Click on a boat part to bring up more information or use the navigation arrows below to explore the boat. Credit: Drew Grossman/Capital News Service.
Hybrid boat system
Hybrid boats offer a cleaner alternative to diesel powered boat motors. A fully electric motor is good for the day sailor, but for longer trips a hybrid system — an electric motor paired with a diesel generator — allows sailors to stay on the water for days without returning to the dock.
Key Switch
The hybrid system starts with the turn of a the key. The key switch functions the same as the key switch in a car.
Diesel Generator
The diesel generator powers the hybrid engine system. It burns fuel, sending electricity to the battery charger. A diesel generator burns fuel much more efficiently then a typical diesel motor.
Battery Charger
The battery charger stores the power created by the diesel generator before it is sent to the controller.
Converter & Controller
The converter takes the high-voltage charge from the battery charger and converts it to a lower-voltage charge that fill the batteries. The controller is the brain of the system. It contains a speed control device that takes the charge from the batteries and cuts it up into electrical "pulses." The speed of the motor is controlled by varying the width of those pulses.
Batteries
The converter sends lower-voltage charge to fill four 12-volt batteries. The batteries power the electric motor.
Motor
The electric motor is powered by the four 12-volt batteries. Unlike a diesel engine, an electric motor does not need time to warm up. The motor spins the propeller, powering the boat through the water.
Battery Monitor
The battery monitor is the equivalent of the fuel gauge in a diesel powered boat. It tells the captain how much charge is left in the battery. A computer in the battery monitor analyzes the trends of the trip and predicts how much time is left in the batteries.
Car Battery
A car battery powers the rest of the boat's electronics, like the lights and the bilge pump.