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VESPER 1
Contact: Heather Muran
Email: mrsmuran@live.com
Sailing Greener: A New Alternative to Diesel
You see the new alternative to gasoline everywhere these days: from solar
electric homes to hybrid vehicles, the future is a much “greener”. Americans are
looking for alternatives and switching to more fuel-efficient technology.
But with all these “green” alternatives, many in the boating industry have been
waiting patiently for an alternative, fuel-efficient resource to come online.
Enter James Lambden, owner of Above the Waterline; a marine propulsion company
dedicated to rebuilding and remodeling diesel engine boats into high
performance, electric powered “green” machines. By utilizing solar and hydro
energy, Lambden has rebuilt several solar-powered sailboats.
His first alternative powered sailboat is Vesper 1, a Serendipity 43’, owned by
Patrick Muran, located in picturesque Port San Luis. The area provides plenty of
wind and sun, providing the perfect conditions for electric motor sailing.
Vesper 1 utilizes both solar and hydro power through a 5:1 gearbox on a 18 inch,
2 bladed propeller with 17 inches of pitch, and solar panels that produce up to
2 KWH per day. There is enough energy to run the boat to and from the dock and
go sailing on and off the mooring. Vesper 1 is one of very few completely
energy-independent vessels in the world.
“There are many advantages an electric boat has to offer,” says Lambden, who has
been reconstructing boat engines for the last 5 years. “This new technology
provides a cleaner, more efficient way to sail. It’s quiet, pollution free, and
you have power on demand for tacking and getting out of irons, along with
complete control of the propeller down to 20 rpm.” Diesels often start at
300-rpm minimum.
Vesper 1 offers many conveniences due to alternative energy including easier
docking and motoring, which provides a more enjoyable sailing excursion.
Patrick Muran described the last trip he took with the new electric engine setup
in Vesper 1: “The motor sailing turns almost no wind into apparent wind without
much electric power at all. The sails filled out easily while other boats are
luffing.” Muran says it’s great when entertaining guests. “You don’t have the
smell of diesel fuel or fumes, which can be a nuisance when you’re in the
cabin.” An optional diesel generator can be mounted outside of the living spaces
of a boat, which can be selectively run on upwind legs only, to eliminate being
back drafted by diesel fumes.
The technology behind electric motors relies on power regenerated through a
propeller that spins while sailing, creating enough energy to fill battery
banks. These large, electric banks can be used for decadent house loads without
the need to ration on smaller trips.
Even the long-term upkeep is a breeze: no checking the oil or the through hulls
in order to start the engine. Plus, you don’t have to
worry if the engine will start--just flick a switch and the engine power is
there.
Electric sailing takes advantage of the many sources of renewable energy that a
sailboat is naturally in. Electric sailboats do not need to stop or go out of
their way to find diesel fuel because they are self-sufficient. Even a hybrid
diesel-electric boat is far more fuel-efficient than a diesel boat. “The benefit
to owning an electric boat is that you can never completely run out of energy.”
This makes the Vesper 1 a highly efficient, world-traveling vessel.
To learn more about electric-powered boats, visit Above the Waterline’s website
at www.abovethewaterline.net. There you will find pictures of Vesper 1 and learn
more about how you can get electric drive power for your boat from 20 to 60 feet
long.
 
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Above the Waterline
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That's good for your environment!
or telephone
805 455 8444