FROM THE PUBLISHER

THIS IS OUR “ELECTRIC ISSUE” AND FEATURES

a good sampling of the electric powered multihulls on the market and a in-depth interview with the founder and President of Silent Yachts, a true leader in the field.

What has made this electric propulsion revolution possible is the advancements made in both solar panel technology and availability and the development of high capacity but lightweight lithium batteries. It is interesting that solar panel efficiency has improved only by small percentages year over year, while battery performance has moved ahead by leaps and bounds.

Lithium batteries are still somewhat controversial since there have been several well-publicized incidents of yachts burning when the lithium battery banks overheated and caught fire. This is no small matter and insurance companies are still wary of the risk. For many insurers, a lithium battery bank needs to be installed by certified marine electricians and built to ABYC standards. DYI installations are frowned upon.

One of the issues with the possibility of a battery fire on a boat, albeit a slim one, is fire mitigation. Most of us carry CO2 fire extinguishers and some boats have built-in Haylon fire suppression systems. Both may help with a small fire, but if the battery bank actually catches fire, almost nothing is going to put it out. But, foam, ABC dry chemical, graphite and sodiuim carbonite extinguishers may mitigate a fire at a very early stage and are worth carrying aboard.

So, if you are a multihull owner and looking for ways to get weight out of your fast, light cruising boat, lithium batteries are a very attractive alternative to heavy lead acid batteries. But, before you leap, consult experts, talk with your boat yard to see if they can meet ABYC standards and call your insurance company. They all will have valuable input.

MULTIHULLS TODAY

Editor and Publisher

Contributing Editors

Art Director

Advertising Sales & Marketing Consultant George Day Ph: 401-847-7612 Fax: 401-845-8580 george@bwsailing.com

Bill Biewenga Rebecca Childress John Neal

Sandy Parks Ph: 401-847-7612 Fax: 401-845-8580 sandy@bwsailing.com

Tom Casey tomcat911@comcast.net

MT-Multihulls Today is published by Blue Water Sailing LLC in February, May, August and November. Copyrighted 2022. All rights reserved.

Reprinting, photocopying and excerpting passages is forbidden except by permission of the publisher.

Blue Water Sailing ISSN: 1091-1979

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