The Steamboating Forum

Hi, just an electrifying question. Has any electrics been installed in a boat, here we are talking of a 14ft boat not the Queen Mary.
My thoughts are, solar PV cell on the canopy and may be a small PM generator off the prop/flywheel to charge a dryfit battery. All this to supply an electric bilge pump, a fan for boiler draft, and may be a light or two (LEDs)
Planning on fitting a collecting pan under boiler and engine to collect oily water etc. Bilge pump is to pump rain water out.

Bill

"Solar PV cell on the canopy and may be a small PM generator off the prop/flywheel to charge a dryfit battery. All this to supply an electric bilge pump, a fan for boiler draft, and may be a light or two (LEDs)"

That would all work OK, but consider that a steam eductor makes a good bilge pump, with no electricity. Same for the draft fan, use a chimney, producing enough draft for most steam launches. If the only electrics are LED lights, then a few small flashlight batteries will last the whole season. If you must have an electric bilge pump, a small automotive battery will typicall run the bilge pump for several days outing, and can be re-charged with a direct connection to your automobile's cigarette lighter.

Putting a solar PV system, or electric generator in a 14 ft steamboat would be one of the last things I would consider, and would only do it if I had a love for this type of machinery. Better to go steaming during the 50 or so hours of labor that could be required for elaborate electrics.


"Planning on fitting a collecting pan under boiler and engine to collect oily water etc."

Recommend you get some "Oil-Sorb" pads for bilge locations within the boat, about $1USD for a 2 foot x 2 foot pad, I have them under the floors of the boat, in addition to the oil catch pan under the engine. They actually work well, before I was using them the bilge water always managed to get some oil, but not now.

Hi Fredrosse,

Thanks for the reply.

When the boat is finished and in the water I’m not planning taking it out often, hence the reason for the electric bilge pump. The tray under the engine & boiler is to be able to demonstrate to the powers that be, that oil will not be pumped into the water as it is a reservoir we sail on. The “Oil-Sorb” is great info and will be incorporated in the boat.

I do have an interest in the generating side of this project as well as a requirement for the electric pump.
My line of investigation for generation is fitting permanent magnets to the periphery of the fly wheel then mounting coils around it with in a case as yet to be designed.

Take your point about the extra 50 or more hours sailing!

Bill

The bilge pump I use was purchased at Harbor Freight for under $40 (H.F. Item #94639) and has been good now for three years and I expect it to keep pumping for another 10 years. I run it off a 12 volt, 10 amp hour sealed lead acid battery. This I recharge after a weekend's boating with a 5 watt solar charger and takes only one day in our driveway. Unless your boat really leaks a lot of water, like more than a few gallons a weekend, a cheaper, smaller 7 amp hour battery would be fine. A good sla, absorbant glass mat battery will last 8-900 charges and nowdays is pretty rugged.

"This I recharge after a weekend's boating with a 5 watt solar charger and takes only one day in our driveway."

With the amount of sun we are getting in Scotland this yearwe must be talking at least a week to recharge!

Thanks for all the replies.
A 360 gph Rule bilge pump came with the boat along with other goodies. As Gudmund indicated the sun here has been rather lacking this year. As for the boat leaking, it hasn’t been in the water for a good number of years and may not be ready for 2/3 more.

Bill

If your boat is leaking more than six barrels of water an hour, you should maybe stay very near the dock until you find the missing plank!

I second the solution of using a rechargeable battery. Those little Rule 360s draw less than two amps. Add to that a bucket (kept in my boat for more personal uses) and you should be ready for almost any eventuality.

If charging it up is a hassle, the smallest solar panel made will easily keep it topped up.

Mike

Cheers Mike,
Unable to locate said plank or the hole even. So I was thinking of testing the 360 gph bilge pump, just to see


All this is way in the future as I have to build an engine and boiler yet, as well as fix the hull!

Bill

They will pump a surprising quantity of water but are sensitive to any restriction on the output and the output drops rapidly when they have to pump uphill very much. Like from a deep sailboat bilge. Not usually a problem with launches.
Mike

fredrosse wrote:"Solar PV cell on the canopy and may be a small PM generator off the prop/flywheel to charge a dryfit battery. All this to supply an electric bilge pump, a fan for boiler draft, and may be a flashlight or two (LEDs)"

That would all work OK, but consider that a steam eductor makes a good bilge pump, with no electricity. Same for the draft fan, use a chimney, producing enough draft for most steam launches. If the only electrics are LED lights, then a few small flashlight batteries will last the whole season. If you must have an electric bilge pump, a small automotive battery will typicall run the bilge pump for several days outing, and can be re-charged with a direct connection to your automobile's cigarette lighter.

Putting a solar PV system, or electric generator in a 14 ft steamboat would be one of the last things I would consider, and would only do it if I had a love for this type of machinery. Better to go steaming during the 50 or so hours of labor that could be required for elaborate electrics.


"Planning on fitting a collecting pan under boiler and engine to collect oily water etc."

Recommend you get some "Oil-Sorb" pads for bilge locations within the boat, about $1USD for a 2 foot x 2 foot pad, I have them under the floors of the boat, in addition to the oil catch pan under the engine. They actually work well, before I was using them the bilge water always managed to get some oil, but not now.

If the only electrics are LED lights, then a few small flashlight batteries will last the whole season. But I think the battery power is more preferable for me.