Last week I noticed someone had done a yearly carbon footprint for their years travel by sailboat. Primarily they focused upon the carbon fuels they burned. As, at that time, they didn't have an engine, their fuel usage was for cooking/heating and lighting (all kerosene I believe). Rather than engine, they used a yolah (like an oar/sweep off the stern) to move them into an out of harbors.
Doing a carbon footprint inventory is a great way to spend a moment (or longer) reflection on this earth day. Over Christmas/New Years my family fooled around with one. It was interesting to see where we were making huge "earth/environment savings" and where we were making "gains" just by changing some numbers in one category at a time. [Just google/bing "carbon footprint inventory" and you'll find lots of resources.]
But must one give up an engine to have a low carbon footprint (diesel or gas)? And what about "power" yachts?
"Wait a minute, are you going to talk about electric propulsion?"
Yup.
Let me highlight a few things before we start. And before I even mention the caveats below, I should mention that it was how much use our cars got (in total mileage and mpg) that made the difference in our carbon footprint. We made huge gains by simply living on the boat! That said, for those of you who want to lower their boating carbon footprint even more, read on.
The caveats:
1. I highly admire folks like Lin and Larry Pardey and Tim and Pauline Carr, et. al. who sail engine-less. Can it still be done? Absolutely. I'm I there yet? Nope. Although we do try to make passages completely under sail, we've also made passages (gulp. Dare I admit?) under mainly power.
2. I don't have the answers - but I think what's below is interesting for discussion. We still have a highly functioning robust SAAB diesel that burns little fuel (between a pint and a quart an hour), and I'd have to closely do the figures to see how we'd compare between what we have and what would replace it, if we chose to go electric.
3. Lets be honest, if, and as long as, a sailboat has an engine, technically, it is a motor vessel. Yes, our sailboat included.
I've read about electric engines before. They are not a new technology and date back to the same period of history as the internal combustion engines, the concept being roughly 100 years old. Just like the internal combustion engines, they've seen technological advances, too. What has really improved is batteries. Up until recently the easy storage of power to make an engine go (gas, diesel or electric) has been in the favor of the liquid fuels. But now?
And remember, all non-nuclear submarines have run on a hybrid-type technology. Diesel engines generated the electricity while above the service (or at least at snorkel depth - got to get rid of the carbon-monoxide!) while using the batteries to fuel the prop below the service.
Last summer my wife and I won a sunset cruise on Gato Verde (a catamarran operating out of Bellingham). Gato Verde runs on electric engines backed up by a diesel generator. In essence, Gato Verde is a hybrid boat (like a hybrid car - with a major exception being she can run on just wind, and when docked, can be plugged in).
This experience got me thinking.
I didn't much connection together even though we later had a tour of the Blueback (retired diesel electric sub) at the Oregan Musuem of Science and Industry in Portland, and I even had a conversation with a power boater about his wanting to add a little solar-electric outboard to his sailing dinghy.
And upon reflection, I believe WoodenBoat had an article about electric motorboats. Here's one about an electric launch.
Then I happened across Daniel's Odda Sea blog in which he talks about the hows and the whys of his conversion to electric propulsion. He spends a four part series in the hows and whys (Part 1: Why Electric, Part 2: Installation Tour, Part 3: Power Management, Recharging, and Regeneration, Part 4: Range Anxiety). By the way, Daniel plans on recharging batteries primarily via solar and wind chargers (having a ketch, his wind-generator is mounted on his mizzen mast), via prop regeneration (when sailing at speed, the freely spinning prop can add volts back into the system), and finally, as a last resort, via a gas generator (which he plans on having anyway to power power tools when needed for heavy duty type jobs).
I found his series of articles interesting food for thought.
Having received this gift of God, how do we live that both celebrates, honors and cherishes this wonderful blue planet of ours? I think that's the question, and celebration of Earth Day.
Blessed Be
Joel
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