Our bright yellow dinghy is now a plug-in hybrid! While it lacks the sophisticated control system of a modern hybrid automobile (switching from electric to fossil fuel motors involves physically swapping the engines from the back of the dinghy), we feel it is a giant step forward. The new electric motor starts with simple twist of the throttle instead of repeated pulls of a recoil starter cord. Our new electric motor, a Torqeedo 401L Travel, is super quiet and can move the dinghy as fast as our 2 horse power gas outboard. At slightly slower speeds (3.5 knots instead of 4 knots), the electric motor will run for a couple of hours. Since most of our dinghy trips are short trips from the boat to a nearby beach or dinghy dock, we will use the small electric motor quite often. We will keep the gas motor on hand for longer trips or rougher conditions.
In addition, we replaced the pieces of the dinghy’s sailing rig that Gray dropped overboard last year. Between the sailing rig and the electric motor, our dinghy should be quite green!
Cindy and Gray
Tags: Torqeedo
May 3, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Hi Cindy and Gray,
I am glad to hear and read about you. Hope you both are doing great and enjoying life. As I was reading some of your experiences and would urge you to write a book of your life experiences on the seas.
Hope our paths may cross again sometime.
Good luck with everything…
Nick