The Epropulsion Spirit XS - A Horse for our Course?

[Peter Cockerton]

You need to watch for a few things. I have found like others that the cable can detach leaving you suddenly struggling to refit.

On my new Epropulsion spirit xs the power cable connection has a locking ring on the bottom of the connector to prevent the power cable coming out, is this not the same as your unit.
On another point did you organize a replacement propeller shear pin, I forget when I ordered mine, looked on the home web site and couldn't find it on the options list.
Waiting for the 3 blade replacement propeller to arrive as I’m not prepared to modify the outboard well flaps and having dropped the motor on yesterday I see exactly what others have found on trying to tilt the motor out of the water, I was expecting there to be 2 or 3  locking positions on the tilt so I could lock with the propeller just clear of the flaps for launching and recovery. I’m looking to put the wedge in place behind the clamp to aid full tilt and turn function, I did find it difficult to get the 70 degree lock to activate, not sure if the tiller hitting the deck was preventing the final space to achieve the lock.
Peter C

[Ray S]

Yes, found the same issue activating the 70 deg lock because cockpit floor a bit in in the way. Once the small wedge in place I found the lock self-activates easily. Hope it works for you.

Ray S
BRe 047 Whimbrel

[Peter Cockerton]

I adapted the SOLAS 2.5 - 3.5 shearpin propeller for the EPropulsion. Costs about 25 quid. Works fine. Goes through the lamellae without hindrance each time. C.

Ok propeller removed after light persuasion and unscrewing it over the threaded area where the lock nut fits, the shaft looks to be 10 mm wide and the replacement has a 12 mm hole, is this going to be an issue do you think with balance. I have asked Nestaway if they can supply a spare shear pin for the spares box although I’m told the engine stops on propeller impact or fouling so should not be necessary. Do you mention the use of the thread lock because the original locknut has been used and you can’t rely on it locking properly on a second fit.
The new 3 bladed prop should be here in the next 2 days, it should be a simple job to replace, must admit I wasn’t sure if the locking nut would be left or right hand thread and if it would undo without being able to stop the spindle from turning, as it happened the thread is right hand and the nut comes off easily.

Peter C

[Peter Cockerton]

Yes, found the same issue activating the 70 deg lock because cockpit floor a bit in in the way. Once the small wedge in place I found the lock self-activates easily. Hope it works for you.

Ray S
BRe 047 Whimbrel

Wedge fitted as prescribed and the tilt and lock work as you promised, many thanks.
Update, with the wedge fitted the battery pack is very close to the rudder stainless assembly and it rubs on the control lines, also because the leg rake is altered it means the prop is further back in the well cutout and harder to get the prop out of the lamelia. So I have removed the wedge and raised the height of the transom under the mounting bracket so the engine sits higher and put the leg rake angle back to original position.
The engine still tilts back far enough to engage the 70 degree tilt. I raise the engine so the prop is just under the lamelia, feel through and guide one of the prop blades through, and guide the prop out as I raise the engine.




Peter C

[Llafurio]

... the shaft looks to be 10 mm wide and the replacement has a 12 mm hole, is this going to be an issue do you think with balance. ..Peter C

Yes. You need to center the 12 mm propeller on the 10 mm driveshaft. Something with a 10 mm inner diameter and 12 mm on the outside. Better not take a piece of brass or copper pipe to avoid electrochemical reaction.

[Graham W]

After many years of being rude about my Torqeedo, I have decided to sell both it and my Mariner 6HP and have bought possibly the last ePropulsion Spirit Plus XS in stock in the UK.  See the ‘For sale and wanted’ section below.

[Graham W]

I’ve been experimenting with the fit of my Spirit XS in my BR 20.  The best solution so far seems to be to leave in some of the mods that I made to shoehorn in my Mariner 6HP (did I mention that it was for sale?), including moving the rudder uphaul and downhaul strings out of the way and putting a wedge at the base of the tiller to raise it up a bit.  Then instead of wedges behind the outboard clamp, I’ve put some 8mm rod wrapped in shrink sleeve across the back.  Like wedges, this tilts the motor back just enough to allow it to lock up and also keep it amidships with the throttle in the central gulley.  I may yet shorten the throttle a bit (it’s only a piece of tubing, after all) and I need a new and sleeker outboard well fairing.  Job done.

[Ray S]

Peter,  "Update, with the wedge fitted the battery pack is very close to the rudder stainless assembly and it rubs on the control lines, also because the leg rake is altered it means the prop is further back in the well cutout and harder to get the prop out of the lamelia. So I have removed the wedge and raised the height of the transom under the mounting bracket so the engine sits higher and put the leg rake angle back to original position.
The engine still tilts back far enough to engage the 70 degree tilt. I raise the engine so the prop is just under the lamelia, feel through and guide one of the prop blades through, and guide the prop out as I raise the engine."

Maybe you have one of the newer BREs with the modified - more vertical - rudder arrangement as I have plenty of clearance between the battery pack and the stainless assembly on 049.  Also ensure power off when getting the prop up!

Ray S

[Peter Cockerton]

Ray

Yes my BR20 is a 2019 model with the later rudder fabrication so that must be the difference.
I would still like to change the large 2 bladed prop for a smaller 3 bladed one just to ease getting it back through the lamelia hopefully the one on order from Amazon will fit with minor alterations.

Peter C

[MarkDarley]

A very informative thread. Thanks to all of you..

I have just escaped California and arrived in Devon, so am at the start of the two week quarantine and here until November. Unfortunately for now I cannot get to my boat which is in a friend's barn. 

"Pippin" is a wooden BR20 with the transom modified to the yard's newer design, so it is unlikely that anyone else has quite the same dimensions from the mount to the rear of the well.  I am thinking that I will order the engine so long as I can return it if the fit is a huge problem that the collective wisdom here cannot solve!

Currently I have a very heavy but, when wind and tide are against me, satisfyingly powerful 6HP
Yamaha.  Really the only time I use it is to punch up the Dart with a foul tide and head wind as the day is closing down on me.  The weight on the transom certainly effects sailing performance,  and of course there is noise, fuel, etc..

I was lent an early Torqueedo for the Caledonia Raid and the way it broke down was excellent for stowage, but other than that is was nearly useless. Even though we only planned to use it to go into locks, or when we got lazy rowing, to power into a headwind, it ran out of puff very quickly and was very awkward to get in and out of the lamelia. Hence my interest in the Epropulsion (probably with the smaller Torqueedo prop).

Can anyone recommend a good dealer who will take the Epropulsion engine back if the fit turns out to be an insoluble problem?

Does anyone use the same engine on their tender to get to their boat on a mooring?  Or is the Eprop shaft that fits the BR 20 too long for a tender?  And is it too awkward to switch the engine from tender to BR and back?


Thanks
Mark

[Graham W]

Mark,

I’m relieved to have now escaped the clutches of both Torqeedo and Mariner!

Nestaway look to be a good bet, not that they have any Spirits in stock at the moment. I’m told that more than half the total of the next UK shipment is already pre-sold to customers.  They say specifically “If you’re worried about this [shaft length], don’t [be]. We can work out with you which shaft length is most likely to be correct but if you buy one and find out immediately on installation that it’s the wrong size, then for the cost of the postage each way (about £30 in total) and assuming it’s returned to us in new condition, we’ll change it for you. (Subject to availability and cost difference between shaft lengths where applicable.)”

I have the XS version of the Spirit and although I haven’t been out with it yet, reckon that it is also the perfect shaft size for my small 3D inflatable.  Allegedly the battery floats.  The motor, not so much.

[MarkDarley]

Now that a few folks are using them, how are you all charging your Eprops?  Is the standard "plug into the wall at home" charger working for you? 
Are you adding the solar or 12v charger? 
Spare batteries?

[Ray S]

Standard charger works fine for me charging at home on the night before a day trip out. So far I've always had between 60% and 80% charge left even though I have to do 3-4 nm under engine.  60% is the default storage condition so it seems sensible to leave the charging until just before needed. Variations in range depend on how much sail assist we get and tidal conditions. Have the solar charger on order but that's more for interest/experimentation at this stage.  Would consider a second battery for next season as a backup for longer trips.

Ray S 'Whimbrel'


 

[Graham W]

Thinking about future cruises far from charging points, I've bought a couple of cheap 60W solar panels which I'll link in parallel and will buy the solar controller specific to the Spirit Plus (higher charging voltage) when it comes out in August.  I'm not sure about the spare battery yet but have a couple of large capacity 26V electric bike batteries which I think can be hooked up through the solar controller and can keep the Spirit battery topped up as I'm going along.  If that works, I'll have enough wattage (in the absence of sunshine) to get me 20-30nm at less than full speed and probably half that at full speed.  That ought to be enough.

[Sea Simon]

Just to satisfy my  curiosity please.

What to the battery safety instructions say about emergency situations, both with the battery energy source, and more generally in case of a fire onboard?

I don't see the advantages of a floating battery, especially in sea water!
Perhaps it's just an unintended "benefit" of high tech?

Afaik, the standard means of dealing with a battery thermal runaway or fire situation would be to dump the battery overboard?
A floating battery, in a marina, might be an exciting event? ?