Takacat 260S Dinghy and Epropulsion Spirit Electric Outboard Demonstration
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- We set up and demonstrate the Takacat 260S inflatable dinghy and Epropulsion Spirit Plus 1kw Electric Outboard. Our top speed at full 1,000 watt output with one 180lb person in the dinghy was about 5 knots. That leaves only 1 hour 15 minutes run time but remarkably the motor will push the dinghy all day at about 2.5 knots using less than 100 watts. Somewhere in between those speeds you'll find the best combination of speed and range. Recharging the 48v battery with the standard supplied AC charger can take up to 7 hours and there is an optional fast charger available. Don't be surprised that the charger gets very hot to the touch which is normal. The owner plans to charge the battery when at anchor by plugging it into his 1500 watt DC to AC inverter powered off the boat's battery bank. There is also an optional 12v charger available and you can charge it from solar as well. Although not needed on a dinghy, there is a Spirit 1.0 EVO model available for small sailboats that has a regeneration feature to allow the outboard to recharge the battery under sail.
The Takacat 260S dinghy is the smallest version available at 8'6" overall and 57lbs. The open transom and inflatable raised floor allow it to be lighter and stow more compact than standard inflatables. They also sell a popular 260LX model that has an open bow which makes it 3 lbs lighter but it will be a wetter ride in anything other than flat water. The Takacat 260S capacity is listed as 3 people / 793 lbs. But in calm waters I'm sure it can handle 4 people of average weight at the slow speeds an electric outboard will deliver.
onlineoutboard...
www.epropulsio...
Purchased from Annapolis Hybrid Marine ePropulsion dealer
www.annapolish...
We can be reached at atomvoyages.com or if you have a classic sailboat and want to share your experiences or have questions on fitting out, consider joining the Plastic Classic Forum at plasticclassic...
I'm a moderator on the forum and answer questions there.
Video editing by Benjamin Whiting. Check out his Cape Dory 30 YT channel - Aboard The Flying Spur:
/ @flyingspur
NICE , inflatable is interesting/innovative , good stuff, new E-Outboards great to hear about.
omg I have this same motor from Eprop and Cat dinghy :D
Awesome to see you guys still at it, funny as I have just picked up a takacat myself... Jay Fitz of Oar Club here...
Thanks for checking in Jay. A lot of boats and sailors have come and gone since we last heard from you.
@@atomvoyager Well, much has changed, hasn't it?
Thanks
Check out the Life Kit dinghy. Similar in designs. Big differences are is the material used is from Germany that handles UV much better and can be welded. Instead of glued at the same price, The valves are much better. The last advantage in my opinion is the transom is integral to the boat. As a disclaimer I have no affiliation with Life Kit.
Yes the True Kit looks like a good option to save a couple pounds and not have to install transom tubes as well as potentially longer lasting fabric. I'll recommend it for the next boat and maybe do a comparison video.
@@atomvoyager I still hope to have you refit a boat for me.
Do you mean True Kit dinghy’s?
@@JohnD0623 Yes. Senior moment. LOL!
Do you still feel the short length shaft is the way to go? Or would extra short be ok?
Yes the short shaft seems correct for the transom height on this dinghy. It would still work with extra short shaft but might have slightly reduced speed. Best to measure your dinghy motor height and confirm with the epropulsion dealer.
My Takacat is rusting!
The transom tubes of the open transom are made of stainless steel 304 (V2A) (also for cost reasons). The tubes show ugly rust after a short time in a salt water environment.
From my point of view, the maintenance is very time-consuming and is not reasonable for me. Unfortunately, I only found out about this disadvantage of the high maintenance effort after the purchase. For me, this product is not recommended for salt water environments. I am very dissatisfied and disappointed with the Takacat 340 LS for the above reasons.
It does not meet my expectations and, in my opinion, is only partially suitable for my application as a full time yacht tender.
I quote from Takacat's care instructions: 1. A first care step when driving in salt water is washing the transom tubes at the end of a trip with fresh water (fresh water) including thorough drying. 2. The insides of the transom tubes can be pulled through with an extra-long bottle brush. 3. If corrosion has formed, it can be removed with a stainless steel cleaner. 4. If you drive permanently in salt water, it is advisable to spray the transom tubes and optional slip wheels with a seawater-resistant stainless steel protector.
Did you experience similar issues?
Best regards
Xaver
Thanks for posting this. We have not noticed any corrosion yet but it's been used only a few times in saltwater in just under one year. It would have been best cosmetically if they used 316 stainless but I don't expect corrosion will ever be a structural issue because that would take many years and the life of the fabric is far shorter. I would ignore it. When it comes time to replace because the fabric or seams are disintegrating from UV exposure and usage, as will happen on any inflatable dinghy, then consider buying a different brand such as True Kit which is reported to have a better quality fabric as well: truekit.net/en-us
I'm curious if you can use that electric motor on Atom rather than your gas outboard?
The spirit 1.0 is too small for pearson triton. I use the Spirit 1.0 evo on my 4000lb Cape Dory 25, works surprisingly well for my needs. I've posted a few videos showing how it pushes my boat
In a pinch you could but speed would be 3 knots at best and the short shaft would ventilate easy in anything other than flat water. The long shaft version designed for sailboats would work better and then I'd choose the Spirit EVO model for its regeneration feature. I know of a Cape Dory 25 using that and it works OK for him. For a boat the size of Atom the ePropulsion Navy EVO 3.0 long shaft (6hp gas equivalent) would be much better performance although it's heavier and costs much more. I just installed one on a Cape Dory 27 and will upload a video of that in the coming few weeks.
Take a look at the Life Kit from New Zealand. They have a better transom setup. Like Tacakat they have several different models in many sizes. I have a Torqueedo 1003 which has a small battery. About 30 minutes of full throttle. THe 1103 has 5pm in at full throttle.
Is it true kit or life kit?
@@UUBrahman My mistake. It is True Kit. The material they use in lieu of PVC is from Germany and it lasts much longer. Look at the way the transom is built. No loose parts to get lost or fall overboard. Price is right. They respond very well to emails.
Great vid, but do you have to do this everytime you want to use the dingy.
Depends on your use. If using the dinghy frequently you don't want the trouble of taking it apart and stowing. For liveaboard cruising boats in coastal waters the owners often have the inflated dinghy stowed on stern davits ready to deploy or lashed upside down on deck. It can be towed in calm waters and at anchor overnight hoisted with bridle and halyard just clear of water along the hull topsides to reduce chafe if the wind picks up and keep the dinghy bottom from getting foul with growth over time and reduce chance of theft. For longer offshore passages it should be deflated and stowed below.
@@atomvoyager great answer, thanx.
How many people can you fit on this inflatable? Do you know the boats too speed with the epropulsion? Thanks!
The Takacat 260S capacity is listed as 3 people / 793 lbs. But in calm waters I'm sure it could handle 4 people of average weight. In the description above it says top speed was 5 knots with one person. It will be slower with two or more and most people will not run it always at full throttle since the range is so limited. A small, self-contained electric outboard is not going to plane in any situation and is not the best choice if you need to go far or go fast.
What's the value and charge from empty time on that device? Please....
Charge time with standard AC charger is about 7 hours although a fast charger is available. More info is in the description including links to suppliers where prices can be found.
👍
that's a lot of current
There shit be honest mine broke after 3 uses plus there only 1.8hp Google watts against hp ... Don't be fouled like I did ....
What a pointless video on a boat that is barely moving.