Sail Electric, headed up by Wayne Peters, retro fit vessels with electric engines. With thousands of miles sailed, without needing diesel, they have extensive knowledge and experience of sailing under electric. We caught up with Wayne Peters on the latest in electric engines…
Sail Electric have recently refitted Nazca, their research and development (R&D) vessel – a 1984 Contessa 34 Offshore One Design with an electric engine. Nazca was originally constructed as a racing yacht, making it the perfect candidate for a fossil fuel-free sailboat to also undertake marine science missions. Light and fast, it delivers incredible performance in light airs, whilst also being ultimately safe in a blow.
Now fully electric and prepared for Category 2 expedition sailing, Nazca is the first vessel of its type to sail on the Bristol Channel, and with a ‘leave no trace’ policy, it is powered only by nature. Together, Sail Electric and their network of partners work collectively to offer and consult on sustainable sailing methodology and technical solutions whilst raising awareness on the changing ocean environment.
Wayne, what were the reasons behind the refit for Nazca?
Nazca has now been on the water for 18-months since I converted it to be fully electric, back in the winter of 2020/21. For the first version I borrowed the electric motor from my Salder 25, the first rendition of electric. I literally coupled the engine with what was lying around the workshop at the time, and it worked quite well! Nazca covered over 2000nm, in tricky waters, providing the basis of design and proving the concept that electric works as a viable form of auxiliary propulsion for a cruising yacht.
However, this was with a motor that was a little small, and with limited choices for control and monitoring equipment mid-pandemic – sail planning was critical. My sailing skills have never seen such a boost, finding synergy with nature at a level I’d not experienced before. Joining forces with Oceanvolt in 2021 November, it became clear that we could do much more for Nazca.
Which parts of Nazca did you upgrade?
We have looked to continually advance the power delivered, together with onboard networking, to improve the whole experience. The user interfaces are simple and easy to understand, with safety always in mind. With real world insight and data, our ambition is to increase the confidence when boat owners shift from diesel to electric.
Nazca says a firm no to diesel, petrol and LPG – the first edition certainly turned a few heads. Now it showcases the most advanced propulsion system available for expedition yachts. The 10kW variable pitch ServoProp system from Oceanvolt means we are now fully powered up, with hydrogeneration or ‘creating energy whilst sailing’ an automatic feature.
The ServoProp combines a high efficiency sail drive with the most powerful hydrogenator on the market.
A unique feature of the ServoProp is the ability to turn the propeller blades more than 180 degrees. With the software controlled variable pitch sail drive adjusting the propeller pitch blades automatically over its 4 different modes, the subsequent power generation and output are optimal. The significant power generated recharges the battery bank, the power regeneration increases exponentially with each additional knot of speed, and there is only a miniscule drag at 0.2 of a knot at 7 knots. Capable of generating more than 1kW at 7-8 knots and on larger vessels, 3kW at 11-12 knots is achievable; an electric system combined with remote diagnostics and low maintenance expectations. With world-leading regeneration capabilities, Nazca continues its mission for the ocean with energy available to power the vessel, electric galley and electric dinghy with Remigo outboard – plus energy to spare.
Does the Oceanvolt Servoprop make a big difference to sailing?
In a word, yes. In fact, it is nothing short of profound! The regeneration is unrivalled, but also with incredible torque! When I first took Nazca out on a sea trial, and put the throttle full ahead, I nearly fell off the back! We’ve improved the drive efficiency by around 30%, reverse by 100% and the regeneration capability by around 300%!
Although I act as an agent for Oceanvolt I still comment in an unbiased way. Truthfully, their motor system really is the leading edge of this technology. Oceanvolt are the only manufacturer to offer the Servoprop, and the results are simply astonishing. Converting from a shaft drive to a sail drive is pretty daunting on your own boat though. Looking at the template markings for the rather large hole to cut in the hull, I did find myself asking, am I sure about this!
What do you see as the standout features?
We are still testing and exploring settings for the best relationship between drag and regenerated power delivered. Again, with a huge amount of R&D happening around Nazca with Sail Electric and Oceanvolt to further improve the yacht as a whole, plus improving our ability to set these systems up for different sailors and boats accurately.
With the variable pitch propeller, we can set a highly powerful prop angle for regeneration, with different pitch angles for the most efficient positions for ahead, astern, and to be able feather completely for minimal drag. The entire power system is controlled and monitored on the Victron Energy and B&G systems above and below deck which tell us performance, range and environmental conditions in real time. It is all interfaced over an online portal with minute-by-minute data capture for all connected devices.
The Oceanvolt motors across the range offer complete control, huge torque and high efficiency for the
smallest boat to over 60ft. The Sail Electric team are receiving feedback from owners that feed into the data pool, suffice to say, the regeneration capability, combined with the solar on board is a game changer. It can significantly recharge as the prop generates far more than we use on passage, in fact so much so, I’m learning how to bake while underway, which given I am guilty of sailing her like a dinghy, and we do like to push on, is having some interesting results in the breadmaker, so we now have a gimballed electric combi oven airfryer. A whole new world of possibilities!
Why did you have the rigging changed?
During the refit, and to satisfy me, and also the insurance company, Nazca has had all its standing (and a lot of running) rigging replaced. It varies from boat to boat, but as a rule of thumb all the wire cables and ropes should be replaced every ten years, or every 10,000nm. The rig is one of the most important elements of any sailboat, particularly an electric one, and there are no compromises when it comes to our primary means of propulsion.
The rig not only needs to be controlled and perform well in very light wind conditions, but also manageable in big seas and heavy winds, in our case often single-handed. We have a new headsail plan in the making with a clever means of running big downwind sails, and when we took the old rigging down, we found one of the cables was very near critical. So, it was definitely due for replacement!
What does the future look like for Nazca?
Nazca is also well on its way to becoming a Category 2 electric-only, commercial sailing vessel. We’ll be
running experiences, marine research missions and educational forums on her and we have many miles planned as we continue to capture data, tweak software and present at marinas and harbours as we travel. We are well positioned to guide other commercial operators as well as our leisure clients along a confident roadmap to be able to achieve net zero at sea.
Next month, you can read Part 2 of our Conversations with… Sail Electric.
You can follow Sail Electric on their Instagram page @sail.electric. Alternatively, if you would like to learn more about electric engines, visit the Sail Electric website.
