Month: January 2025

Note:  I wrote this in December 2023, and am revisiting the idea.  Component parts have come down in price.  It might be time to do it.  Not much has changed in my thinking since I drafted this.  A thread on Trawler Forum helped me in my thinking.

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I’ve been thinking for the last year or so about my perfect boat.  I’ve got to say, Escapade feels pretty good on me.  But it’s not perfect.

It’s all use case dependent, of course.  And my boating budget is far from limitless.  But it’s fun to contemplate.

One idea that’s been simmering as an alternative to swapping boats is tinkering with Escapade.  And building out a solar powered hybrid power train has been on my mind for a while. 

What would it entail?  Basically installing as much solar capacity as possible, then harnessing the energy provided to reduce my fuel consumption.

I should say that in three years of cruising on Escapade I’ve only spent time on the top deck a handful of times.  I don’t want a flybridge or sunning space.  The sun is not my friend.  I’m happy with the open access to the outside in the pilothouse and shaded cockpit.

So here’s the basic proposal: build an aluminum cage structure from the deck up, and cover it with solar panels.  Panels would cover most of the length and breadth of the boat.  I think I could get about 500 square feet with good orientation and no shade.  That’s about 10kw in capacity.  My experience with my existing panels indicates I can expect 35-40 kwh per day yield on average. Maximum daily might be 60 kwh.

That energy can be stored in a 48v battery and used for any of the following:

• Existing house loads (2-5 kwh/day)
• Heat/hot water (3kw electric in hydronic system, also uses waste engine heat)
• Propulsion
• It could also be used for air conditioning, but I have none installed.  A 240v reverse cycle mini split might look attractive if I had the power, and would also work for heat at dockside.
• Powering stabilization system (in my dreams!)

For the time being I’m expecting the majority of the solar power will go into propulsion.  My working plan is to install two electric saildrive units, each about 6 kw. My plan would be to use some combination of diesel and electric when underway. I’m quite confident that I’ll be able to travel at 6 knots under electric only, which is often fast enough for me, but I’m also thinking that I can blend electric with diesel easily by using both to travel the same speed with less fuel.

There are a bunch of ancillary benefits for me. Limited get-home propulsion is really nice to have in a single engine boat. And the idea of having the boat under a permanent protective covering of panels doesn’t bother me a bit. Silent running at times would be nice.

So what’s the payback going to be in reduced fuel consumption? I just called up some numbers from my last full loop:

Distance Traveled: 10,007 NM / 18,500 km

Engine hours: 1,537 @ 1.4 gph 5.5 l/hr

Furnace hours: 958 @ 1.7 l/hr

Total fuel used: 10,050 l

I’ve used 1.0 l/NM as my standard estimate on both Mazurka and Escapade and it’s been remarkably consistent.

What might a repeat with solar/electric look like?

It’s been very cold in Ottawa IL, even by Canadian standards.   I’m home, but Dean sent updates today.  They have 6000w of heat and the Dickinson heater running, and are surviving nicely, apart from Notre Dame’s defeat. 

The goal is still to get south as soon as possible.  We’ll be watching local ice conditions and the long range forecast, and grab the first opportunity to get going.

It could be a while before the Illinois River clears. 

I’ve had lots of traffic here lately.  If you want to track our future progress feel free to subscribe to get posts delivered to your inbox.

We made it.  All tied up.  Dean and the hounds will stay aboard, and I’m heading home. We’ll resume travel when things open up. 

We did some heavy duty ice breaking getting in here.  I’m sure it was 4″ thick. This boat does well, as it rides up on the ice and breaks it with weight. 

Here are videos taken by Dean as well as shore side observers.

This has been fun. 

I’m expecting more spectator videos, and will post here when they come in.

We’ve been getting lots of good advice and assistance the last day or two.  Harbor Host Jim reached out and drove us for fuel and a tour of the area.

Later we talked with city staff who could get power to the dock.  All very accommodating.

The problem here is that we’re in an an area that’s vulnerable to ice jams and flooding.  If as anticipated things freeze up more we could be in trouble at break up.

So our plan for today is to try to break out of here this afternoon and get into Heritage Harbor two miles away.  If we can make it to their dock we’re safe indefinitely.

The channel is free and temperatures are forecast to be well above freezing this afternoon.  I’m reasonably confident that we can break out of here.  Hopefully we can get in at Heritage. 

The fallback is to go back up to Spring Brook, but getting in to their docks is far from guaranteed.  Hope we don’t have to try.

Things are not looking good for river travel.  Today and tomorrow will be above freezing, but then it’s a few more days of bitter cold, and no real respite in the long term forecast.

We did get off the dock in Ottawa today after clearing a hole using prop wash overnight.  That was satisfying.  But the ice 100′ off the dock was too thick to break through.

Our current plan is to stay in Ottawa until a thaw.  Could be a couple of weeks or more.  Dean and the hounds will stay aboard.

I’ve been a bit surprised at the extent of the ice.  I guess the water temperature follows the air temperature down quickly on the rivers.  There are tows traveling the main channel using brute force, but everything else is frozen solid.

Dean’s short videos from yesterday

We’re parked for a while.  Towboats are breaking ice in the channel behind us, but we’re not getting off the dock until there’s a thaw. 

I thought this would be a good place to get stuck, as a) downtown Ottawa has restaurants and supplies, and b) this is the mouth of the Fox River, and I’m hoping that the current will help clear local ice when it warms.  One of my concerns was getting stuck away from shore.  It’s a good place to be frozen in.

It’s been cold at -17C (0 F) this morning.  Tomorrow is forecast to be above freezing.  Fingers crossed.

Dean is enjoying the trip and isn’t fussed about delays.  I’m a little less sanguine, but trying to manage what we can and stay safe and comfortable.

We’ve been comfortable aboard.  Have the portable generator powering electric heat plus the charcoal heater in the main cabin, and the rest of the boat closed off.

Here are Dean’s pics from yesterday.

Dean and I are reviewing notable comments so far.

1. You’re probably not going to die – Bruce Rosenzweig
2. Whatever you need – Grant Crowley
3. You’re going to die! – towboat Captain Ralph
4. Not in 17 years have I seen a pleasure boat come through the ice – Marseilles Lock tender
5. You guys look like you came off the Arctic tundra – hostess at restaurant today

My prediction for better conditions hasn’t quite come true.  Today was spent almost entirely in ice.

I have to say that today was fun.  It’s sunny and cool. I think the high was around -10C and tonight is going to be cold, but the boat is comfortable and I’m dressed for the weather.

Today we got underway about 0700 shortly after a northbound tow went by, and met another tow coming out of the Marseilles Lock.  But below the lock it was mostly refrozen.  We chunked through it down to Ottawa where we are now tied up.

I think though that we’re nearing the limits of our ice breaking capabilities, and the forecast doesn’t look great.  The following warning showed up on my weather app

We were underway at dawn.  Cold, clear and crisp weather.  The Marseilles Lock is about an hour downstream.

Unfortunately the two mile diversion to the lock from the main channel was frozen up.  We  made it about half way in before it turned completely solid.  So we waited for a tow to come through.  And waited.  It’s now past dark and there hasn’t been any traffic.

I wasn’t keen on spending the night in an icy main channel, so we retreated back to the fuel dock mid-afternoon.  We’re now plugged in and settled in for the night, and the dogs have been out.  The plan is to get underway tomorrow when we see traffic.

All is good aboard.  Dean has been prepping great food, mostly on the small charcoal cabin heater.  When it warms up a bit we’ll get the big grill mounted outside.  The dogs seem content.  They are German short haired pointers, mother and daughter, and they’ve been Dean’s constant companions.  Very well trained, capable and smart dogs.

I was a bit bummed sitting around all day, but we’re not in a big rush, and have a plan.  Looking ahead I don’t see any insurmountable challenges.  The icing is (I think) local to this lock.  It’s staying cold for two more days, then above freezing for two days.