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Summer 2023, we're on our way to Zeeland with our own catamaran and are in Willemstad when Kees Struijcken calls us with a request that will lead to another very happy ePropulsion customer.
Kees was interested in an ePropulsion Pod6 Evo system and wanted to come and see it that same day. That proved a bit difficult with the boat in Willemstad and the car in Stellendam. Fortunately, Kees was able to visit our friends at Drinkwaard in Sliedrecht that same day, where the system was not only inspected but also purchased immediately.
In the days and weeks that followed, we regularly discussed the unique installation Kees designed for this Pod. At the end of May, we were suddenly surprised with a beautiful report. Read it here:
Well, there you are, sailing into the harbor at the beginning of May, and your speed suddenly drops to 1.2 knots without a drop in RPM. And you'd even given your diesel a thorough overhaul that same winter. A cluster of Japanese kelp in the propeller was later discovered when the diver surfaced, but nothing had been solved. Despite full throttle, our 1972 Scampi didn't budge an inch.
After my good friend Petra offered to tow me with her boat from Bruinisse to the excellent Marc Schröder shipyard in Dinteloord , it turned out that the hydraulics between the engine and the propeller shaft had failed (after only 51 years). Given the age of the system, repairing it seemed like a very time-consuming and expensive affair, so the time was ripe to revisit an idea we'd considered years earlier: why not remove the whole thing and replace it with an electric drive?
We were pleasantly surprised by the improved specifications, such as power and range, as well as the lower battery weight and the very reasonable prices compared to a few years ago. This was what we learned during our pleasant and efficient meeting with Remco, from Robust-MT Marine Technology BV, which supplies the ePropulsion brand, which we chose after extensive research.
During the later part of the season, when we couldn't sail, we received all the service and smooth cooperation from Robust to get us back on the water as quickly as possible. Then, suddenly, everything went very quickly. Very fast delivery: the starter battery was removed, the hydrofoor was removed, the diesel was removed, the exhaust was removed, the controls were removed, and the holes were filled in within a week. After that, the diesel engine was removed and the new ePropulsion battery was installed, after which everything could be installed and connected.
This all involves the battery, battery charger, pod driver, side controls, and the 6.0 kW electric motor, which looks like a saildrive and needs to be bolted under the boat. However, we decided against this. We didn't want an available outboard motor mount because it sticks out unsightly, increases the box size, and is very easy to remove. So I designed a folding motor mount myself, which cannot be removed from the outside and was perfectly welded together from stainless steel by the shipyard. (see photos)
This means that a folding propeller is no longer necessary, which means that full power is available both forward and reverse via the supplied 3-blade propeller, while under sail there is no resistance under the boat at all, as the engine is folded up against the pushpit.
Installation, as Remco had promised, proved very simple—plug and play indeed—but the biggest surprises came once the boat was back in the water. Despite the fact that the power output should have been roughly the same on paper, the electric motor actually delivered significantly more power.
With the old diesel, a 10-hp Farymann, we managed just 5.2 knots at full throttle with our 9-meter-long, over 3-ton Scampi 30. The ePropulsion already achieves that with 1.5 kW, even though it has 6. We had to brake hard the first time we entered the lock at 6.5 knots, but we stopped almost immediately.
The range was also 100% better than expected. Back in the harbor of Bruinisse, we found only 15% of the battery had been used. A sailing trip on the Grevelingen—leaving the harbor, rigging, de-rigging, and then entering the harbor—only uses 3% of the battery, meaning we'll probably only need to charge 4 to 5 times a year, which, incidentally, can be done with shore power at 9 amps.
Let's summarize all the benefits:
and if we ever come across a bunch of Japanese berry weed
As you can imagine, we're very happy with it.
Kees (van de Marees) and Marion Struijcken.
Kees Struijcken – Happy ePropulsion customer: Thank you!
Of course, we at Robust-MT Marine Technology BV also very pleased with this. Not only is this a satisfied customer with a wonderful, innovative solution, but we also received a great review for our website. Thank you, Kees and Marion, and we hope you enjoy your beautiful setup.
