Electric Outboard Charging Tips

Keep your electric outboard battery happy and your dinghy range optimized with these charging tips.

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Learn how to beat range anxiety and make the most of your electric outboard's capabilities. (Photo courtesy of ePropulsion)
Learn how to beat range anxiety and make the most of your electric outboard's capabilities. (Photo courtesy of ePropulsion)

Somewhere around the third carburetor rebuild for our 3.3 hp four stroke dinghy outboard, I decided enough is enough. Four stroke outboards are supposed to be cleaner and quieter than two strokes, but they are heavier, more complicated, and in smaller sizes, not that much quieter. Whether it was ethanol in the fuel, or just bad luck picking a lemon from the dealer, our outboard was a constant source of trouble, and word around the waterfront was that we were not alone in this experience. The old two stroke that we replaced always started first pull, but regurgitating two stroke oil into the ocean and atmosphere is no longer a responsible option. Time to join the electric outboard revolution.

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Tom Egan
Tom Egan is an engineer, inventor and lifelong sailor who cruises and races out of his home port Marblehead, Mass on his Cal 40 Misirlou, and just about any boat that will have him.