sailboat electric motor conversion kit

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5KW Brushless Sailboat Kit

Description
Manuals & Downloads
Included Components

Eliminate noxious diesel fumes, the cost of filling up at the pump, and enjoy your sailboat to the fullest with this DIY electric conversion Kit. The 5KW Brushless Kit featuring a Motenergy brushless motor and a 48V Sevcon Controller that can produce up to 5KW continuous and is often used to replace 10-15hp combustion engines. T his system is best for boats up to 6,000 pounds displacement.

All our systems have reverse on-the-fly and contactor disable features. "Brushless" means that the motor does not have brushes that will wear out over time, nor will it be a dangerous source of ignition for on-board gas appliances. Larger boats may require a higher power AC or brushless motor. In the U.S. and Canada, brushed motors are only legal for marine use if onboard appliances and accessories use kerosene or diesel (not propane or gasoline) due to the potential for internal motor arcing.

The controller has a regen feature than can allow current to be put back into the batteries from the spinning prop while under sail. This depends on your sailing speed, prop design, and may not be possible in all applications, but is an adored feature for those who are able to use it.

Due to the high RPM of the brushless motor, we recommend the 5-10kW Gear Reduction to improve efficiency, provide proper torque, cooling, and help prevent cavitation. A typical reduction is 2:1, but this ratio will depend on the required prop RPM needed to reach hull speed. Ideal reduction will enable the motor to spin your prop at the hull speed RPM of your prop when the motor is spinning at its max RPM. We program the ME1718 in our 5kw kit to spin around 3000 rpm Max, at 48v.

What batteries should you use? Most customers are happy with sealed, deep cycle lead acid, sourced locally to save on shipping. Use 4 in series to get 48v, with a 100 Amp Hour capacity minimum. Larger capacity will give a longer run time.

Those of you that are still in the "research phase" of your conversion should visit one of the Electric Boats Discussion Groups and talk to others who are doing or have already done electric conversions.

* Lead time is approximately one week

* Please describe your battery pack so that we can program your motor controller to match - then you won't need to ship it back to us. Minimum battery information includes cell chemistry, amp hour rating, overall pack voltage, series cell count and arrangement.

* If you choose not to use a gear reduction, a thrust bearing in line with the prop shaft is required, since most motors are not rated for axial/thrust loads on the shaft.

* Before you pull your old engine, support the prop shaft for reference so you can properly align the new system.

* A heatsink for the controller is recommended by the manufacturer, and is included in the kit.

Check out our instructional wiring video!

See the CAN Translator page for a budget display option

Sevcon Sailboat Kit Instructions

Sevcon Sailboat Wiring Diagram with ET throttle

Sevcon Sailboat Wiring Diagram with Wigwag throttle

E-Boat Modeling Spreadsheet (.xls) *Use this to calculate your power needs*

E-Boat Modeling Spreadsheet Manual (.pdf)

Vicprop Calculator

Motenergy ME1716/ME1718 Mechanical Drawing

Sevcon Gen 4 Controller Info

Included Components (may vary based on kW rating and parts availability)

Motenergy ME1718 Sealed Brushless Motor.
Controller: 48V Sevcon G4827 (can also be programmed at 36v)
827 Display for Sevcon
ET-134/126 directional throttle - recommended if you plan to use an existing throttle lever. The ET Actuator (included) connects to your existing throttle cable. Optons: ET-134 has a Neutral Detent, ET-126 has a Spring Return.
Wigwag throttle lever - recommended if not reusing your existing lever
PB-8 throttle and Fwd/Rev Switch
Sealed Main Contactor
Finned Aluminum Heatsink
Every kit is individually bench tested
Complete wire harness with 10ft key and throttle cable lengths
Wiring instructions