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CONVERTING to an Oceanvolt Electric Sail Drive — Sailing Uma [Step 213]

9 April 2020 · 22 min · 707K views

What this video covers

The crew of Uma replaces their existing shaft-drive electric motor with an Oceanvolt electric sail drive to improve propulsion efficiency and enable hydro-generation while sailing.1:53 The conversion requires removing the original propeller, prop shaft, and skeg, then glassing over the resulting hull penetrations.4:09 After cutting a new hole in the hull to accommodate the sail drive unit, the crew mounts the motor on a flange, seals it with 5200 adhesive, and secures the external skeg using Nord-Lock washers and Loctite to ensure vibration-free alignment.17:40 The new system utilizes liquid cooling through the aluminum skeg to prevent motor overheating.4:25 Additionally, the crew installs a new throttle pedestal, refurbished the steering compass, and adds new lighting to the helm.21:52 The project concludes with a successful bench test of the motor while the boat remains on the hard.18:23 Switching from a shaft drive to a sail drive simplifies alignment and reduces drag by allowing the propeller to feather while under sail.3:30

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