traditional 2 & 4 strokes outboards. So deciding going green tested a Torqueedo 4.0 electric OB which is the top in the portable range. Although is equivalent to a 8 HP has the torque of a 9.9 HP OB. A Sea Rider 320 heavy duty sib inflated to 3.5 psi and keel to 4.0 was used for the test.



The standard prop delivered with engine produced at wot just 13 Km/h with a 220 pound driver, installed the biggest available prop and miraculously the speed topped 21.00 Km/h which is the minimum speed to follow a team of good shape rowers on 4 & 8 row boats.

Pros :
-Very silent.
-Low weight.
-Forward & reverse on throttle grip. Just twist grip right or left.
-Computerized monitor on throttle body.



Cons : compared to an OB :
-Lacks fast hole shot, need to move batts and driver up front to plane faster.
-2 sets of lithium batteries that weights 50 Kg are needed to output 48 volts.
-Bulky, occupies 1/3 of sib.
-Too much electric cable hassle to deal with.
-At top speed batteries don't last that long.
-9 hour charge per battery, need 2 chargers.
-Quite expensive, total package cost will draw buyer's eyes, ears and nose as well.

Down issue :



Although middle and lower leg has a straight sharp edge to cut water flow nicely, OB lacks a small water deflector plate to divert water climbing through leg against water wake, this produces unwanted tail drag which slows a sib/rib a bit.

Next week will test same electric OB on a 340 Rib which has less hull drag compared to a 320 sib, this time will compete against a 4 rower boat to see who's faster. Who will win ?

Happy Boating

 

[GA_Boater]

The rowers. If you got 21 KPH on the 320, wouldn't the 340 top speed drop unless you drop some weight? I'm assuming the 340 weighs more. What was the difference in prop pitch and size?

 

[Sea Rider]

The 340 rib (fiberglass hull) being larger and with less hull drag compared to a 320 sib should perform better, The weight difference is only 5 + kilos between both models. Anyway, the rowing coach weights way less than me so overall top speed should increase. That's why is mandatory to use the oficial rib and coach against a 4 rower boat.

Plastic props for electric engines are quite different in shape and size compared to OB props. They are rated by size, 3 are available : small, medium and large. The blades gets bigger going from small to large, assume pitch varies accordingly.

Anyway, this kind of electric OB is very limited, mainly for powering small tenders, fishing restricted lakes, ponds uses and that's about it. Much better than any other electric OB brand but at a out of this world price 12.5 K $ for the Torqueedo 4.0 package that includes : OB, 2 lithium 24 V batteries, wiring and 2 slow chargers.

Happy Boating

 

[Guest]

Why don't you try the lehr? should be just as green as those electrics

12.5k???!! they can keep it I rather drive 50 miles more each fishing trip and use it at a normal lake/river with a normal gas eating outboard.

 

[GA_Boater]

Sorry, SeaRider - Missed the RIB on the 340.

A Lehr is still internal combustion, which leads to the non-electric ban.

 

[steelespike]

An inflatable with a good big smooth footprint may surprise you by being able to get up on the water better.
We had a 15 ft utility with a 25 Gale it would struggle with 4 adults and luggage. We went a 18ft utility I
figured we would eventually need more hp with the bigger heavier boat.But we were surprised that the boat planed
easily with 6 adults aboard with light gear. We kept the 25 an extra year before it threw a rod.

 

[Sea Rider]

The 320 sib with lightl driver (third pic) did plane at about 23 Km/h, was slow to plane compared to a same 10 HP OB engine.

Gas-petrol-diessel OB's with water exhausts are BANNED, Briggs & Straton greener engines, they polute to air rather than in water are way turtle slow. The competition against a team of 4 near professional rowers will decide the purchase. My vote goes to pure muscle power as opposed to clean green electricity, but will see...

Happy Boating

 

[ronaldj]

Sorry, SeaRider - Missed the RIB on the 340.

A Lehr is still internal combustion, which leads to the non-electric ban.

I have a Lehr that I use all the time
I have even used it on electric only lakes.
Since the Lehrer is considered a Green outboard it is allowed.
Propane is very clean.
In fact that was the reason I got it.

 

[Sea Rider]

If moving to a gas OB will need somerthing in the 15 HP range as we are currently using a 2 stroke 18 HP Tohatsu which makes a 340 Rib fly. Being 15 HP gas engines relatively new on the market would like to know if are reliable, spare parts are available, being 4 strokes if needs to have valve lash adjustments from time to time, needs periodic timing belt change and if there's any technical flaw detected by any knowledgeable boater that has passed undetected by the factory. Personally have found 2 on the 18's, both were corrected locally.

Happy Boating

 

[ssobol]

I have a Lehr that I use all the time
I have even used it on electric only lakes.
Since the Lehrer is considered a Green outboard it is allowed.
Propane is very clean.
In fact that was the reason I got it.

A big reason that lakes/reservoirs are restricted to electric motors is because of the noise a gas engine makes.How does the noise of the Lehr compare to a regular gas outboard?

 

[gddavid]

Is there any reason you need to use an inflatable support boat? I don't know much about competitive rowing but most of the collegiate teams I have seen use catamaran support boats that do not plane but can be pushed in excess of hull speeds without a lot of power. I would think you could build a low budget one with an old beach sailing cat by grafting an outboard mount for it and removing the rig and rudders.

 

[Sea Rider]

It's not a boat type issue, it's all about clean propulsion for restricted waters uses. We have those cats, are way larger and heavier than a 340 Rib, besides must be powered with + 20 HP 4 stroke engines and Lehr does not makes them in that range. If torqueedo finally fails the exam against a 4 rower team will probably look into Lehr propane OB's as are the last available "clean" alternative.

Happy Boating

 

[QC]

Lehr will be no quieter, nor significdantly cleaner than a gasoline 4 cycle or modern injected 2 cycle. There is no data proving the cleanliness of a Lehr because it doesn't exist. Max reduction in carbon emissions will be 10%, NOx same, CARB rating 3 star is same for Lehr, Merc 4 cycle and Optimax for that matter.

Electric is cleaner depending on the source of the electricity. HydroElectric? Zero Carbon, but dead fish, Nuclear? Zero Carbon, not much dead anything. Coal? Nat Gas? Some Carbon, Some NOx Diesel? more Carbon, more NOx.

 

[ronaldj]

It's not a boat type issue, it's all about clean propulsion for restricted waters uses. We have those cats, are way larger and heavier than a 340 Rib, besides must be powered with + 20 HP 4 stroke engines and Lehr does not makes them in that range. If torqueedo finally fails the exam against a 4 rower team will probably look into Lehr propane OB's as are the last available "clean" alternative.

Happy Boating

SeaRider
Lehr makes a 15 and a 25hp outboard.
They have added a higher rated outboard every 9 to 15 months since they started

 

[Sea Rider]

A 25 is too heavy for a 340 Rib which it's max HP rated for 20 HP. Will Lehr forward a clean sort of certification to show to local authorities. According to QC, Lehr does polute by how much compared to any other internal combustion engine that's the question. Which type of polution comes out from a Lehr exhaust ?

Happy Boating

 

[QC]

According to QC, Lehr does polute by how much compared to any other internal combustion engine that's the question. Which type of polution comes out from a Lehr exhaust ?

Pretty similar exhaust to a Gasoline engine. This is what I do, I sell nat gas truck engines. We compare everything to everything. Fact is that most engines are very clean today. Your "clean sort of certification" is the CARB 3 star rating, and the gasoline OB has it too. The emission components are the same as well: Hydrocarbons (un-burnt fuel), Carbon Monoxide, NOx (oxides of Nitrogen) Particulates (soot, one benefit of propane and nat gas engines), and CO2, which is slightly lower with the Lehr, but a diesel is even better. One man's solution is another man's Pollution. I coined that. Fact is they are all very clean today.