[PCW] alternative power sources

[Henry Clews]

It's fun to speculate about the possibilities of alternative power  
sources for boats.  But, as a practical matter, simplicity plus tried  
and true, seem to work best - if it's reliability you want.  We have  
just completed another southbound trip on Sno' Dog, our PDQ 34 - again  
without a single mechanical problem.  Since 2006, we've logged over  
15,000 nautical miles and have over 1500 hours on our twin 4JH3  
Yanmars - haven't had single a mechanical problem.

Along the ICW this fall, we met a number of boaters struggling with  
mechanical issues, some awaiting the delivery of parts so they could  
continue on their way.  We also noted a surprising number of calls to  
Sea Tow for one reason or another.

Diesel/Electric Hybrid systems work well in cars because of  
regenerative braking, but this really doesn't apply to boats.  There  
may be some applications where it makes sense, for very low-powered  
vessels (like Endeavour's new Electric Boat) but few people are  
content to travel that slowly nowadays.

I think many experienced boaters make do with a good set of house  
batteries (enough to carry their needs for 24 hours) plus an inverter  
to supply 115 VAC as needed.  The batteries can be recharged by the  
engines, a generator, or possibly with solar or wind power.  The only  
fly in the ointment is air conditioning.  The need for AC can be  
greatly reduced by moving around with the seasons - on Sno' Dog we use  
more heat than AC!  Plus, we have many opening ports & hatches.  (We  
have a grand total of 65 hours on our generator!)

Henry Clews
Jensen Beach, FL
most recent blog:  www.snodoglog.com/09Fall-Pg3.html