www.pbo.co.uk/news/torqeedo-hanse-yachts-launch-rudder-drive-44667
Look very impressive.
Sorry to be cynical but if you lost your rudder, or control of your rudder, you may loose some this else as well :(
Select to expand quoteCrusoe said..
Look very impressive.
Sorry to be cynical but if you lost your rudder, or control of your rudder, you may loose some this else as well :(
Id jump 
on to my dingy 
I presume they will have a generator onboard to keep the battery bank topped up otherwise that 50nm range(in calm water) will translate into sweet bugger all when pushing into a headwind and tide.
Select to expand quoteAshleyM said..
I presume they will have a generator onboard to keep the battery bank topped up otherwise that 50nm range(in calm water) will translate into sweet bugger all when pushing into a headwind and tide.
I think the ideal situation would be a diesel electric installation. Engine placed centrally and low and the drive on the rudder to eliminate alignment problems and provide brilliant steering at low speeds.
i have installed a few electric systems on yachts up to 40 foot and i know of several on offshore boats but have only thought it practical for day or weekender yachts as once you install a genset the complexity goes up and the practicality goes down as aday boat simplicity in and out of marina less weight less space taken up makes for a practical system
this looks to me to be a great evolution and while i wouldnt rush to put one on my boat i would put one on a weekender style boat and will lok into pricing
Select to expand quoteRamona said..AshleyM said..
I presume they will have a generator onboard to keep the battery bank topped up otherwise that 50nm range(in calm water) will translate into sweet bugger all when pushing into a headwind and tide.
I think the ideal situation would be a diesel electric installation. Engine placed centrally and low and the drive on the rudder to eliminate alignment problems and provide brilliant steering at low speeds.
I second that Ramona
In the cat version it has the ability to generate power using the out boat legs. it reverses the prop so it drives the motor as generators and recharges the batteries on board
Probably wont be cost effective for me in my life time but its getting there
Rudder drive is not a good idea . Electric motors are a good idea especially for racing yachts . Great way to keep the weight down.
Select to expand quoteboty said..
i have installed a few electric systems on yachts up to 40 foot and i know of several on offshore boats but have only thought it practical for day or weekender yachts as once you install a genset the complexity goes up and the practicality goes down as aday boat simplicity in and out of marina less weight less space taken up makes for a practical system
this looks to me to be a great evolution and while i wouldnt rush to put one on my boat i would put one on a weekender style boat and will lok into pricing
I think once people install refrigeration and airconditioning then a genset is the obvious move. Once you have a genset then the obvious next step is electric drive. The genset is easier to mount in a soundproof box and very soft mounts ensure the power drive is very quiet. No alignment problems with shafts. The rudder drive is just a further refinement. Similar to what cruise ships all use now for propulsion and look how easy they maneuver in harbour. I'm on a cruise ship right now and we are just getting the lines ashore in Hobart. Take all day with a shaft drive. That rudder on the Hanse would not go to 90 degrees but I bet it would be great at reversing.
I think there is a huge untapped market in the form of old keelyachts under 30' where the value of the vessel doesn't warrant a repower with a new diesel that costs close to the value of the yacht.
ie I'd love to put a $12k+ inboard diesel in my Spacesailer 24 which cost me $11k...
Enter a volume produced electric pod drive which would be coupled(electrically) to a Honda or Yamaha 4 stroke pretrol generator and a big battery.
If they can get the volume up, a pod drive should cost around $1500, add a $1000 generator, $500 for batteries and cables and $500 for fitting and you have an inboard repower for the price of an outboard.
If we ignore azimuthing pod drives and look at a simple pod, it's just an electric motor in a watertight housing. Or there is the electric saildrive option which again is pretty simple, long established technology.
It's like any technology, they just need enough wealthy early adopters to get the volume up so the prices can come down. So I'm calling on all the big boys here to dig deep and go electric.
I think Jaffa steering made it so it can do 100 degrees for Hanses system.
Any way Ill never be able to afford one
