The Boat And Modern Tech

This has been the subject of much debate amongst our small group and has been discussed and talked over for many months...Do we start with a brand new boat or an older used boat? Composite or metal construction? What type of rig and sail plan? Stripped out ocean racer or blue water cruiser? And of course the great debate over catamaran or monohull?

When it comes to choosing a sailboat for circumnavigating the world, there are quite literally hundreds of things to be considered and most everyone that you talk to has a different opinion. Throw into the mix an all electric boat with zero emissions, and the questions, answers, opinions and problems seem to multiple ten fold.

A catamaran was the option chosen by Jimmy Cornell for the original Elcano Challenge of 2021, unfortunately that challenge was abandoned some 3 weeks after its start due to technical issues. The issues were not with the boat itself I must point out, but rather with the power generation systems onboard. As we write this, there is at least one other catamaran that we know of currently being built specifically to take up the original Elcano Challeng. That is being built by Peter Lukursky, better know to many as 'Plukky' from the YouTube channel 'Sailing into Freedom'. His boat is an ODC48 and is being designed, tweaked and built by the naval architects and a professional yard of Odisea Catamarans, so it would appear that catamarans are well suited to this particular challenge of an all electric circumnavigation. And, in our own humble opinion, we would have to agree that a full sized catamaran makes for a great boat for circumnavigating the world.

But....There is always a but!

Catamarans are expensive boats, the price of the Outremer catamaran that Jimmy Cornell opted for in 2021 was somewhere north of £850,000, while Plukky's new build ODC48 has a base price €678,500 according to Odisea Catamarans current price list. 

Yes indeed, modern catamarans, in fact modern boats in general, are VERY expensive, and that is before we get into the whole subject of electric drive systems, lithium batteries, solar panels, inverters, mppt charge controllers, battery balancers and the list goes on. 

We also think it would be fair to assume that these type of costs are something that few people can easily afford, as I'm sure many of you will agree.

This also raises another huge question, the rather large elephant in the room, so to speak. Given that this whole challenge is about zero emissions sailing and reducing our impact on the world on which we live, whilst also highlighting technologies that will bring positive benefits to sailors everywhere, does commissioning a brand new boat, assuming that one could actually afford to do so, in which to undertake such a challenge, really fit comfortably into the whole ethos of what is being proposed?

We would have to say that we do not think so, but that is just our own opinion.

Add to that the fact that there is an abundance of used and 'project' boats on the market that could be converted to electric drive, and that, if we are ever going to see this technology adopted by the masses, then it is most likely going to be driven by existing owners converting their current boats, we felt that the only way this challenge could truly have meaning for us, would be to find an older used boat and convert that to meet the needs of this challenge, whilst keeping the costs as low as possible.

After months of research and many, many, conversations with a naval architect (thank you Colin), emails and phone calls to companies involved with electric boats and experts in solar power generation, we eventually worked out exactly what we wanted for this challenge.

After it all was said and done, we came to the conclusion that an all aluminium,  junk rigged schooner with either a long or swing keel, in the range of  50 - 60 ft LOA  would be our best fit.

Let me break down how we reached that decision. Firstly we had decided that we wanted a monohull with either a long keel or ballasted centreboard for their great sea keeping and softer ride when in rougher conditions, a centreboard would also allow access shallow water and the ability to dry out if needed,  we also wanted aluminium for its strength and the ability to take a hit and be repaired fairly easily. Safety, stability and comfort were all major considerations in our decision making, and these type of metal boats generally provide all of those attributes. As this is not an ocean race where speed is the all deciding factor, we came to the decision very early on that a performance hull was not our best option. Size needed to be comfortable for extended cruising, yet still manageable by a short handed crew. 

We also wanted a boat that was more representative (in our opinion at least) of what most people who want to go cruising could actually afford. These last few years have seen a surge in people, both young and old, taking up the cruising lifestyle, and it is here that these new and emerging technologies can have a real impact. We want to show that older boats can be successfully converted to all electric drive systems, and still be capable of crossing oceans.

Quite simply for its ease of sailing, the ability to manage the sails in almost any wind from the safety of the cockpit, and the ease of repairing the sails should they ever be damaged. They are also the perfect choice for using solar cloth and that is a huge part of this project. The sails on a junk rig are relatively unstressed as the battens and mast take almost all of the loads, this means a junk sail can be patched and sewn with relatively little drama. In the photograph above the battens and panels of the sails are clearly visible. Should damage occur in a panel that section can simply be reef in.

If you have never sailed on a well set up junk rigged boat then I would urge you to do so should you ever be given the opportunity. (This is in fact something that we will be offering during the voyage. Details on this will be given nearer the time, so make sure to stay tuned and follow us.)

Being a junk rigged schooner also means we have a large sail area available to us. This was another important aspect in our decision making as we will be using sails that have integrated solar panels. These will provide us with a dramatic increase in our ability to generate solar power.

.

55m Helios sailing yacht concept solar sails

Solar panel technology has advanced at a rapid pace in recent years. The silicon based techniques for photovoltaic cells used to this point have been pretty much exhausted, with hardly any new progress being made. New advanced technologies are showing much more promise these days, including CIGS [copper, indium, gallium and selenium]. This technology is now being used to achieve a supple and thin product of just 65 microns with an amazing 125 g /  m2. After encapsulation, the finished cells weigh as little as 210 g / m2. With a yield of around 14%, 10 square meters in panels on each side of a sail leads to a power generation of up to 2 kW from each sail. Now that is a game changer

One area that we are particularly excited about is on demand hydrogen production to power a fuel cell powered DC generator. A fuel cell generates direct current (DC) from the electro-chemical reactions within the fuel cell itself. A single fuel cell typically produces less than 1 volt,  so multiple cells are combined into stacks, consisting of hundreds of individual fuel cells, in order to generate a useable voltage. Fuel cells require the pressure of the reactant gas to be several times higher than the ambient atmospheric pressure which means the hydrogen gas needs to be stored at high pressures, for our application that means around 300 bar. Hydrogen has some particular challenges when it comes to compressing it for storage that makes its use onboard a relatively small sailing vessel a bit challenging. We have spent hundreds of hours working to find a suitable way to overcome this hurdle, and are extremely proud to now have a working solution.

The ePropulsion H-100 

Our partner on this project and electric motor manufacturer ePropulsion are responsible for the electric heart that will power the challenge yacht -a new 100kW electric inboard motor.

The ePropulsion H-100 is engineered for larger sailing boats and motor vessels between 60 and 100 feet (18 and 30 metres) in length and with a full displacement up to 200 tons, making it the ideal choice for us. The motor also delivers high performance with less noise, fewer vibrations, and zero exhaust fumes. Compact and lightweight, weighing in at just 418 lbs (189 kilograms) and requiring just 17 by 12 inches (431 by 304 mm) of space, the H-100 is around two-thirds lighter and 50 per cent smaller than its diesel equivalent, offering flexibility in installation and maximising battery space within the challenge yacht. 

Features such as magnet reluctance incorporated into the motor design can reduce the counter electric potential. In addition, IP67 waterproofing, anti-corrosion, high accuracy position feedback, high torque density and closed-loop cooling combine to ensure long life and minimal maintenance.  

How does hydro-generation work?

Hydro-generation enables a boat’s electric motor to charge its own battery while the boat is sailing . During hydro-generation, water, instead of electricity, passively spins the propeller on the motor in either a forward or reverse motion, which generates electricity through electromagnetic induction. This electricity is then stored in the battery bank and used to power sailing systems, navigation equipment and house systems on the yacht. Having a hydro-generation adds a crucial component to our power generation and sustainability. 

Testing has shown that even with the smaller outboard motors produced by ePropulsion it takes around 4.8 hours to charge the brand’s 1,276Wh large integrated lithium battery to 90 percent while sailing at 8.5 knots, while the 2,048-Wh E40 battery takes 7.6 hours to reach 90 percent capacity, and the 8,960-Wh E175 battery takes 33.3 hours.

By harnessing the power of natural resources to generate electricity, hydro generation is one of the industry’s most eco-friendly and forward-thinking sailing solutions. Water replenishes naturally and is virtually infinite, whereas the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity has been linked to consequences such as rising global temperatures — on land and at sea — and extreme weather.

Changing precipitation patterns and sea-level rise negatively impact marine ecosystems, while ocean warming is often the cause of coral bleaching and the loss of important fish and cetacean breeding grounds. 

Here at Blue Zero Project we care about the wellbeing of oceans, rivers and lakes and actively looking for a ways to help slow the process of climate change. One way is by reducing our carbon footprint when boating, which does not necessarily mean giving up our passion for sailing and sacrificing comfort. With efficient, durable and fuss-free electric motors, brands such as ePropulsion offer eco-friendly alternatives. Harnessing the power of nature to generate electricity, their hydro-generation powered motors also minimise the consumption of fossil fuels and help you reduce costs in the long haul. 

Our world is changing, and it is up to us to ride the waves of change.