Engine Room

MAN Building Hybrid Diesel-Electric Engine System

By Peter Janssen on May 25, 2021 Cruising Life, Engine Room

MAN, the major German engine builder, just announced that it’s developing a new hybrid engine system, called the Smart Hybrid Experience. The new system combines conventional diesel and electric modes, as well as providing another mode with zero emissions at anchor. The new system is designed around the way you want to cruise, and it can be customized to focus on performance, comfort and efficiency. The different modes include battery-electric, diesel-electric, cross-over, hotel, and boost. Several driving and operating profiles can be set up, depending on the owner’s wishes. An efficient, economical mode can be used to boost the range,…

Vision Marine Starts Selling 180-hp Electric Outboards

By Peter Janssen on April 27, 2021 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Vision Marine Technologies in Canada just announced that it will start selling its new E-Motion 180, the most powerful electric outboard in the world, on May 1. You can reserve your new outboard on its website, visionmarinetechnologies.com, with a $300 deposit in bitcoins, Paypal or Stripes. Then you will get your outboard within the next six months. The E-Motion 180 delivers the same power as a 180-hp combustion engine. It provides 650 V and is paired to a 60 kWh lithium battery. Vision Marine Technologies, formerly the Canadian Electric Boat Company, is a high-tech builder, just north of Montreal, and it…

7 Tips To Keep Your Diesel Working Longer

By co_admin on April 25, 2021 Engine Room

Here are seven things you can do to keep your diesel engine working better and longer, from Skipper Tips. Read on: Do you go through a step-by-step inspection of your engine before you hit the “start” button? Make sure you check these seven vital components before you do. This could add years of life to your boat’s diesel workhorse. 1. Oil Use this double-dip technique. Pull the dip-stick out and wipe it off. Push it back in all the way so that it gets to the bottom of the oil sump. Pull it out and look at the oil color. It should be…

Yanmar Tests Its First Hydrogen-Powered Boat

By Peter Janssen on April 12, 2021 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Yanmar just completed the first sea trial of its new hydrogen-powered boat, developed with Toyota, off the coast of Oita in Southern Japan. Yanmar says the 40-foot boat is the first to comply with Japan’s safety guidelines for hydrogen fuel-cell vessels. The boat used a marine hydrogen fuel-cell system that incorporates modules from Toyota’s Mirai car, the first mass-produced hydrogen fuel-cell car in the world; these cells have been used in large trucks and Tokyo’s buses for the past five years. The Yanmar boat, weighing 7.9 tons, was driven by a 250kW powertrain using two modules of polymer electrolyte fuel cells…

Torqeedo Making New 2-hp Electric Outboard

By Peter Janssen on April 6, 2021 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Torqeedo is now making a 2-hp electric motor designed to power dinks and tenders and some types of small sailboats and light fishing boats. The new Torqeedo, called the Travel 603, weighs only 34 pounds, including its 500Wh lithium-ion battery, and it costs just $1,999.99. The new outboard is the lightest in Torqeedo’s Travel line, but it has the standard outboard configuration with a tiller and throttle. “Our goal in introducing the Travel 603 is to make it easier for boaters to discover the unique benefits of clean, green propulsion for smaller craft,” said Dr. Ralf Plieninger, the company’s managing…

Cat Making Most Powerful 12-Cylinder Diesel Ever

By Peter Janssen on March 28, 2021 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Caterpillar has announced that it’s making a new 2400-hp, triple-turbo diesel that’s the most powerful 12-cylinder marine diesel on the market. New from the block up, the C32B Triple Turbo offers more power, faster acceleration and less noise than Cat’s previous engines, according to the company. Last year, Cat introduced the C32B marine diesel, rated at 2000 bhp (or 2025 mhp). The new triple-turbo engine is rated at 2400 bhp (or 2433 mph) at a speed of 2300 rpm. Cat says the engine is designed for use in large yachts and sportfishing boats, and for repowering applications. The new engine…

Merc Unveils Game-Changing 600-hp Outboard

By Peter Janssen on February 12, 2021 Engine Room, On Watch with Peter Janssen

Mercury just introduced its new V12, 600-hp giant outboard, a move that will surely cause more cruising boat owners to choose outboard performance. The world’s first V12, the new Mercury Verado also has the first steerable gearcase on an outboard; it pivots independently underwater while the engine remains fixed, providing more room for multi-engine applications and a wider steering angle for agile maneuvering. Mercury says the gear case rotates 45 degrees side to side, about 15 degrees more than a conventional outboard The 7.6 liter Verado also has the first two-speed automatic transmission on an outboard, optimizing engine rpm depending…

Italian Startup Creates Water Jet To Revolutionize Electric Boats

By Peter Janssen on February 3, 2021 Cruising Life, Engine Room

A groundbreaking Italian startup has developed a new water jet propulsion system that could revolutionize electric boats, giving them more speed and range than they have today. The outboard-mounted DeepSpeed hydro jet has already won several prizes for technology and innovation, and has patents from the European Union and Australia. It was developed by William Gobbo, an Italian banker and tech developer; Ernesto Benini, a professor of fluid dynamics at the University of Padua, and a team of 21 scientists, boat racers and hydrodynamic specialists under the umbrella company Sealence. DeepSpeed uses a holistic approach to powering an electric boat,…

EPropulsion Announces New Electric Outboard Lineup

By Peter Janssen on January 25, 2021 Cruising Life, Engine Room

Here’s some interesting news if you’re thinking of getting a new outboard for your dink or RIB. EPropulsion just announced its 2021 model lineup with seven electric outboards, ranging from 3- to 9.9-hp, including the first with hydrogeneration capabilities. A Hong Kong company founded in 2012, ePropulsion now has standardized its lineup. All new motors are built on a 48-volt architecture to allow greater flexibility and a consistent performance delivering up to 3,000 charging cycles. The new motors also come with an easy-to-wear safety wristband, instead of a kill switch, and their Spirit battery is said to be the first…

Volvo To Stop Making Seven Marine Outboards

By Peter Janssen on November 9, 2020 Cruising Life, Engine Room

For the past several years, the outboard business has been on a tear. The demand for new outboards, even on traditional cruising boats, often outpaced supply. Yamaha couldn’t make its popular large outboards fast enough. Mercury upped its game and produced new outboards that became the power of choice even on such Down East boats at Hinckley and MJM. Suzuki stepped up its presence in the U.S. Three years ago, Volvo Penta, the Swedish giant, bought Seven Marine, a U.S. startup, and it started production of the entire Seven Marine lineup (527-hp, 577-hp, and 627-hp models) last February in Tennessee.…

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