Peeler hull speed

Can anyone give me an estimate of what the hull speed will be for the Peeler? I'm considering going with electric power. What I have read so far indicates the boat will only go as fast as its hull speed since the electric motor won't push it into a plane. Just wondering. Thanks, Klitz.


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RE: Peeler hull speed

How large an electrc motor were you thinking of using... 1 kW? 2 kw? 10  kW? From the product page... "the Peeler is intended for smaller outboards, 8hp to 15 HP" and "15 HP yielded 23 knots on the GPS in flat water". One HP = 746 watts, so 15 HP would be 11,190 watts, but could you fit enough batteries onboard to do that for more than a short time?

 If you want to put a 1-2 kW motor on the back, you could probably easily do 5 knots + for quite a while. To go faster, you would need a lot more power and a battery to match.

Of course, if you use LiFePO4, the battery would be a lot smaller and lighter, and there would be nore room for payload, but the battery cost would be a bit higher.

What is your design goal? Did you want to be able to do planing speeds, or to be able to silently "putt" along at much slower speeds, and for how long?

Keith

RE: Peeler hull speed

Additionally, the FAQ section on the product page indicates... "4 HP would be plenty to get you around, though not on a plane. The boat planes readily with an 8 HP and two adult passengers, and will do 11-12 knots."

I would think that 1-2 kW would get you around at slow speeds, but that does seem to indicate that you would be looking at 5-6 kW to get it planing. It really comes down to what kind of speeds you were hoping for, and for how long, and whether you had room for batteries. For non-planing speeds, you could probably get by with a lead-acid deep cycle battery, but for planing speeds and a reasonable run time, I would think that you would need a smaller lighter battery as I mentioned above.

How about a steam engine? 8-)

Keith

RE: Peeler hull speed

I'm looking at a Minnkato e-drive 48volt primary propulsion unit. Its rated at 2hp. I want to go green and am happy with gliding along quietly at 5 or 6 knots. I would have room for 4 batteries.  Thanks for the information.

RE: Peeler hull speed

The combination of light weight and planing hull means the Peeler doesn't subscribe to the same 1.34-sq.rt.-of-LWL calc that governs max speed in heavy displacement hulls.  I guess a 2hp equivalent should give you 5 or 6 knots.  My suggestion to Robert was that at habitually low speeds the Peeler might benefit from a skeg to help with tracking.  Wouldn't need that with a 4hp gas engine, but down at really low thrust it would help in docking or whatever.  I'm certainly enthusiastic about using less power rather than more!  You really benefit from the light hull weight with small power plants.

Steam power, by the way, is famous for its high torque.  Like the diesel engine in one of the old CLC trucks rated for 175 hp but 400 pound-feet of torque!  

RE: Peeler hull speed

 What dimension skeg would be appropriate and would it run all the way even with transom bottom? Would I use the runners like in the plan? I suppose the splash rails could be eliminated? Thanks, Ken.

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