Torqeedo 1003L on a Catalina 22 Sailboat

After a very long hiatus from the blog (we've been busy sailing!), the crew of Ellipsis returns with the latest news:  we have purchased a Torqeedo 1003L (28" long-shaft) electric outboard for our Catalina 22.  While researching the Torqeedo, we found no online reports--not one single account--of a Catalina 22 powered by one of these electric outboards.  Thus, as a way of contributing to the Catalan 22 sailing community, we intend to post our experiences with this new propulsion device for any and all interested parties....  We paid about $2000 for this motor and picked it up from our local West Marine store today (the first one they have ever sold), and the battery is charging up for the first time, overnight, as I write this first post.  I am excited about informing the Catalina 22 community about the 1003L's performance with out boat, and hopeful that we made a good decision to purchase one!

For those who are interested, here is a little bit of "catch-up," since we last posted about our work on Ellipsis in 2009.  Since our last post on the "Backstay Eyebolt Repair".....

• First of all, we learned that the backstay eyebolt was NOT damaged, but was merely tapped into the transom at an angle.  We sailed for two more years after replacing the eyebolt. 
• In the spring of 2011, we added a stereo system with speakers below decks.
• Spring 2011 also saw a major upgrade of our electrical propulsion system:
• Since purchasing Ellipsis in 2007, we have always used a Minn Kota 50-lb thrust saltwater trolling motor to get in and out of slips and boat ramps.
• In 2011, we added two 12v marine batteries, wired in parallel, to provide greater range to the trolling motor.
• We also installed a deck-mounted 12v plug for the trolling motor, eliminating the need to run the wires all the way to the battery every time (a huge convenience!).
• Finally, we mounted a 15w solar panel on a pole at the port stern, above the motor mount, to keep the motor batteries topped off, and it worked like a charm:  in and out of the slip within 10-minutes, worry-free, every time!
• In 2011, we also installed a depth-sounder, using the "toilet bowl wax ring" method for securing the transducer inside the hull.
• Our other major 2011 upgrade (wow... looking back, there were a lot of them that year) was our "pocket cruiser" cabin upgrade.  Using some notes from the Catalina 22 National Sailing Association's technical manual as a guide, we modified our cabin to allow for the dinette to be lowered and for a full-sized inflatable mattress to be laid across the beam of the boat for sleeping.  The v-berth is now exclusively used for anchor tackle, storage, and the portable head.  Multi-day cruises in the South Puget Sound are now a pleasure...
• In the summer of 2012, we replaced all our standing rigging and added the Split Backstay Upgrade from Catalina direct.
• Also in 2012, we upgraded the wiring in the mast to include an anchor lamp at the top of the mast.
• Finally, in 2012, I (John), sewed a proper on-deck jibsail bag from marine canvas that allows us to stow the jibsail in the hanked-on position.  Leaving and returning to the dock, and stowing sails, lines, and motor, are a quick matter, which means.... more time on the water!  We sail at least a couple of times a week, and have done for the last couple of years!

 Since 2011, we've kept Ellipsis in a slip on the water from about late May through November, which also increases our sailing time.  Our local marina offers a summer special every year:  pay for 3 months moorage and get 6 months, through December.  At just less than $200/month for our slip for each of the 3 months, the added 3 months means we pay about $100/month to be ready to sail in 10 minutes, any time we want to go out, for half the year.  During winter and early spring, we haul Ellipsis and keep her at home on the trailer, where we can effect upgrades and maintenance.

But back to the Torqeedo...

   As we learn about the Torqeedo 1003L and its capabilities (and limitations), we will post our experience here.  Expect photos and video, along with commentary.  We may also post accounts of how the Torqeedo works with our newly acquired 12-ft aluminum fishing skiff, which we hope to use for crabbing, with the electric outboard as its power source.  Of course, that will be a whole other story, as the long-shaft motor might require me to make some transom adjustments on the skiff....

   But rest assured, fellow Catalina 22 sailors, that I will record my experiences with the Torqeedo 1003L here, so that any and all can learn from them....

Fair winds, following seas (not too large), and fine sailing without gasoline aboard!

J. Baldridge
Ellipsis
Catalina 22