[PCW] Hybrid Powercat

[John Foster]

On the Panbo site <http://panbo.com/> I noticed an article on a hybrid 
power cat:

    "Some might quibble with "/distinctively handsome profile/", but wow
    what a concept: 6 knots 'free' using 6,000 watts of photo voltaic
    panels laid on the (thus squarish) cabin tops and deck, but if you
    want to pick her up to 15 knots cruise (and/or the big AGM battery
    banks need topping up), the Mercedes diesel generators,
    living in sound proof chambers forward, kick in. This is more
    out-of-the-box thinking from Reuben Trane, who also put together the
    more subtly innovative Island Pilot
    <http://www.panbo.com/yae/archives/001363.html> 
    <http://www.panbo.com/yae/archives/001363.html> I tried in August.
    He spoke about this hybrid idea with much enthusiasm, but I didn't
    expect to see ads and a web site <http://dsehybrid.com/index.html>
    <http://dsehybrid.com/index.html> so soon. Needless to say, there
    will be a very interesting monitoring and control system on these
    boats."

<http://dsehybrid.com/index.html> shows more details.

At the rate solar cell technology is advancing this concept will soon be 
possible on craft of more "usual" (whatever your concept of that is) 
deck layouts.

John