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Understanding the Saildrive Propulsion System

Saildrives are becoming popular for modern sailboats, but knowing their benefits and functionality can be tricky. Despite being similar to an outboard engine, they offer a range of advantages uniquely suited to sailboat design. This comprehensive guide will help you understand their inner workings, including how they contribute to efficient performance and looking at potential maintenance requirements. 

Key Takeaways

• Saildrives offer benefits such as lower initial installation costs, reduced noise, and vibration, and enhanced hydrodynamic efficiency, making them appealing.
• Regular attention to areas like watertight seals, corrosion protection, gear mechanisms, and anode replacement is essential for longevity.
• Despite the benefits, saildrives have drawbacks, including potential corrosion risks, complex retrofitting, and limited repair options in remote areas.
• Saildrives can enhance the resale value of a vessel, provided they are properly maintained. They are often seen as more modern and sophisticated.
• Recent advancements such as Electric Saildrive systems and Lithium batteries highlight a trend toward more sustainable and efficient options.
• Typical problems, like loose props and electrolysis, can be addressed through regular maintenance and preventive measures, avoiding potentially costly failures.

Understanding Saildrive Propulsion on Sailing Yachts

The saildrive unit has emerged as a prominent choice for sailing yachts. The system combines an engine, transmission, and propeller in a streamlined unit. Unlike shafts, they are mounted horizontally, with the drive leg protruding through the boat’s hull. This configuration is particularly suitable for sailing yachts.

Key Advantages

• Lower Installation Costs: They often require less complex installation, which can reduce labor and material costs.
• Noise and Vibration Reduction: Their design often results in quieter operation and less vibration, enhancing the overall sailing and cruising experience.
• Enhanced Hydrodynamics: The streamlined design minimizes drag, thus improving the yacht’s sailing efficiency.

Major Components and Their Functions

• Engine: The heart of the system, typically diesel, though electric options are emerging.
• Transmission: Regulates the power transfer from the engine to the propeller.
• Drive Leg: A crucial component that connects the engine to the propeller.
• Propeller: Often designed with folding or feathering capabilities to further reduce drag when under sail.

Disadvantages of Saildrives

While saildrives have certainly gained popularity for their various advantages, certain drawbacks need to be taken into consideration:

Corrosion Risks : Saildrives are prone to corrosion, especially in saltwater environments. 

Seal Vulnerability : The watertight seals are vital for keeping water out and oil in. If these seals fail, it can lead to significant damage, including potential oil leakage into the water, posing environmental risks.

Complex Installation : Although saildrives often have lower initial costs, retrofitting one into a vessel can be complex and costly. 

Limited Repair Options : Some remote areas might not have facilities or mechanics familiar with these systems, limiting your options for repairs or parts replacements when cruising far from major service centers.

Potential Resale Issues : While some buyers might see a saildrive as a modern, desirable feature, others may be wary of the unique maintenance needs and potential for costly repairs. This could affect the resale value for certain segments of the market.

Noise and Vibration Concerns : Although generally quieter, they might still cause vibration or noise in certain conditions or if not maintained properly. Some sailors also prefer the feel and response of shafts.

Fouling : The leg can attract marine growth if not treated with the correct antifouling paints. This can reduce efficiency and require additional maintenance.

Propeller Vulnerability : Compared to some traditional shaft configurations, the design may leave the propellermore exposed to potential damage from debris or during grounding .

Major Maintenance Areas

Saildrives, like any mechanized system, require frequent and consistent attention.

• Watertight Seals: These are critical in keeping water out of the drive unit and preventing oil from leaking into the water. Regular inspections will help identify any early signs of wear and tear. Replacement of seals should be done according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Corrosion: Corrosion can quickly lead to serious damage to the engine exhaust and raw water intake. Regular inspections, proper anode replacement, and using corrosion-resistant materials can mitigate risks.
• Gear Mechanisms: Ensuring proper gear shift setting is essential to maintain smooth operation, reducing risks associated with a faulty transmission. Conduct regular checks on the gear shift setting, alignment, and periodic lubrication.
• Propeller Condition: Keep an eye on the condition of your propeller. This includes checking for loose props and examining bronze folding propellers for signs of corrosion. 
• Oil Level Monitoring: Periodic checks on the transmission oil level can alert you to leaks or discoloration. Conduct periodic checks on oil levels and schedule oil changes as the manufacturer recommends.
• Anode Replacement: The anodes serve as a sacrificial component against electrolysis; therefore, they need regular replacement to work effectively.
• Rubber Bladder Check: Inspecting the rubber bladder regularly is crucial since its failure could result in expensive repairs or even catastrophic failures.

The Impact of Sail Drives Systems on Sailboat Resale Value

The presence of saildrives in a boat is increasingly recognized as a factor that can enhance the vessel’s resale value. This is due to various intrinsic benefits and perceived qualities associated with the drives. 

• Perceived Modernity and Appeal:  Saildrives are considered more modern and sophisticated than traditional shafts. 
• Lower Initial Cost and Operational Efficiency:  The lower initial installation costs are a strong selling point. In addition, the quieter operation and less vibration—translates to a better experience. 
• Ease of Maintenance:  Though regular maintenance is vital, they are often perceived as more user-friendly and easier to maintain. 
• Enhanced Performance Attributes: Improved handling and performance can be attractive. 
• Market Perception:  Certain brands and models equipped with saildrives have developed a reputation for quality and innovation. Owning a vessel with a recognized saildrive system may add prestige and desirability in the resale market.
• Impact of Maintenance History:  A well-documented maintenance history showing regular attention to key areas will solidify the value proposition.

Compatibility of Different Types of Saildrive

Engine Compatibility : Saildrives are often made to pair with specific engines. Ensuring that the unit is compatible with your boat’s engine model and size is vital, as mismatches can lead to performance issues or even damage.

Boat Design : The configuration of your boat, weight, and design can impact its suitability. Manufacturers often provide guidelines on which types are appropriate for different styles of boats.

Retrofitting Considerations : Compatibility issues may arise if replacing a conventional shaft drive. Modifications to the hull and alignment with existing components can be complex and require professional evaluation and installation.

Updates and Recent Developments in Saildrive Technology

The technology has recently undergone significant changes and improvements, with a focus on sustainability, efficiency, and performance.

Electric Saildrive Systems

Electric Saildrive systems are one of the latest developments offering a more sustainable option. 

• Sustainability : These systems significantly reduce emissions by using electric power.
• Improved Performance : The weight distribution improves handling and sailing performance .
• Compatibility : They are often designed to be compatible with different folding or feathering propellers.

Lithium Battery Evolution

Lithium is a game changer for electric-powered drives:

• Higher Energy Density : The batteries provide longer-lasting power without adding extra weight, leading to extended range.
• Faster Charging : Reduced downtime due to quick charging capabilities allows for more time on the water.
• Enhanced Reliability : Lithium is not prone to sulfation or memory effects, unlike traditional lead-acid batteries.

Energy Recovery Systems

Some of the latest designs incorporate energy recovery features:

• Regenerative drives : These systems can recharge batteries by harnessing energy while sailing.
• Solar Integration : Solar panels can be integrated to provide additional energy.

Common Issues and Solutions

Loose props.

Loose props can be a common issue. This can cause inefficiency and reduced performance.  Left unchecked, they can cause vibration and noise, even damage the unit, and require costly repairs. Regular maintenance and tightening of the propeller is important to prevent it from becoming loose.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis occurs when an electric current passes through the water, causing corrosion and damage to the drive system. They are particularly prone to corrosion, so replacing anodes regularly is important to protect against electrolysis. One effective way to minimize the risk of stray current corrosion is by ensuring electrical isolation between the drive unit and the motor. 

Transmission Faults

A faulty transmission can lead to erratic performance and potential failure of the drive system. Conduct regular checks on gear shift settings, alignment, and lubrication can prevent these issues. Professional servicing at recommended intervals or the first sign of trouble is advised.

Rubber Bladder Failure

The failure of the rubber bladder can result in expensive or catastrophic failures. Routine inspections of the rubber bladder for signs of wear, cracks, or leaks are crucial. Replacing the bladder at recommended intervals or signs of deterioration prevents unexpected failure.

Comparison to Alternative Propulsion Systems

When considering a propulsion system, it’s vital to understand the options available and how they compare in terms of functionality, efficiency, maintenance, and other key factors. Saildrive systems offer unique advantages, but how do they stack up against other drive systems and outboards? The following provides a comparison, highlighting the differences and similarities across these three popular propulsion methods.

Saildrives offer a range of benefits and functionality that make them an attractive option. They provide a cost-effective propulsion package with lower initial costs, quieter operation, and reduced vibration.

However, maintenance concerns such as watertight seals and corrosion should be regularly addressed to ensure optimal performance. Understanding the benefits and functionality of saildrives help with making informed decisions about their propulsion systems.

This is one of several propulsion systems used in monohulls and catamarans. The likes of Yanmar and Volvo Penta manufacture these. Many opt for it over other conventional drives because it is highly efficient. It incorporates the engine, input, and propeller shafts, and leg all in one unit.

It operates by receiving power from the diesel engine. The engine generates torque which is transmitted to the input and propeller shafts that are connected to it. The propeller , positioned at the end of the leg, utilizes this power to create movement in the water and propel the boat forward.

Its streamlined structure reduces cavitation and offers low noise and minimum drag – benefiting from a more forward position on the boat. It allows for better control at slower speeds and improved maneuverability, particularly when reversing. Moreover, as in conventional drives, the lack of a shaft angle allows for greater space utilization aft in the boat.

Maintenance involves keeping the oil clean and the unit free from marine growth. Regular checks and replacements are recommended annually or every 100 hours of operation . Keep the oil and gear oil clean to protect the delicate mechanisms. It’s also crucial to regularly check the alternator and replace the sacrificial anodes to prevent corrosion. These activities often require taking the vessel out of the water.

Yes, it’s entirely possible to fit a fixed propeller. The fixed propeller can be bolted directly to the leg. A fixed propeller provides better efficiency and torque, which is especially beneficial while sailing at slower speeds.

The anodes should typically be replaced every year. It’s part of the saildrive system that protects the metal surfaces, like the leg and propeller, from galvanic corrosion. 

Yes, they are very suitable for use on catamarans and are a popular choice because of their efficiency. The design allows the engines to be located further aft of the catamaran, making more room for accommodation spaces. Boat builders often prefer saildrives for their simplicity and compactness compared to conventional drives.

Taking a boat with a saildrive out of the water for repair or maintenance, usually called “haul the boat,” is routine and not inherently dangerous. However, it must be done carefully to avoid any damage. Before placing the boat back in the water, sealing any hole around the saildrive is crucial to prevent leaks. 

While it’s technically possible, it’s typically a complex and expensive process requiring a hole in the hull for the leg. Therefore, most owners opt to stay with their original system or consult with professional boat builders for conversion.

Yes, there are electric alternatives, such as the offering from Torqeedo. These electric drives offer the benefits of reduced noise, zero emissions, and the option of solar charging, with some drawbacks being reduced running time and higher initial costs compared to diesel engines.

Understanding The Importance Of Boat Chines

Understanding boat propeller pitch and diameter, related posts, how to dewinterize your boat, how many boat engine hours is a lot.

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Terminology / Sail-drive on a sailboat: a vibration-free propulsion

The sail-drive (originally designed by Volvo Penta but used by all engine manufacturers) is a bit like the Z-drive for sailing. The propeller is connected to the motor by a base plate. Discover the advantages and disadvantages of this propulsion system.

Presentation of the sail-drive propulsion

The sail-drive is a type of propulsion in which the engine is connected to the propeller by a base plate. The propeller shaft is perfectly horizontal. The sail-drive transmission consists of a shaft with the shaft vertical and 2 angle gears, before being connected to the inverter. This compact propulsion avoids the large shaft line travel . A rudder is required for steering . The watertightness between the hull and the base plate is ensured by a gasket, which will have to be changed approximately every 7 years.

With this assembly, vibrations are minimal. Indeed the joint avoids any transmission. For shipyards the adaptation of a sail-drive is easy, because the engine and its propulsion come in one piece. By being able to place the engine in front (as on our diagram) or behind the base, the sail-drive offers multiple advantages to facilitate the fittings. This type of motorization is often chosen on catamarans. But the sail-drive only fits on engines of less than 75 hp. As a result, it is not found on large yachts .

The sail-drive is particularly suitable for sailing boats, as the name suggests. Indeed, the engine is connected to the sail-drive by a horizontal shaft, then an intermediate shaft goes down vertically in the hull, before connecting the propeller to the outside of the hull, thanks to another intermediate horizontal shaft. Unlike the Z-drive propulsion on a motorboat , the shaft of the sail-drive propulsion is fixed. It cannot be raised.

All kinds of propellers can be installed on a sail-drive (2 or 3 blades, folding or not). Folding blade propellers are often found because sailing enthusiasts are looking for the minimum drag so as not to brake the boat .

Advantages of sail-drive

• Manoeuvrability (especially in port)
• Flexibility
• Minimal noise and vibration
• Minimal drag
• Sealing (no cable gland )

Disadvantages of sail-drive

• The boat must be taken out of the water for maintenance (emptying the base, gasket)
• Numerous mechanical moving parts with angle gears
• Limited maximum power (not available for engines over 75 hp)

Sail Drives

Saildrives are often used on catamarans as they result in a very compact drive system.  Multihulls have narrow hulls, so there's not enough room to walk around an engine, as there is on most monohulls.  So a catamaran's engines are usually under the aft bunks, which usually doesn't leave much room for a gearbox, propeller shaft, external "A" bracket, and still have room for the rudder.  Saildrives attach to the back of the engine and immediately go down through the bottom of the boat, sort of like the leg of an outboard motor.  A pair of flexible seals (the main seal and a backup) keep water from flooding the engine room on Yanmar saildrives (Volvo saildrives only have a single seal).  There are a handful of manufacturers who offer saildrives, but Volvo and Yanmar are probably the biggest, and the vast majority of saildrives we see are produced by those two manufacturers.  Since we have Yanmar 4JH2CE engines and SD31 saildrives, the comments below are aimed primarily at Yanmar saildrives, but Volvo saildrives are similar enough that many of the comments apply to both.

The first 6 subjects we discuss are modifications we recommend folks do to their saildrives.  The last 3 are procedures we've had to do recently and we thought we'd share our experiences, to help others.  Subjects in this article include:

Oil Header Tanks Like virtually all manual gearboxes, saildrives are filled with 90W hypoid oil (ideally, salt-resistant oil if you can find it).  This oil is held in by a pair of oil seals around the propeller shaft.  Those oil seals will eventually wear out so they need to be replaced periodically.  They're usually fairly standard seals, but replacing them means dismantling the bottom end of your saildrive and then disassembling the gear-cluster to get at the seals - a messy and fiddly business requiring some familiarity with the parts and procedures involved (and sometimes requiring special tools).

But it's very important to service those seals before they leak.  Since the saildrive is wholly below water level, the seawater on the outside is at a slightly higher pressure than the oil on the inside.  This means that if the seals start to leak, seawater will enter the bottom of the saildrive and start turning your oil into mayonnaise.  If this happens, you need to haul the boat out of the water and service the saildrive as soon as possible , before the seawater starts to corrode the gears and bearings.

In the Seychelles we ran into an excellent father/son machine shop, and I got to talking with the father.  He'd seen a lot of marine equipment - in fact, he was refurbishing a turbocharger for a 5,000 horsepower diesel engine when I met him.  When I explained this problem with the oil seals, he had an excellent idea:  Put an oil header-tank as high up in the engine room as practicable, and run a hose from it to the saildrive .  That way, the oil will be at a slightly higher pressure than the seawater.  If the seals start to leak before their normal maintenance interval, all that will happen is that a bit of oil will leak out.  You'll be able to see the oil level dropping slightly in the header tank, and that will tell you that you need to replace the oil seals the next time you haul the boat.  But it's no longer an emergency!

We did this conversion in 2009 when we were in South Africa, and it has worked very well.  The oil-fill / dipstick hole is a standard 1" (pipe?) thread, so we just removed the dipstick and replaced it with some pipe fittings to take the hose to the header tank.  Using a plastic reducer where it goes into the saildrive will insure that you have no thread incompatibilities.  Our SD31 required that the pipe extend above the body of the SD before putting in the elbow.  We put a small valve in the hose so we can shut the header-tank oil off when we want to change the saildrive oil, so we don't change the oil in the header.

There are a couple of caveats here.  First, the normal filler/dipstick keeps the pressure in when the oil heats up and expands.  This strikes us as crazy, as it can force the oil past the propshaft seals.  We can see no advantage to letting the pressure increase like that, and this header tank arrangement will keep the oil pressure much more constant, and at a lower pressure than a hot normal dive.  This should be especially good for the oil seal on the input shaft from the engine.

Another issue is that the prop‑shaft oil seals should be turned around.  Oil seals are direction sensitive.  The flat side should go against what you don't care as much about, while the side with the spring (to hold the seal against the shaft) should go towards the side of the stuff you don't want to go past the seal.  Changing the seals around is easy to do once you have the lower gear‑cluster apart.  Some people we've talked to have put the 2 seals back to back, with the inner seal set to keep the oil in, and the outer seal set to keep the water out.  We take this a step further.  In our opinion, keeping the water out is the most important, so we put both seals with their backs towards the gears.  If you do this, remember to remove the spring from any seals that will face the saltwater and replace them with an O‑ring that won't rust, especially if you use generic (non‑Yanmar) seals.

Finally, it will probably take a little while (several days of motoring) before all the air works its way out of the saildrive and up the hose, through the thick oil to the header tank.  While this is happening, it may look like you're losing some oil, but it's just air coming out.  Top it up, and it should stop eventually.

Secondary Seals Yanmar saildrives have 2 flexible seals between the saildrive leg and the hull, to keep the water out.  The primary seal is a monster of thick rubber while the secondary seal, above the primary seal, is much thinner, more like a car inner‑tube.  The secondary seal is what you actually see from above, and it's really only there for emergencies, in case something happens to the primary seal.  But for the secondary seal to be effective, it has to be able to survive whatever caused the primary seal to fail.  It's unlikely that the primary seals will simply "wear out" and develop a leak.  Our seals have been in for 15 years, 4,000 hours of motoring, and they look brand new.  It's going to be an accident that causes that main seal to leak.

In the Ha'apai Group of Tonga we had a big problem when we caught a rope in our starboard propeller and ripped that engine and saildrive clean off its mounts.  This ripped the main seal that joins the saildrive to the hull, so we had water coming into the engine room.  We were very lucky that the secondary seal had just popped off, and could be reset fairly easily.  In fact, once we reset the secondary seal, it didn't even affect our cruising much, as we just continued cruising with our port engine (although anchoring was distressingly awkward).

It turns out that SunSail (who had managed Ocelot before we bought her) had replaced the $70 clip that Yanmar sells to hold that secondary seal with a large $5 stainless‑steel hose‑clamp.  The Yanmar part holds the seal so securely that, had it been used, we might well have shredded the secondary seal as well as the primary!  This would have been a REAL problem, especially since we were out in the boonies - a good 90 miles from what passes for civilization in Tonga.

In our opinion, Yanmar (or any end user with a saildrive) should replace the fancy clip holding the top of that secondary seal with something like a hose‑clamp that holds the seal securely enough, but not too securely.  It's also possible to use a large tie‑wrap (cable‑tie) or several tie‑wraps threaded end‑to‑end, but they will be less secure and harder to loosen in an emergency.  It's an easy and inexpensive modification which could potentially save lots of grief if you ever need that secondary seal.

Plastic Bag Screens Much of the third world has a LOT of plastic garbage in the water.  Motoring through this can get plastic bags sucked up the leg of the saildrive.  In 2019 we had to take the foot off our starboard saildrive, and we found no less than 3(!) plastic bags stuck in the cavity at the joint .  They couldn't have gotten sucked through the 6 small holes just above the propeller, so they much have been sucked up the much larger water intake at the "heel" of the sail‑drive.  So we used a long grabber (what is usually used to retrieve lost bolts in inaccessible places) up that water intake of our port saildrive and retrieved 2 more plastic bags from it!  Twisting the grabber once you grab a bag will make the bag come out more easily.

Both Yanmar and Volvo saildrives have a large (1" or 25mm, square) water inlet in the "heel" of the foot (Yanmars have an additional set of much smaller inlets just above the propeller hub).  In thinking about how to protect this area from further plastic bags, we eventually came up with the following neat and simple solution:

• Drill 4 small holes, 2 on each side of the large water inlet.  I used a 1/16" drill.  Take it slowly, as these small drills break easily.  Drill from just outside the opening in towards the opening.  The holes should be on the order of 1/4" (6mm) long.  Round the edges of the holes if you can.  
• Thread some seizing wire through the holes and across the opening.  We put our holes closer to the edges of the inlet, and then crossed the wires in the middle, so the wire made a total of 4 crossings of the inlet.

That's it!  Pretty simple once the boat is hauled out.  Any plastic that can get through those small holes will flow easily up to our water strainers, but the bags will get stopped before getting sucked up the foot and getting into trouble.

In designing this with our cruising friends, we had some discussion about bi‑metallic action.  Seizing wire is usually monel or stainless steel, which shouldn't react strongly with the aluminum of the saildrive.  But you can also drill a slightly larger hole and strip the insulation off some thin electrical wire and thread the seizing wire through that insulation where it goes through the aluminum, if it makes you feel better.

Another approach might be to drill even larger holes and use plastic tie‑wraps (wire‑ties).  These certainly won't react with the aluminum, but they'll also need to be replaced periodically, as they're both thicker and weaker than wire.

Replacing the water inlet valve I'm not sure what Yanmar was thinking when they decided to use a multi‑turn valve to turn off the cooling water, on the side of the saildrive.  In seawater, calcium leeches out of the water and deposits itself on the screw‑threads of the valve, jamming it so it can't be closed, which makes the valve pretty useless.  You can remove the valve and soak it in acid to remove the calcium, but you'd have to do it every few months, and the boat almost has to be out of the water to remove that valve.  Also, the acid could easily attack parts of the valve as well as the calcium.  Neither of our old valves EVER worked since we bought Ocelot.

The correct thing to do, of course, is to replace the silly multi‑turn valve with a good quality ball‑valve.  We went with a stainless‑steel valve, but given that the saildrive is aluminum, plastic or bronze might be better.  As with all ball‑valves, and especially those bought in 3rd‑world countries, make sure the handle is stainless‑steel as well.  Many places sell cheaper valves with mild‑steel handles that just rust to bits in months.

Sealing the leg with epoxy Most saildrives have an aluminum outer casing.  If you paint this casing with normal copper‑based antifouling paints, you run the risk of bimetallic action eating up your saildrive.  They sell special (non‑copper based) antifouling paints to go on aluminum, but we've never found one that lasted more than about 9 months before starting to allow growth.  Since our normal antifouling paints often last 2‑3 years, it's frustrating to have foul saildrives on an otherwise clean hull.  It's also a pain to have to buy and carry 2 different types of antifouling paint.

In early 2010 we decided to clean our saildrives back to bare aluminum and then coat them in several layers of epoxy, to act as an insulating layer.  Then we could use normal (long lasting) antifouling paints on the whole bottom, including the saildrives and props.  As I write this (about a week after epoxy-coating and painting our saildrives) it all seemed to go quite well.  Our West System epoxy went on like fine varnish, with no running or any signs of beading up or surface tension.  We put 4 layers of epoxy on (in about 4 hours) before painting on the antifouling.  (See the Update below, written 9 years later, for how well this worked.)  We'll especially watch our zinc anodes, to see if they're dissolving faster than normal (the anodes we took off had been on for 3 years).  If anyone else has experience with this, please let us know .

If you decide to do this yourself, make sure you read our article about how to make epoxy stick to aluminum .  It's fairly straightforward to do, but it's not what the paint retailers will recommend.  It involves stripping all old paint off your saildrives (a drill or small angle grinder with a fiber wheel will help tremendously here), cleaning the saildrives well with acetone or alcohol, painting on a good epoxy, and then sanding the aluminum through the wet epoxy (we typically use 80 grit wet/dry sandpaper).  This will remove the oxide layer that forms on aluminum.  Without any free oxygen near the aluminum, it will also prevent the oxide layer from forming again, allowing the epoxy a good chemical bond as well as a good mechanical key.  The epoxy will turn aluminum colored from the sanded off aluminum, but that's OK.  Only the first layer of epoxy needs to be sanded.  If you're using a good epoxy that doesn't contain solvents (like West System epoxy) then the next layer of epoxy can be applied in about an hour, as soon as the under-layer has started to kick off.  It should be mostly tack-free, but still soft enough to dig a fingernail into.  This wet‑on‑wet approach will allow the epoxy to bond well to itself.  If the epoxy is solvent free, then the first layer of antifouling can also be applied before the epoxy has fully hardened, but if you allow the epoxy to harden it should be lightly sanded and cleaned with acetone before applying the next coat.

If the epoxy you use has solvents or, even worse, oils or waxes, you'll need to wait until it hardens completely, then give each coat of epoxy a light sanding and wipe it down with acetone or alcohol to clean off any oils before applying the next coat.  This will require 12‑24 hours between coats.  Better to use a high‑quality epoxy if possible.

Other things to look out for:   Make sure you mask off your anodes well.  Try hard to epoxy coat everywhere you might want to paint, as you don't want straight paint on bare aluminum if you can help it.  This can be difficult around fiddly bits, like up under the rubber boot, or inside the water‑inlet holes.  We sanded our water‑inlet holes by folding a bit of sandpaper into a thin strip and poking it through the holes, pulling it back and forth to sand as much as we could.  You also need to be careful around the oil drain‑plug.  The plug itself is steel and doesn't need epoxy, and you certainly don't want epoxy to get into the crack between the drain‑plug and the casing or into the screwdriver slot, so we'd recommend masking off the whole area for the epoxy phase.  You might even consider squirting a bit of lanolin grease up into the crack with a plastic syringe (we keep a plastic syringe full of lanolin grease handy, as we're constantly using it).

The object of this whole exercise is to provide an insulating layer between the copper in the antifouling paint and the aluminum of the saildrive.  Although the epoxy is only about 0.015" (0.4mm) thick, it should provide good electrical insulation.  Since seawater is so conductive, there may still be a small bimetallic effect, but it should be easily absorbed by the zincs.

Saildrive Boots Saildrives typically have a bit of rubber that goes between the saildrive and the outside of the hull, to make for smooth water-flow around the saildrive.  Both the Yanmar and the Volvo parts are rather thin and flimsy, so they rarely last more than a year or 2.  Being official parts, they're also, of course, quite expensive.

Both of the official parts actually contact the saildrive leg.  This permits a good seal and good water‑flow around the leg, but it also allows engine (and saildrive) vibration to go through the boots, which will eventually tear up both the rubber boot itself as well as whatever adhesive you use to stick the boot to the hull.

In Tonga, our saildrive boots needed replacing.  But the closest Yanmar dealer was in New Zealand, and getting parts out of them was like pulling teeth.  They ignored our emails, even when we put EMERGENCY in big letters on the subject line.  The only way we got their attention was to call them on a satellite phone ("Oh, THAT emergency email...").  Yeesh!

So instead of going through Yanmar, we went up to the local auto‑parts store and bought some truck mud‑flaps.  These are thick (1/4" or 6mm) rubber, much sturdier than the standard Yanmar parts.  Amanda carved these into the correct shape but left a small gap (again, about 1/4" or 6mm) between the boot and the saildrive.  This still permits good water‑flow around the saildrives, but the boot would no longer be subjected to engine or saildrive vibration, so it should last much longer.

To hold these boots in place, we first tapered the edges, to provide less of an edge for things to grab onto.  Then we forced them over the saildrives (the props have to be removed) and cleaned all surfaces thoroughly.  Instead of using contact adhesive, we stuck the boots to the hull with fast‑cure 5200.  Sika‑flex would probably have worked just as well since they're both polysulfide adhesives.  Finally, we made stainless steel strips to go on the edges of the boots, and screwed through the strips and the boots into the hull.  We replaced the starboard side flap in 2019, so it had lasted 15 years!  (But while she was at it, Amanda carved a second pair of saildrive boots, just in case...)

Removing and replacing the saildrive legs, and replacing the main diaphragm: Sometimes it's necessary to remove the leg of the saildrive.  We've had to replace the main diaphragm seal on both sides, and we've also had some arguments with reefs that necessitated removing the legs.  We also know boats where water has crept into the oil from the leg joint, requiring replacing the O‑ring between the leg and the gearbox.

First, drain the oil, and remove the rubber "boot" that goes between the leg and the hull (and see our section on saildrive boots when replacing them).

On most boats, the saildrive is meant to be installed and removed from the top, and only the bulb at the bottom, housing the prop‑shaft bearings, has to go through the hull, so the opening often isn't very big.  We strongly recommend grinding the hole to open it up a bit, as the flanges joining the 2 halves of the saildrive are 8.25" (21cm) in diameter.  If you can't grind it open that much, grind it open as much as you can.  It will help tremendously, especially when putting the leg back together.  If you decide to open the hole up more once you've removed the leg, make sure you protect the gearbox from your grindings.  You don't want fiberglass (or anything else) in the saildrive oil.

Looking up the hole, you should now be able to see the flange, with the 8 bolts holding it to the gearbox above.  The bolts need an Allen‑key, so we use one from our socket‑set, with a long extension.  Loosen the bolts as you would a car‑wheel, loosening one and then the bolt opposite that one, so you don't warp the flange.  Loosen all the bolts a turn or 2, and then go back and remove them completely.  Have someone help you hold the leg up before removing the last 2 bolts.  If the hole in the hull isn't big enough, the leg may have to be tilted on its side to get it out.

The top of the lower driveshaft should be sticking out the top of the leg, possibly with the short joiner section that joins it to the upper driveshaft.  If the joiner is not sitting on the lower driveshaft un‑stick it from the upper driveshaft in the gearbox and put it somewhere safe.

At this point, you can do whatever it was that you needed to do to the leg that required its removal.

If you're needing to replace the main diaphragm, there are some additional steps.  Note that the service manual says that the main diaphragm needs to be replaced every few years.  This is pure CYA hogwash.  In 2019 we replaced our starboard diaphragm seal that we'd installed in Tonga in 2003, so it was 16 years old, and had sailed more than halfway around the world.  It was in absolutely perfect condition.  Once we cleaned some growth off it, we couldn't tell it from our new one, either in looks, toughness, or flexibility.  So we'd say to replace the main diaphragm only when you need to, but it doesn't need to be replaced on a routine basis.

To replace the main diaphragm:

• Remove the 8 bolts holding the big alloy ring down to the inside of the hull.
• Put a rope around the support at the back of the saildrive and lead it to a winch.
• Gently raise the back of the saildrive, with the ring attached, up about 4" (10cm).
• Remove the old diaphragm.  It should fall out easily, but it might need some help.
• Clean any corrosion from the thick grooves under the alloy ring and under the flange for the leg.  Also clean the inside of the hull, where it will sit.
• Smear some silicon or synthetic (non‑oil‑based) grease in those grooves, on the hull where it will sit, on the ridges of the diaphragm, and under those ridges.
• Position the new diaphragm and lower the back of the saildrive back down to the hull, making sure the diaphragm snuggles completely into the grooves.
• Replace the bolts holding the alloy ring to the hull and tighten them to the correct torque.
• You may also want to replace the secondary seal (see Secondary Seals above).

Replacing the leg:

First, clean both mating surfaces thoroughly.  Make sure there are no dings or burrs or any debris that might keep the flanges from coming completely together.  Run your fingers over the surfaces as sometimes you can feel things that you can't see.  Pay special attention to the groove where the O‑ring will seat.  If the O‑ring doesn't seal completely, water can get into the oil, so this is extremely important.  You should also probably put the gearbox into gear, to keep the upper driveshaft from spinning.

There should be an O‑ring around the base of the cylindrical column that sticks out of the top of the leg.  We just reused what was there when we replaced our diaphragms, and that worked, but the O‑ring should really be replaced if possible.  And this is where it gets ticklish.  The stock Yanmar O‑ring is 70mm in diameter and 3mm thick.  But this is too big to fit snuggly on the leg.  If you start with it there, you'll almost certainly pinch it against the gearbox and it won't seal correctly.  So you have to put it inside the lip of the gearbox.  But if you touch it with anything (like the lower driveshaft as you're trying to juggle it into position) then the O‑ring will fall out of position.  And since you can't see it when it goes back together, you can't tell if it's properly positioned or not!  Yanmar really only designed the leg to be reattached to the gearbox while on a workbench.  But removing the gearbox from the engine so it can be worked on is a HUGE job.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help the situation (and these tricks, learned at the school of experience and hard knocks, are the main reason we're publishing this section).

• Use a slightly smaller diameter O‑ring so it fits snuggly on the protrusion of the leg.  Going from 70mm to 65mm shouldn't affect that O‑ring's ability to seal that joint significantly.  Even a 60mm O‑ring that's 4mm thick will work, and this is a much more common size (and is what we've used).  With the O‑ring held snuggly around the projection on the leg, there's no chance that it will get knocked out of position when the leg is trying to mate to the gearbox.  We smeared a thick layer of extra grease around the O‑ring, to help it seal.
• If you can't get a smaller O‑ring, then get some contact cement and glue the O‑ring into the upper groove.  Put a thin layer of contact cement on the gearbox where the O‑ring will sit (against the top, not on the sides) and put a thin layer on one side (but not the outer edge) of the O‑ring.  Wait until the contact cement is dry, and then push the O‑ring against the glue, pushing it firmly into position.  In a pinch, you might be able to use super‑glue, but contact cement is basically rubber when it cures, while super‑glue cures harder and could be a problem if/when you have to remove that O‑ring next time.  Once the O‑ring is held in place, you can apply a good layer of grease around it to help it seal.
• The upper and lower driveshafts will have to mate together, and this is not as easy as it sounds because the 2 driveshafts have to be exactly aligned for the splines to mesh.  But it's much easier if you make some guides to position the leg correctly.  Cut some lengths of 10mm threaded‑rod into about 3" (8cm) lengths.  We've only needed 2, but friends have said it's easier with 3 or 4.  Screw these into the holes in the gearbox where the flange bolts will go, spacing them evenly around the flange.  If you've ground your opening enough that your leg can drop straight out, then you'll be able to use more guides, but if your flange is bigger than your opening, you may not be able to get more than 2 guides into position.  We have to use fore and aft holes for our guides.
• The coupler that joins the upper and lower driveshafts together needs to be fitted to the end of one of the driveshafts.  If you've ground out enough of the hull that the leg can go straight in/out, then put the coupler on top of the lower shaft, with a bit of grease on the splines.  However, if you have to wriggle the leg flange through the opening before you can position it, putting the coupler on the end of the lower driveshaft may make it too long to get in easily, or at all.  In this case (and this is what we have to do) the coupler will have to go on the end of the upper driveshaft, which means you'll need to figure out a way to hold it from falling off the shaft.  We used a tiny bit of paper masking tape on the spline.  This isn't ideal, but the paper will shred and won't hurt the gears later.
• The flange‑bolts are stainless steel, threading into aluminum.  Add a bit of seawater and you've got a corrosion nightmare.  To mitigate this, coat the threads in an anti‑corrosion compound.  We use Tefgel for parts that we want to take apart later, or DuraLac for a bit of locking (recommend DuraLac for this application).  We tend not to use Loctite compounds, as they often provide too much locking and not enough corrosion resistance.  Have the bolts with their coated threads close by, as you'll need at least 2 of them quickly.

You should now be ready for reassembly.  Having 2‑3 people for this will help.  Lift the leg up into the hole in the hull, line it up correctly, fit the flange‑guides into the correct holes, and slide the leg up the guides.  Getting the driveshaft splines to mate can be tricky, but once you get the leg aligned correctly, push up gently while someone turns the propshaft gently back and forth until the splines mate and the leg slides up the last inch or 2.  Then, while holding the leg up (don't let it slip down!) have someone run a couple of the flange‑bolts in finger tight.  Then the leg can be let go, the guides removed, and the rest of the bolts screwed in.  Tighten them in star order, like a car wheel, bringing them snug first, and then tightening them up to their correct torque.

If you want to epoxy coat the leg, this would be a good time to do that.  See our sealing the leg with epoxy section above for instructions (even if you don't plan to use copper‑based antifouling paints, but just want to protect the leg).

Finally, slide the boot over the bulb at the bottom of the saildrive, up the leg, and fasten it in place.  We usually use a mastic like quick‑dry 5200 and then stainless steel strips along each side with screws into the hull.  See our saildrive boots section above for more.

Replacing the oil seal on the input shaft from the engine This, as they say, is a cow of a job, but when that seal starts leaking, it needs to be replaced.  For us, this happened to both of our saildrives at about 8300 hours.  We noticed the oil level in our header tank going down, and thick oil leaking out of the bottom of the bell‑housing between the engine and the saildrive.  On our port engine, this was accompanied by a grating noise like bearings trying to tear themselves apart whenever the engine was on (not even in gear).

Taking out that gear‑cluster to replace the seal means you should really replace the bearings as well.  You can order the seal (Yanmar #101158‑02220) and bearings (2, Yanmar #24141‑302060) from your favorite Yanmar dealer, but Yanmar doesn't actually make seals or bearings, and it's usually cheaper and easier to buy the generic parts (which are exactly the same as what Yanmar uses).  The seals are: 62x40x8 (those are mm for OD, ID, & width).  There are several bearing possibilities, but if you ask your bearing shop they can cross‑match them.  We used 2 Timken 30206M‑90KM1 bearings, and when we removed our original "Yanmar" bearings, we found they were actually Timken bearings with that exact number on them!

The first time we did this, we hauled Ocelot out of the water, but the 2 nd time there was no slip available so we did the job in the water.  The difficult part is that you need to support the engine and slide it forward about 8" (20cm).  For us, our engines are (mostly) under our aft beds, so we removed the cushions and built a wooden A‑frame to support a pair of chain‑hoists.  The varnished wood under our beds was slippery enough to slide the A‑frame around, even when it was supporting our 4JH2 engine.

This procedure is very similar for SD‑20, SD‑30, and SD‑31 sail‑drives.  Of course, if you have access to a sail‑drive service manual, that will show you more than I can here, and goes into more detail.  This is more of a thumbnail sketch, more to help you decide if you want to do the job yourself or get help.  It sounded pretty scary to us at first (Jon hates digging into gearboxes) but as usual, it turned out to be much easier once we got into it.  We had a pair of mechanics do essentially the whole job in Kudat (NE Borneo) the first time we had to do it.  The second time, we hired a mechanic to help, but he knew nothing about sail‑drives.  Jon gave all the directions, but Peter helped, drifted the bearings out, and he ran the hydraulic press to put the bearings back.

• Drain the saildrive oil.  If you're doing this in the water, the oil will fall out when you remove the gear‑cluster, and will make a bit of a mess, but that can be cleaned up later.
• Support the engine, especially at the back where it connects to the saildrive.  Small wedges are handy here.
• Support the saildrive by tying a pair of ropes to the foot and securing the ropes to the deck, forward of the saildrives, on each side of the hull.  The saildrive is only supported at the back, and you don't want it to fall forward (or sideways).
• Setup your engine lift/slide mechanism.  We used a quick‑&‑dirty wooden structure, with a pair of small chain‑hoists.
• Unbolt the 8 bolts around the bell‑housing, as well as anything else in the way of sliding the engine forward.  For the front of the engine this usually means where the engine‑mounts bolt to the hull, or where they bolt to the support legs, or removing the support legs.  On Ocelot we had to remove alternators as well.
• Gently take the weight off the engine supports with chain‑hoists, and slide the engine forward 8" (20cm).  You'll probably need to pry the bell‑housing and engine apart, as the bell housing sticks into the engine about 1/4" or 6mm.
• Reach inside the bell‑housing and remove the 8 long bolts holding it to the saildrive, and remove the bell‑housing completely.
• Remove the 4 bolts holding in the gear‑cluster and remove the cluster.  Make sure to notice where the hole is for the oil (top or bottom).  Don't damage the shims.
• On the sail‑drive end of the input shaft, bend down the locking tab and remove the nut.  It's a strange nut, and will probably have to be tapped around with a hammer and screwdriver.  If you can, building a socket to drive this nut will allow you to properly torque this nut when putting the gear‑cluster back together.
• Remove the bevel‑gear, and use hammers and wood or aluminum drifts to tap the bearings and seal out of the holder.  Several other shims and spacers will come out as well.  Make sure you know what order to put them back.
• Grease where the bearings will go.  Press (or possibly tap) the new bearings into place, making sure they're oriented the original direction.
• Reassemble the gears, shims, and spacers that were removed.  Slather everything liberally in grease.
• Tighten the nut at the end to 2.5‑3.5Kgm (20 foot‑lbs).  Since the nut is strange, you may have to estimate this.  The bearings should be tight but rotate easily.
• Since we're sure our gears have worn slightly, we decided to leave out one shim when reassembling.  The Service Manual gives better instructions on how to measure exactly how much shim you need, but we didn't have the resources (special tools, etc) that it called for.
• On SD30 and 31, the seal runs against a spacer block.  The inside of that block has an O‑ring that should be replaced.  The SD‑20 doesn't have this, as the seal runs directly on the shaft.
• Replace the seal, making sure you don't damage the inner lips
• Replace the gear cluster in the sail‑drive, making sure to put the lubrication hole as you found it (up or down - pinion shaft assemblies prior to number D/#0454 should be up).
• Tighten the bolts to 0.5‑.7Kg‑m or about 5 ft‑lbs.
• Replace the bell housing, tightening the bolts to 1.4‑1.6Kg‑m, or 10 ft‑lbs.
• Slide the engine back and mate it to the input shaft.  This can be tricky.  You may have to rotate the input shaft slightly for the gears to mate correctly.
• When the engine and bell housing are about 1/4" (6mm) apart, run the bolts in finger tight.
• Tighten the bolts in a crosswise fashion (one bolt, then its opposite partner, like a car wheel), a little bit at a time until they're snug and the bell housing has been pulled up against the engine.  Then bring them to their specified torque (1.4‑1.6Kg‑m, or 10 ft‑lbs).
• Secure the engine to its bearers, replacing whatever was removed earlier.
• Refill the sail‑drive with oil.

This took us about a day, or more precisely, 2 half‑days for each sail‑drive.  It looks long, but there's nothing really that complicated.  OK, a certified mechanic might shudder at the idea of putting a gearbox back together without measuring all sorts of clearances, but we decided that the sail‑drive was functioning pretty well before the seal let go, and nothing that we'd done was going to make that any worse.  So it should be as good as it was before, and probably a bit better because of the new bearings, even without futzing with all the shims (that we didn't have).

It turns out that nothing is really supporting that upper drive‑shaft except bearings, and those bearings aren't tight at all.  In fact, the whole job can be done with the boat in the water!  Although it's much less messy if you're hauled out and can drain the oil out of the saildrive first.

Yanmar's design has the bevel‑gear at the end of the (horizontal) input‑shaft mating to 2 bevel‑gears that ride on the vertical drive‑shaft.  These 2 are always spinning, in opposite directions, whenever the engine is running.  Between these 2 bevel‑gears is a small clutch that's splined to the drive‑shaft and can slide up or down to mate to either of the spinning bevel‑gears, thereby driving the shaft in either direction, forward or reverse.  On SD‑20, 30, and 31, this dog‑clutch engages with a bit of a bang, but it's very positive.  With later saildrives, Yanmar went to cone‑clutches, which apparently have a tendency to slip if not adjusted exactly right.

The bevel‑gears each have 3 bearings: a large outer bearing, and a pair of small needle‑bearings on the inside, between the gears and the shaft.  Without taking the saildrive out of the boat, or even disconnecting it from the engine, it's pretty easy to replace 5 of the 6 bearings, as well as the shaft and the dog‑clutch.  The large outer bearing around the lower bevel‑gear is trapped by the input shaft, and can't be removed until the input shaft is removed, but the inner needle‑bearings all come out when the shaft is lifted out.

As above, this procedure is very similar for SD‑20, SD‑30, and SD‑31 sail‑drives.  Of course, if you have access to a sail‑drive service manual, that will show you more than I can here, and goes into more detail.  This is more of a thumbnail sketch, to help you decide if you want to do the job yourself or get help.  It sounded pretty scary to us at first but it turned out to be really easy once I got into it.  I did all the work myself, with a bit of help to remove the old bearings from the outsides of the bevel‑gears.  Since I had them open, I decided to replace all the bearings I could.  Starboard was completely out of the boat, so I replaced all 6 bearings, but the dog‑clutch was fine.  On port, I couldn't replace the big lower bearing without a lot more work, so I only replaced 5 of the 6 bearings, as well as the dog‑clutch, as it had been slipping recently and was badly worn.

• Drain the sail‑drive oil.  If you're doing this in the water, some oil will drain out when you remove the shift mechanism.
• Disconnect the shift‑cable from the arm on the side of the sail‑drive.
• Remove the 4 bolts and remove the shift mechanism.
• Remove the 4 bolts on top of the sail‑drive, tap the top lightly, and remove it.  The upper (reversing) bevel‑gear and it's big outer bearing should come off as well.
• Grab the top of the drive‑shaft, wiggle it slightly so it lets go of the splined joiner at its bottom, and lift the upper drive‑shaft out, complete with dog‑clutch and needle‑bearings(!!)
• Remove the circlips at each end of the drive‑shaft, and remove the 2 pairs of needle‑bearings.  Keep track of the spacers.
• If you're going to replace the dog‑clutch, align it so the ears (dogs) are vertical, put a rag over it to catch flying parts, and push it to the end of the spline.  There are 2 ball‑bearings pushed out by a spring inside the dog‑clutch, and the rag is to catch those parts before they spring out of sight.  The balls should be aligned under the dogs of the clutch.

Reassembly is essentially reversing the above.  Slather everything in grease, of course.

Taking the big outer bearings off the bevel‑gears is a bit of a challenge, as they're obviously pressed on.  We held the bearings tightly in a big vice (squeeze it between 2 pieces of wood if you can) and used a pair of strong screwdrivers to apply pressure to separate the bearing from the gear.  While one person was doing that, the other was hammering on a socket placed over the end of the gear, to pound the gear out from the inside of the bearing.  It took some doing, but once we did the first one, the others went pretty easily.  Pressing the new bearings onto the bevel‑gears is straightforward if you have a hydraulic press, but the service manual also talks about tapping them together with a hammer.

The shifter is bronze, and is running in a groove in the dog‑clutch (which is steel).  The shifter can wear, which means the dog‑clutch may not fully engage the bevel‑gear, causing it to slip with a loud CLUNK every few seconds.  We replaced the shifters on both sides, since we had them out.  Replacing that shifter (Yanmar #196311‑06080) involves removing a tapered split‑pin to remove the arm from the shaft, and then removing the circlip that holds the shifter to the arm.  It's extremely important to take photos or make drawings of exactly how it was put together before taking it apart, as it's very easy to put it back together backwards, especially when putting the arm back on the shaft.  When replacing the shift mechanism back into the sail‑drive, make sure the shifter is sitting happily in the groove of the dog‑clutch before bolting everything back together.

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JavaScript functionality for your browser has been deactivate. Please activate JavaScript so you can use all functions on this page. ‹ Return | › Products › Sail Drives Saildrive propulsion systems The most powerful electric sail drive system from serial production. Perfectly matched system integration rather than an assortment of components The most powerful electric saildrives come from Torqeedo series production. The Deep Blue 25 SD propels sail yachts of up to 40 feet in length to speeds of up to almost ten knots (18 km/h), or smaller boats even faster when planing. This makes cruising with large sail yachts completely emission-free with virtually no noise or vibration. The Deep Blue 50 SD offers twice the performance. The Deep Blue sail drive is part of a completely integrated comprehensive system that was developed using industrial engineering methods, comprises high-tech components and which is manufactured in series production. Deep Blue Saildrive for sailboats and catamarans Light and quiet. With an overall weight of about 125 kg for motor, sail drive and electronics, the Deep Blue 25 SD (50 SD ≈ 180 kg) weighs less than a conventional saildrive with combustion engine. This benefits weight distribution on board, as the low net weight of the Torqeedo Deep Blue Saildrive makes a sailboat noticeably lighter at the stern than a similar configuration with a petrol or diesel engine when the motor is installed toward the rear. The weight of the lithium battery can also be used to advantage in the design of the boat. The fact that the battery package can be arranged variably when the Torqeedo Deep Blue Saildrive is installed allows the weight of the drive system to be distributed around the centre of the vessel. This is the arrangement favoured by boat builders and boatyards. Travelling silently even when under motor power No sailor likes the sound of an engine when travelling in calm conditions or when casting off or landing under engine power. In contrast to conventional petrol- or diesel-powered sail drive engines, the Deep Blue 25 SD & 50 SD operate quietly, creating extremely low noise emissions. The electric sail drive operates almost in silence owing to the nature of the system. Due to the system, the electric saildrives operate almost silently. Number 1 in power delivery The Deep Blue Saildrive produces the equivalent of up to 80 hp of power, ideal for use in displacement boats and large sailing yachts. Complete integration The Saildrive drives are part ofTorqeedo’s Deep Blue series of high-performance motors. The high-tech components of the fully integrated overall system are carefully selected to match each other and are perfectly adapted for use on water. They offer professional safety features, compliance with international standards at system level and extreme ease of operation. The motors can also be used to generate electricity. The seamless integration of the saildrives into Torqeedo’s hybrid system offers the option of recovering energy while under sail through hydro power generation using the electric drive. Low incidental costs There are no incidental costs for petrol or diesel or for regular maintenance incurred by a combustion engine. Since the lithium batteries are manufactured to the same high standards of quality as in the automotive industry, Torqeedo offers a warranty of nine years on battery capacity, promising a residual capacity of 80 % after nine years of daily use. All benefits at a glance Most powerful electric saildrive from industrial production Space-saving and boat construction-friendly design Part of a balanced, fully integrated system Compatible with all popular engine beds for saildrives The top of this web page is the Illustrated Guide with photos of the motors and specifications to the right. Sortable/Searchable Table At the bottom of the page is a table that can be searched if you know you are looking for a certain type of motor (i.e. pod or saildrive), a certain power range, or for a specific weight/length of boat. If you are going to use the table, the page is best viewed on a computer rather than mobile or tablet. Illustrated Guide The motors are organized in alphabetical order by manufacturer, then by style of motor, i.e. fixed pod, steerable pod, saildrive and then by power of motor within those listing. For many styles there are multiple powers of motor available and where that is the case we have made it as easy as possible to line up the motor with its specifications. i.e. if there are three power of motor with different weights, it will be noted as kW: 2kw, 2kw, 3kw • Weight: 10kg, 12kg, 15kg. For some manufacturers the variations are more complicated and we have done our best to make it simple and understandable. There is a lot of variety in the way manufacturers detail the technical attributes of their products. We have tried to take the most common measurements and assemble an ‘apples to apples’ comparison. See the notes below in ‘Measurements’ The photographs and drawings are from the manufacturers’ websites and are not shown in any consistent scale. kW • Voltage • Current • HP: Not all manufacturers list all of these specifications. We have included the specifications available and where not available have used the notation N/A. kW is the kW rating provided by the manufacturer. Most websites do not indicate whether it is input or output kW. When it is indicated, we took the output. Voltage is most often referred on the sites as ‘Voltage’. Some indicate nominal or peak, we have used nominal and indicated if peak is also referenced. Current Is noted when the manufacturer supplies the information. Generally it is measured in amperes: A. In some cases the manufacturer uses Amp Hours: Ah and we have noted it where that is used. HP : is ‘HorsePower equivalent’ so that you can get an idea of the power of the motor in comparison to a HP rating you might be more familiar with. Where available, these measurements come from the manufacturer’s website, and different manufacturers measure the HP in different ways. Some even use metric horsepower, which is slightly different from imperial horsepower. Again, we have tried to make it as apples to apples as possible. (For general guidance, 1kW is round one and a third HP 1kW=1.3HP, or the reverse is that 1HP is around three quarters of a kW: 1 HP = .75kW). Static Thrust. Torque, Efficiency: This is probably the specification that has the most variability. We have simply given whatever information the manufacturer has published on their website, when available. Range and Running Time : We have not included estimates of range or running time because it depends on too many factors: battery size (sometimes type also), water conditions, speed, etc. The exceptions are for the ePropulsion and Torqeedo models which have batteries from the manufacturers specifically matched to the motors and therefore provide estimates on their websites. General : If a manufacturer publishes a specification, we have tried to include it here, even tough other manufacturers may not include the same type of measurement. Information on this page updated September 28, 2024 You may also want to check our Directory of Electric Boat Motor manufacturers, dealers and distributors around the world, or the Plugboats Marketplace of electric boat motors for sale. Manufacturers in this Buying Guide: Aquamot • Bellmarine • Combi • Electric Yacht • ELECTRINE • EP Technologies • ePropulsion • E-TECH • Fischer Panda • Gardenergy • Kräutler • Navigaflex • Oceanvolt • Piktronik • Powerflow Marine • Rim Drive Technology • Seadrive • TEMA • Torqeedo Aquamot was founded in 2003 by engineer Siegmund Hammerstrom and has grown to be a leading manufacturer of electric motors and accessories, including outboards inboards, chargers and batteries. They have two lines of fixed pod motors: Trend and Professional, as well as a line of steerable pods that line up with the power ranges of the Professional line. Aquamot Trend Fixed Pod 1.1FM and 1.6FM Recommended Boat Size: <1.8 tons kW : 1.1 / 1.6 • Voltage : N/A • Current : N/A • HP : 3.5 / 5 • Static thrust : 89lbs Motor Type : Brushless AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled (motor underwater) Weight (kg) : 10.2 / 11.3 Propeller/RPM : 3 blade fixed, folding optional • RPM : N/A Other : Includes: Integrated/removable lithium battery (0.64kWh), charger, display, emergency kill switch. Optional: spare battery, customized compensation wedge, folding propeller ($US 835). Warranty: 2 year limited Country of Manufacture : Austria Price (MSRP) : $US 2,200 / $2,600 Aquamot Trend Fixed Pod 2.2FM and 4.3FM Recommended Boat Size: <4 tons kW : 2.2 / 4.3 • Voltage : 24 / 48 • Current : N/A • HP : 6.4 / 11 • Static thrust : 124 lbs / 197 lbs Motor Type : Brushless AC asynchronous• Passive water cooled (motor underwater) Weight (kg) : 12.2 / 13.9 Other : Includes: Controller, display, basic cables, emergency kill switch. Optional: customized compensation wedge, folding propeller ($US 835). Two year limited warranty. Price (MSRP) : $US 3,300 / $3,750 Aquamot Trend Fixed Pod 11.0FM to 25.0FM Recommended Boat Size: N/A kW : 11 – 25 • Voltage : 48 – 96 • Current : N/A • HP : 28 – 45 • Static thrust : n/a Motor Type : Brushless AC asynchronous• Passive water cooled (motor underwater) Weight (kg) : 44.3 – 48.9 Propeller/RPM : 3 blade fixed • RPM : N/A Other : Includes: Controller, display, basic cables, emergency kill switch. Optional: customized compensation wedge. Warranty: 2 year limited Price (MSRP) : $US 7,150 / $9,915 Aquamot Professional Fixed Pod F10e to F250e kW : 1 – 25 • Voltage : 24 – 96 • Current : N/A • HP : 45 – 339 • Static thrust : n/a Motor Type : Sensor-less AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled (motor underwater) • Efficiency : 92% Weight (kg) : 12 – 50 Propeller/RPM : 2 blade fixed, folding/feathering optional • RPM : N/A Other : Integrated anode, permanently usable for salt or fresh water, maintenance free. Operating efficiency 92%, Included: Custom-made compensation wedge, Controller, throttle, battery monitor, cables, Optional: display, folding/feathering propeller. Warranty: 2 year limited Price : N/A Aquamot Trend Steerable Pod UF10e to UF250e Other : Optimized cavitation plate. Permanently usable for salt or fresh water, maintenance free. Operating efficiency 92%, Included: Custom-made compensation wedge, Controller, throttle, battery monitor, cables, Optional: display. Warranty: 2 year limited »» Bellmarine website Bellmarine is a very well established electric boat motor company with a history going back to 1999. Along the way they merged with a battery accessory manufacturer and have now been purchased by Transfluid, a large scale industrial motor manufacturer. Bellmarine offers a wide range of electric boat motor configurations, with their saildrive system consisting of their own motor combined with Yanmar drive mechanics. They range from 2kW to 20kW in power with either air or liquid cooling. They also offer a regeneration option. You may want to download the full Bellmarine catalogue Bellmarine SailMaster Air Cooled Models 2A, 5A, 7A, 10A, 15A, 20A Download .pdf brochure kW : Bellmarine uses Nominal and Intermittent kW measurements. These are the intermittent figures: 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 15, 20 • Voltage : 48V except for the 8A, 15A and 20A models which are 96V • Current : N/A • HP : 2.5, 6.5, 9, 10.5, 13, 20, 25 Motor Type : Permanent Magnet AC • Air cooled Weight (kg) : N/A Propeller/RPM : propeller not supplied • RPM : Motor: 1500, Propeller 750 except for 20kW which is Motor 3000, Propeller 1500 Other : Includes Yanmar SD25 Sail drive leg with 2:1 reduction, motor, controller, , stainless steel motor support brackets. Country of Manufacture : Netherlands Bellmarine SailMaster Liquid Cooled Models 3W, 7W, 10W, 15W, 20W Download .pdf brochure kW : Bellmarine uses Nominal and Intermittent kW measurements. These are the intermittent figures: 3, 7, 10, 15, 20 • Voltage : 48V: for all models except 8A, 15A and 20A   –   96V:  Models 8A, 15A, 20A • Current : N/A • HP : 4, 9, 13, 20, 25 Motor Type : Permanent Magnet AC • Liquid cooled RPM : 1500: Models 2A, 5A, 7A, 8A, 10A, 15A   –  3000: Model 20A  »» Combi website Combi Outboards was founded in 1979 in Giethoorn (‘the Dutch Venice’) to supply rental boats with clean electric power. It is now a leading international supplier of electric propulsion solutions for the maritime market. Combi manufactures inboards, pods, hybrids and outboards. There are six pods ranging in power from 1kW to 3.5 kW: 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 3.5kW. They are available both as fixed pod or steerable pods. Combi Nautic Fixed Pod/Saildrive Download .pdf brochure kW : 1.0 – 3.5 • Voltage : 24 (1.0kW + 1.5kW), 48 (2.0kW – 3.5kW) • Current : 42A – 73A • HP : 4 – 9 Motor Type : Asynchronous AC • passive water cooled Weight (kg) : N/A Propeller/RPM : 3 blade fixed – 220mm or 230mm • RPM : 1050 (3.5kW 1300) Other : “Easy Connect” system delivered Plug & Play for owner installation.  Combi Nautic Steerable Pod Download .pdf brochure The Steerable Pod Nautic models have the same specifications as the Saildrive models above. Motor Type : Asynchronous AC • passive water cooled Propeller/RPM : 3 blade fixed – 220mm or 230mm • RPM : 1050 (3.5kW 1300) Other : “Easy Connect” system delivered Plug & Play for owner installation.  Electric Yacht Electric Yacht is one of the premier US suppliers of saildrives. They have developed a Plug-n-Play system that has been engineered for quick, simplified installation as well as long term durability. Their systems offer regenerative power while under the sail. 10 years of proven production with over 450 installs. 3 Year Warranty Electric Yacht QuietTorque™ 10.0 Sail Drive Recommended Boat Size: <6 tons – 34’ (10m) kW : 10 • Voltage : 48 • Current : 200A • HP : 10.5 Motor Type : Brushless PMAC Weight (kg) : 45 Propeller/RPM : 2 or 3 blade, fixed or folding, 12”  – 16” • RPM : N/A Other :  Installs through 9” hole, Anodized aluminum frame and waterproof throttle,Digital Display of: State of Charge (SOC, Voltage, Current, Power, Motor RPM, time to discharge based on current power consumption, updated in real time, Programmable regeneration. 3 Year Warranty.  Country of Manufacture : USA Price (MSRP): $US 11,995 Electric Yacht QuietTorque™ 20.0 Sail Drive The Electric Yacht Quiet Torque 20 is essentially the 10.0 with twin motors Recommended Boat Size: <12 tons – 45’ (14m), catamarans 40’-46’ (12-15m) kW : 20 • Voltage : 48 • Current : 400A • HP : 21 Motor Type : Brushless PMAC X 2 Weight (kg) : 77 Propeller/RPM : 2 or 3 blade, fixed or folding, 12”  – 18” • RPM : N/A Other :  Installs through 9” hole, Anodized aluminum frame and waterproof throttle,Digital Display of: State of Charge (SOC, Voltage, Current, Power, Motor RPM, time to discharge based on current power consumption, updated in real time, Programmable regeneration. 3 Year Warranty.  Price (MSRP): $US 14,695 Also: Electric Yacht QuietTorque™ 30.0 Sail Drive (boats <14 tons) Electric Yacht QuietTorque™ LC 45 Sail Drive (boats <17 tons) Electric Yacht QuietTorque™ LC 60.0 Sail Drive (boats <22 tons) Recommended Boat Size: 14 tons – 22 tons, 45’- 60′ (15-18m) kW : 30 – 60 • Voltage : 48 – 96 • Current : 300Ah – 600Ah • HP : 48 – 65 Motor Type : Brushless PMAC X 2 • liquid cooled Weight (kg) : 100 – 106 Propeller/RPM : N/A Other :  Installs through 9” hole, Anodized aluminum frame and waterproof throttle, Digital Display of: State of Charge (SOC, Voltage, Current, Power, Motor RPM, time to discharge based on current power consumption, updated in real time, Programmable regeneration. 3 Year Warranty.  Price (MSRP): $US 19,995 – 23,495 »» ELECTRINE website ELECTRINE is a Korean manufacturer which has focused on maritime electrification since 2010, when the idea of electric mobility was still relatively uncommon. The company was known as LGM until 2020 and has had a consistent R&D effort for many years. They manufacture electric outboards, inboards and saildrives as well as accessories and Lithium-ion batteries using a Carbon Nano Tube heat exchanger technology. Ther are 6 motors in their eSaildrive line, ranging from 8 kW to 110 kW. ELECTRINE eSaildrive line: S-8, S-16, S-25 (shown), S-40, S-80, S-110 Recommended Boat Size: Daysailer / Racing / Monohull /Multihull kW : (Max) 8, 16, 25, 40, 90, 110 • Voltage (Vdc): 48, 48, 96, 96, 345.6, 345.6 Motor Type : N/A Weight (kg) : 40.5, 46.5, 50.5, 172, 198, 218 Other : Hydrogeneration on 8kW and 16kW models. ELECTRINE also makes batteries customized for the motors Country of Manufacture : Korea Price (MSRP): N/A EP Technologies »» ep technologies website. EPTechnologies is a complete marine propulsion provider for electric and hybrid vessels. The company specializes in custom electric and hybrid systems, but also has ‘off the shelf’ motors, including a range of saildrives. Their Electric Turnable Saildrive offers 360-degree rotation, the key advantage being that no additional thruster is required behind the boat. Other saildrives (SD-25, SD-60, SD-15) have a fixed lower unit. All saildrives are include a complete system utilizing batteries designed and built by EP Technologies. EP Technologies Turnable Saildrive kW : 25 – 60 Voltage (VDC): 100 – 800 RPM : 500 – 2000 Other : 360° Rotatable, Electric servo motor, Joystick Control Country of Manufacture : Denmark Price : Contact EP Technologies EP Technologies Saildrives: SD-25, SD-50, SD-15 kW : SD-25: SD-60: 25, 39, 60, SD-15: 65, 95 Voltage (VDC): SD-25: 48, SD-60: 100 – 800, SD-15: 400 – 800 RPM : SD-25: 1000 – 2000, SD-60: 500 – 2000, SD-15: 500 – 2000 ePropulsion »» epropulsion website. ePropulsion was  founded in 2012 by three engineers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).  The company continues to have a strong engineering culture where each engineer is individually responsible for creating as much value for users as possible. ePropulsion offer two pod models based on their outboards: the 1kW Spirit and 3kW Navy. Click here to view motors from ePropulsion dealers in the Plugboats Marketplace ePropulsion Pod Drive Evo 1.0 , 3.0, 6.0 kW : 1, 3, 6 • Voltage : 40.7, 48 • Current : 25A, 62.5A • HP : 3, 6, 9.9 Static Thrust : 71, 132.6 Weight (kg) : (Including integrated battery) 14.1, 15.6 Propeller/RPM : Spirit: 2 blade, 28 × 14.7 cm (11′ × 5.8″), Navy: 2 blade, 26 × 17.1 cm (10.2″ × 6.7″), RPM: Spirit 1200, Navy 2300 Other : Hydrogeneration, Includes battery and wireless remote controller (cable option also), Spirit has 1.1 kWh lithium battery, Navy has 3.0 kWh Country of Manufacture : Hong Kong/China »» E-TECH website E-TECH is a subsidiary of boatbuilder Starboats that was started in 2008 because they were dissatisfied with other electric motor offerings in the market at the time. The company has developed fixed pods, steerable pods and outboard motors that all utilize an in-water BLDC (BrushLess DC permanent magnet) pod motor in a watertight aluminum casing. There are 5 pod models available in both fixed pod and steerable pod configuration. All of these are equipped with the ruddershaft, tube and steering lever. There are also 4 models of high torque pods available only in fixed pod format. Click here to view motors from E-TECH dealers in the Plugboats Marketplace E-TECH 4 POD, 7 POD, 10 POD, 15 POD, 20 POD Link to Fixed Pod Motors • Link to Steerable Pod Motors Download .pdf brochure kW : 4.3, 7.5, 10.9, 16.6, 19.5 • Voltage : 48, 48, 48, 72, 96 • HP : ≈ 6, 10, 15, 22, 27 • RPM : 1350, 1350, 1470, 2240, 2200 Motor Type : Brushless PMDC • water cooled Other :  Includes controller, display with battery monitor, joystick (side- or top mounting), 2m steering cable, 5m connecting cables between controller and steering position (standard 5 meter). Country of Manufacture : Poland The four High Torque E-TECH PODH engines are designed for those applications where a very high torque is needed. E-Tech High Torque PODH: 13 POD, 18 POD, 23 POD, 35 POD Download .pdf brochure kW : 11.9, 16.7, 21.5, 33.7 • Voltage : 48, 72, 96, 144 • HP : ≈ 16, 23, 29, 45 • RPM : 760, 1140, 1520, 2500 Fischer Panda »» Fischer Panda Fischer Panda is one of the world’s best known manufacturers of marine generators but are also manufacturers of high quality electric boat motors, sometimes marketed under the ‘Whisperprop’ name. They have an “EasyBox” system that is intended to take the guesswork and complication out of purchasing electric boat motors. Fischer Panda 48V Underwater Drive System (Easybox) Download .pdf brochure kW : 3.8 – 20.0 • Voltage : 48 • Current : N/A • HP : 5 – 25 Motor Type : Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) Weight (kg) : 18.7 – 120 Propeller/RPM/Torque : Propeller not included • RPM : 600 – 2500 Torque (nM) : 28 – 320 Other :  Includes: Fischer Panda EasyBox control unit, control panel, throttle Options: Propeller, propeller protector, battery bank, charger, shore power connection.   Country of Manufacture : Germany Fischer Panda EasyBox HV High Voltage System Fischer Panda Download Centre Recommended Boat Size: <40 tons kW : 50, 80, 100 • Voltage : 360 – 420 • Current : N/A • HP : 65 – 125 Weight (kg) : 42 Propeller/RPM/Torque : 5 blade fixed • RPM : 1200 / 1900 Torque (nM) : 398 – 400 Other :  These motors are generally designed for use by small public transportation ferries, commercial working vessels and privately owned leisure yachts. Systems should be customized. »» Gardenergyy website Gardenergy is an Italian company established to offer ‘a simple and reliable product featuring cutting-edge technology’. They use the same motors in a variety of ways, cleverly configuring them for outboard, inboard shaft drives, and either fixed pods or steerable pods. Gardenergy Pod To see options and download .pdf brochures, go the Gardenergy site and click on ‘Links’. A pop up will appear with options. There is also an option for price list and a Configurator which can help with system assembly and pricing. There are five Gardenergy pods with power input of: 2kW, 4.3 kw, 6kW, 8kw, 10kW. They are available as fixed or steerable pods. kW : 2, 4.3, 6, 8, 10 • Voltage : 48 except for 2kW which is 24V • Current : N/A • HP : 2.5, 5.5, 7.5, 10, 13 Motor Type : PMAC Propeller/RPM/Torque : 3 blade fixed, folding available • RPM : 2kW: N/A, 4.3kW: 1450, 6kw: 1600, 8kW: 1750, 10kW: 1950 Country of Manufacture : Italy Price (MSRP): Download MSRP Price List $US 3,975 – 6,625 »» Kräutler website Kräutler is a long-established Austrian manufacturer of industrial electric motors. They began construction of electric boat motors in the 80’s mainly because they could not find a product that would live up to the standards of founder Oswald Kräutler. They make motors for industrial and ship use as well as recreational boats and probably offer the widest range of sailpods and saildrives on this page with everything from small .5kW steerable pods to electrically rotatable saildrives with power up to 30kW. An explanation about the Kräutler section of this guide: The Kräutler fixed pods are available with AC motors (ACV) or DC motors (GPV). The AC are for smaller boats. They also come in two different configurations: fixed propeller and folding propeller. In the interests of making this page shorter, we have divided them in to the motor types for the written descriptions but have shown you the fixed and folding options in the images. In the table each of the motors has a separate listing. NOTE: The GPV motors are only suitable for short use in salt water. Krautler Submersible Flange Motor Pods with D C motors Download .pdf brochure MOTOR TYPE: GPV Recommended Boat Size: <1.9 tons kW : 0.5, 0.8, 1.6, 2.2 • Voltage : 24 except for 2.2kW which is 36V • Current : 21, 34, 67, 61 • HP : 0.5, 1.0, 1.8, 2.5 Motor Type : GPV: DC motor with permanent magnets, continuous control  Weight (kg) : 14, 15, 20, 20 Propeller/RPM/Torque : 3 blade fixed or folding (see intro note above) • RPM : N/A • Torque : N/A Other :  ATTENTION: GP motors are only suitable for short use in salt water. Includes: Motor, bracket, electric regulation system, throttle, status display monitor, battery monitor, cables, battery master switcher & fuse, propeller, anode. Operating efficiency 85% Price (MSRP): Krautler Submersible Flange Motor Pods with AC Motors Download .pdf brochure MOTOR TYPE: ACV Recommended Boat Size: <10 tons kW : 1.8, 2.0, 4, 8, 10 • Voltage : 24 (1.8, 2.0kW) 48 (4, 8, 10kw) • Current : 100, 107, 104, 202, 250 • HP : 2.3, 2.5, 5, 10, 13 Motor Type : ACV: AC brushless three phase asynchronous motor   Weight (kg) : 21, 29, 29, 40, 50 Other :  Includes: Motor, bracket, electric regulation system, throttle, status display monitor, battery monitor, cables, battery master switcher & fuse, propeller, anode. Operating efficiency 75% – 83% Krautler Submersible Pod with Tiller Handle Download .pdf brochure MOTOR TYPE: ACV or GP Recommended Boat Size: Sailboat: <10 tons, Powerboat: <6 tons kW : 0.5 – 10 • Voltage : 24, 48 • Current : 21 – 250 • HP : 0.5 – 13 Motor Type : ACV: AC brushless three phase asynchronous motor • GP:  permanent magnet with continuous control  Weight (kg) : 15 – 54 Propeller/RPM/Torque : 3 blade fixed • RPM : N/A • Torque : N/A Other :  Includes: Motor, bracket, electric regulation system, throttle, status display monitor, battery monitor, cables, battery master switcher & fuse, propeller, anode. Tubes/diaphragms available for installation. Standard shaft length: 450mm. Operating efficiency 75% – 85% Krautler Saildrive Compact Download .pdf brochure Recommended Boat Size: <4 tons kW : 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 • Voltage : 24, 36, 48 • Current : 104, 100, 99 – 250 • HP : 0.5 – 13 Motor Type : AC brushless three phase asynchronous motor with continuous control  Weight (kg) : 42, 42, 42, Propeller/RPM/Torque : Propeller not included • RPM : N/A • Torque : N/A Other :  ATTENTION: SDK drives are only suitable for short use in salt water. Includes: Motor, saildrive gear, base plate for lamination (depending on motor size), electric regulation system, throttle, status display monitor, battery monitor, cables, battery master switcher & fuse. Operating efficiency 80%, 83%, 84% Krautler Saildrive Fixed Download .pdf brochure Recommended Boat Size: Sailboat: <30 tons, Powerboat <12 tons kW : 2.5 – 30.0 • Voltage : 24 – 144 • Current : 104 – 370 • HP : 3.5 – 40 Motor Type : AC brushless three phase asynchronous motor with continuous control. MOTORS 15.0 – 30.0kW are water cooled. Weight (kg) : 45 – 91 Other :  ATTENTION: Water cooled drives are only useable in seawater with 2-circle water cooling. ATTENTION: SDK drives are only suitable for short use in salt water. Includes: Motor, saildrive gear, base plate for lamination (depending on motor size), electric regulation system, throttle, status display monitor, battery monitor, cables, battery master switcher & fuse. Operating efficiency 85% – 88% Krautler Saildrive Mechanical Rotatable: 2 x 45° Download .pdf brochure All of the Krautler motors with specs shown in the fixed saildrives above can be installed with a mechanical rotatable option shown here or electric rotatable option shown below. The Sail-Drive is supplied with a fiberglass foundation base, which can be laminated to the hull (depending on motor size). For existing Volvo and Yanmar foundations the Sail-Drive is equipped with an adapter plate and can be screwed directly on the existing foundation. Krautler Saildrive Electric Rotable: 2 x 90° or 360° Download .pdf brochure All of the Krautler motors with specs shown in the fixed saildrives above can be installed with an electric rotatable option shown here. The Sail-Drive is supplied with a fiberglass foundation base, which can be laminated to the hull (depending on motor size). For existing Volvo and Yanmar foundations the Sail-Drive is equipped with an adapter plate and can be screwed directly on the existing foundation. The electrical rotating mechanism includes an actuating drive with gearbox, electric regulation system for the drive, a steering lever and display.monitor indicating propeller position »» Navigaflex website The innovative Navigaflex motor has a Patent Pending design in which the motor itself retracts and pivots and can attached to the boat as an outboard or inboard motor. The motor is made with a minimum of parts, a light construction and is adaptable to all boat hulls. The standard motor can also be ordered with a “booster” to double the power for up to 2 minutes. Navigaflex Motor Recommended Boat Size:  2 tons / 8m – 16 tons / 18m kW : 6kW, 8kW, 10kw, 15KW • Voltage : 48 (nominal) • HP : 8, 11, 13.5, 20 Motor Type : Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) • Water cooled (10kW and 15KW) Weight (kg) : 54 (4KW) – 68 (15KW) Propeller/RPM : 2 blade fixed •  RPM : N/A Other : Retractable motor, Option to regenerate the current under sails, Digital motor controller with touch screen and mobile phone connected remotely. Country of Manufacture : Switzerland Price : $US 8,000 – 16,000 »» Oceanvolt website Oceanvolt is one of the best known names in saildrives and its ServoProp regenerating system is regarded as one of the first and best. It is difficult to provide full information about their systems because their website encourages customers to provide information for customized solutions. These are some basics Click »» here to see Oceanvolt motors for sale from vendors in the Plugboats Market Oceanvolt SD Saildrive See more detailed information Recommended Boat Size:  < 80 ft / 25m kW : 6, 8, 10, 15 • Voltage : 48 • HP : 8, 11, 13.5, 20 Motor Type : Synchronous permanent magnet • Closed circulation liquid cooling provides cooling and lubrication Weight (kg) : 42.5, 42., 46.5, 46.5 Propeller/RPM : Propeller not included •  RPM : 2200 • Gear Reduction Ratio : 1.93: 1 Other : Includes: Battery communication kit, hydrogeneration feature • Sold separately: Batteries, Charger, Propeller • Sail Drive with 1.93:1 reduction. Closed circulation liquid cooling provides cooling and lubrication. 10kW and 15kW systems include 15.2kWh Li-ion battery bank, charger Country of Manufacture : Finland Price : $US 13,500 – 45,000 Oceanvolt Servoprop Saildrive The Oceanvolt ServoProp is a patented variable pitch sail drive that ‘combines a high efficiency sail drive with the most powerful hydro generator on the market’. Unique feature is the possibility to turn the propeller blades more than 180 degrees. The software controlled variable pitch sail drive adjusts the pitch of the propeller blades automatically so that the power generation and power output are optimal. The blades are designed to give the system maximum efficiency in forward, reverse and regeneration. With the blades set to the neutral sailing position, the propeller creates extremely low drag similar to the drag of a feathering propeller. ServoProp is capable of generating more than 1 kW at 7-8 knots & 3 kW at 11-12 knots. »» Piktronik website Piktronik is an Austrian-Slovenian company working on the research, development and production of components for electrical vehicles (EV) and boats. Their pods are available in a variety of configurations that vary by the power output. We have noted that below. They also sell motors as complete systems with batteries and chargers. Piktronik UWM1 – UMW10 On arriving at the linked page, there are links for each motor to download more information kW : 1, 2, 5, 6.5, 10 • Voltage : 16, 17, 30, 30, 30 • Current : 50, 92, 120, 150, 200 • HP : 1.4, 2.7, 6.8, 8.8, 13.6 Motor Type : PMSM (permanent-magnet synchronous) Weight (kg) : 18, 23, 25, 51, 95 Propeller/RPM/Torque : 2 blade fixed – 4 blade fixed • RPM : 1100, 1200, 1850, 1200, 1000 • Torque (nM) : 7, 14, 27, 51, 95 Other :  Aside from the complete system detailed below the motors alone come in different configurations: 1kW and 2kW: steerable pod or fixed pod, 5kW: steerable pod, fixed pod, transom mount, 6.5kW: steerable pod or transom mount, 10kW: steerable pod or transom mount Country of Manufacture : Slovenia Piktronik SYS Systems 1kW – 10kW On arriving at the linked page, there are links for each motor to download more information Piktronic sells their motors in complete system kits for each of the motor sizes detailed above. Complete system includes: motor, motor controller, display monitor, cables, siwthces, fuses, battery charger, remote comtrol, steering arm, installation tube, tiller handle, propeller Powerflow Marine »» powerflow marine website. Powerflow Marine was founded by Jack Patton, a sailor of 20 years who converted his Passport 42 with his first G22 motor inboard system, cruising Mexico’s Sea of Cortez under 100% electric power, then sailing to French Polynesia and back to the USA. The SD17 Motor System is compatible with the Yanmar SD60 saildrive, made for easy installation with cast aluminum housing that adapts the electric motor to the SD60 with the same footprint as the diesel model it replace, integrating the cooling circuit and bulkhead mounted Power Unit. The company also manufactures the B15 and G22 inboard motor systems. Click »» here to see Powerflow motors for sale in the Plugboats Marketplace Powerflow SD17 Motor System 17 kW : (continuous) • Voltage : 48V • HP : Replaces Yanmar SD60 saildrive RPM : 920 output shaft speed • SD60 gear ratio of 2.23:1 Torque (nM): 171 Weight (kg): 58kg without gear, 44 kg with gear Includes : Integrated cooling circuit, Shaft flex coupling, Adjustable motor mount, Bulkhead mounted Power Unit, Display, Distribution unit, Livorsi throttle, Wiring harness, Key switch • LiFePO4 batteries available from Powerflow Price : Starting at $12,050 USD Rim Drive Technology Click here to view RIM Drive Technology motors for sale in the Plugboats Marketplace »» Rim Drive Technology website Rim Drive technology is a Netherlands company with a line of rim motors in which the propeller blades are affixed to a rim rather than a central hub. There are no wearing parts within the motor and much reduced chance of weeds or other debris snagging or clogging. The motors are available as outboards, pods, azimuths and thrusters. The company offers complete systems or standalone batteries, controllers, monitors and other accessories. The pods in the Guide are sorted as 24V, 48V and 48V+. All pods are available with extended shaft options to reduce hull effects on the rim drive water flow for quieter and smoother operation. 24V Pods POD 3.0, POD 5.0 kW : 3.0, 5.0 •  Voltage : 24 •  HP : 6.5, 11.0 • Thrust (kg) : – 31, 62 Battery : Sold separately, recommended LiFePO4 available from Rim Drive Running Time : Suggested 4-5 hours with recommended Rim Drive battery pack Shaft Length (cm) : N/A extended shaft length available Propeller Diameter (mm) : 86, 133 Weight (motor only) (kg) : 3.5, 5.0 Other : One year warranty for non-commercial use, Completely waterproof (IP68), Efficiency 90+, Includes 2m cable set Price : €3,340, €4,000 48V Pods: 5 motors POD 0.5, POD 3.0, POD 5.0, POD 11.0, POD 15.0 kW : 0.5, 3.0, 5.0, 9, 11, 16 •  Voltage : 48 •  HP : 1, 6.5, 10, 20, 28 • Thrust (kg) : – 7, 31, 62, 156, 250 Running Time : Up to 7 hours with suggested Rim Drive battery pack Propeller Diameter (mm) : 65, 86, 133, 212, 341 Weight (motor only) (kg) : 2.5, 3.5, 5.0, 14.0, 70.0 Price : €3,300, €3,400, €4,000, €6,850, €18,000 96V, 110V, 400V Pods POD 25.0, POD 30.0, POD 50.0 kW : 25, 30, 50 •  Voltage : 96, 110, 400 •  HP : 42, 52, 74 • Thrust (kg) : – 380, 400, 750 Running Time : Average 3 hours with suggested Rim Drive battery pack Propeller Diameter (mm) : 341, 341, 341 Weight (motor only) (kg) : 70, 70, 75 Price : €25,000, €25,000, €48,000 Steerable Pods (8 models) Steerable POD 3.0, 5.0, 8.0, 11.0, 15.0, 25.0, 30.0, 50.0 kW : 3, 5, 8, 11, 15, 25, 30, 50 •  Voltage : 48, 48, 48, 48, 48, 96, 110, 400-550 •  HP : 42, 52 • Thrust (kg) : 31, 62, 120, 156, 195, 350, 400, 750 Weight (kg) : 21.5, 23, 32, 32, 37, 110, 110, 110 Other : Rotatable up to 200 degrees, Waterproof hull passthrough, Stainless steel or glass fibre seal available, Salt water resistant (IP68), Motor controller included, Joystick, steering wheel or CAN controlled Price : €7,350, €8,225, €12,075, €12,375, €14,900, €31,995, €31,995, €55,500 »» SeaDrive website SeaDrive is a Norwegian manufacturer that has an innovative approach to pods, saildrives and all electric boat motors for which they received a nomination for a 2019 DAME Award. The concept is that the basic motors can be configured: fixed pods, steerable pod, a saildrive or lift-up azimuth side pod – also with the ability to have the propellers arranged for push propulsion or pull propulsion.  There are also regenerative versions available. The pod motor systems come in three power ratings: 7.5, 15 and 30. SeaDrive Modular Pods/Saildrives/Lift-Up Azimuths kW : 5-7.5, 10-15, 20-30 • Voltage : 48, 96, 144 • Current : NA • HP : 7.5, 15, 32 • Static Thrust: 90, 160, 300 Weight (kg) : Motor Weight: Aluminum: 20, Bronze 23. Total Weight differs by configuration Propeller/RPM/Torque : Fixed or folding • RPM : N/A • Torque N/A Other :  re-generative versions and TABLET/PC control. Country of Manufacture : Norway »» TEMA website TEMA is a Croatian company that makes highly regarded electric motors that can be purchased alone or in systems for marine, industrial and power generation applications. Their saildrive system uses their SPM132 series of very efficient compact permanent magnet motors. The motors operate on either DC or AC voltages and can be powered from battery systems (48 96Vdc) or generators. TEMA SYS Systems 1kW – 10kW Download .pdf of Systems configuration Download .pdf of SPM Motors kW : For each of their models TEMA has dual figures – kW output at 1800/3600 RPM. The 5 models range in listed power from 12/19kW to 35/57kW • Voltage : There 48 and 96 Voltage availble for all models. • Current : 50, 92, 120, 150, 200 • HP : At 1800/3600 RPM they range from 25/39 to 47/76 Motor Type : PMAC (Permanent Magnet AC), PMS (Permanent Magnet Synchronous) • Air cooled Weight (kg) : 73, 93, 110, 130, 148 Propeller/RPM/Torque : Propeller not supplied • RPM : 1800/3600 across all motors • Torque (nM) : Maximum: 70, 111, 145, 178, 205 Other :  Includes all components: e-motor, motor controller, saildrive, marine throttle, display, plug and play wiring. Efficiency: 95%. Country of Manufacture : Croatia »» Torqeedo website Torqeedo is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric outboards. The company was founded in 2004 by Dr Christoph Ballin and Dr Friedrich Böbel when they decided they could build a better electric motor than the one on the boat Dr. Ballin had just purchased. The company offers trolling motors, inboards, outboards and pod motors and works with BMW’s battery division as well as partnering with many of the world’s premier boat designers and manufacturers. It may be useful to download the full Torqeedo Catalogue Torqeedo Cruze FP Pod 2.0 – 4.0 Operating instruction .pdfs can be downloaded from link above kW : 2, 4 • Voltage : 2kW: 24, 4kW: 48 • Current : N/A • HP : 6, 9.9 • Static Thrust 155 lbs, 189 lbs Motor Type : Brushless External Rotor Motors with Rare-earth Magnets • Operating efficiency 56%. Weight (kg) : 15.4, 15.8 Propeller/RPM/Torque : 3 blade fixed or folding • RPM : 1300 Other :  GPS on-board computer & display: Real-time speed, input power. Operates with lithium or AGM/lead-gel batteries, exact battery status and remaining range available when using Torqeedo battery. Emergency magnetic kill switch. Price (MSRP): $US 4,549, 4,999 Torqeedo Cruze FP Pod 10.0 Operating instruction .pdfs can be downloaded from link above Recommended Boat Size: <10 tons kW : 10 • Voltage : 48 • Current : N/A • HP : 20 • Static Thrust ≤ 405 lbs Weight (kg) : 33.5 Propeller/RPM/Torque : 5 blade fixed or folding • RPM : 1400 Other :  Includes: Remote throttle, integrated on-board computer with GPS-based range calculation, 70 mm² cable set (3 m) including fuse and main switch, plug connector. 2 year warranty. Price (MSRP): $8,999 Torqeedo Cruze FP Saildrive 10.0 Operating instruction .pdfs can be downloaded from link above kW : 10 • Voltage : 48 • Current : N/A • HP : 20 • Static Thrust ≤ 405 lbs Weight (kg) : 37 Torqeedo Deep Blue 25 Saildrive Recommended Boat Size: <50 tons kW : 25 continuous, 33 peak • Voltage : 345 • Current : N/A • HP : 40 • Static Thrust ≤ 405 lbs Motor Type : Brushless External Rotor Motors with Rare-earth Magnets • Operating efficiency 55%. Weight (kg) : 125, 314 total system including 1 battery Propeller/RPM : Propeller : not included • RPM : 1200 Price (MSRP): On Request with requirements input Table: Searchable and Sortable COMPANY POD/SAILDRIVE MODEL BOAT SIZE (TONS) kW INPUT kW OUTPUT HP VOLTAGE CURRENT (A) MOTOR TYPE WEIGHT kgs PROP RPM PRICE COUNTRY Aquamot Fixed Pod Trend 1.1 FM 1.1 3.5 - - Brushless AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 10.2 Fixed - Folding Optional $US 835 - $US 2,200 Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Trend 1.6 FM 1.6 5 - - Brushless AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 11.3 Fixed - Folding Optional $US 835 - $US 2,600 Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Trend 2.2 FM 2.2 6.4 24 - Brushless AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 12.2 Fixed - Folding Optional $US 835 - $US 3,300 Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Trend 4.3 FM 2.5 - 4 - 4.3 11 48 - Brushless AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 13.9 Fixed - Folding Optional $US 835 - $US 3,750 Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Trend 11 FM - - 11 28 48 - Brushless AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 44.3 3 blade fixed - $US 6,499 Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Trend 15 FM - - 15 35 48 - Brushless AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 45.2 3 blade fixed - $US 7,750 Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Trend 20 FM - - 20 40 96 - Brushless AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 47.6 3 blade fixed - $US 8,850 Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Trend 25 FM - - 25 45 96 - Brushless AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 48.9 3 blade fixed - $US 9,915 Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F10e - 1.090 1 1.3 24 45 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 12 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F20e - 2.180 2 2.6 24 87 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 19 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F30e - 3.26 3 3.9 36 89 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 20 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F41e - 4.45 4.1 5.33 48 93 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 21 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F80e - 8.690 8 10.4 48 178 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 33 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F100e - 10.87 10 13 72 152 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 35 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F110e - 11.95 11 14.3 48 249 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 46 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F150e - 16.30 15 19.5 48 339 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 47 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F200e - 21.69 20 26 96 225 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 49 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Fixed Pod Professional F250e - 27.08 25 32.5 96 281 AC asynchronous • Passive water cooled 50 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF10e - 1.090 1 1.3 24 45 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF20e - 2.180 2 2.6 24 87 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF30e - 3.26 3 3.9 36 89 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF41e - 4.45 4.1 5.33 48 93 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF80e - 8.690 8 10.4 48 178 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF100e - 10.87 10 13 72 152 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF110e - 11.95 11 14.3 48 249 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF150e - 16.30 15 19.5 48 339 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF200e - 21.69 20 26 96 225 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Aquamot Steerable Pod Professional UF250e - 27.08 25 32.5 96 281 - - 3 blade fixed - - Austria Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 2A - 1.5 2 2.5 48 - Permanent Magnet AC, Air cooled - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 3W - 2.5 3 4 48 - Permanent Magnet AC, Liquid cooled - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 5A - 4 5 6.5 48 - Permanent Magnet AC, Air cooled • Regeneration available - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 7A - 5 7 9 48 - Permanent Magnet AC, Air cooled - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 7W - 5 7 9 48 - Permanent Magnet AC, Liquid cooled - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 8A - 6 8 10.5 96 - Permanent Magnet AC, Air cooled - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 10A - 8 10 13 48 - Permanent Magnet AC, Air cooled • Regeneration available - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 10W - 8 10 13 48 - Permanent Magnet AC, Liquid cooled • Regeneration available - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 15A - 10 15 20 96 - Permanent Magnet AC, Air cooled • Regeneration available - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 15W - 10 15 20 48 - Permanent Magnet AC, Liquid cooled • Regeneration available - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 20A - 15 20 25 96 - Permanent Magnet AC, Air cooled • Regeneration available - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Bellmarine Saildrive SailMaster 20W - 15 20 25 96 - Permanent Magnet AC, Liquid cooled • Regeneration available - Supplied without propeller. 1500: Motor 750: Propeller - Netherlands Combi Saildrive Combi Nautica CN1000 - - 1 4 24 42 - - 3 blade fixed, 210 mm 1050 - Netherlands Combi Saildrive Combi Nautica CN1500 - - 1.5 5 24 63 - - 3 blade fixed, 220 1350 - Netherlands Combi Saildrive Combi Nautica CN2000 - - 2 6 48 42 - - 3 blade fixed, 220 1150 - Netherlands Combi Saildrive Combi Nautica CN2500 - - 2.5 7 48 52 - - 3 blade fixed, 240 1500 - Netherlands Combi Saildrive Combi Nautica CN3000 - - 3 8 48 63 - - 3 blade fixed, 240 1050 - Netherlands Combi Saildrive Combi Nautica CN3500 - - 3.5 9 48 73 - - 3 blade fixed, 240 1310 - Netherlands Combi Steerable Pod Combi Nautica CN1000 - - 1 4 24 42 - - 3 blade fixed, 210 mm 1050 - Netherlands Combi Steerable Pod Combi Nautica CN1500 - - 1.5 5 24 63 - - 3 blade fixed, 220 1350 - Netherlands Combi Steerable Pod Combi Nautica CN2000 - - 2 6 48 42 - - 3 blade fixed, 220 1150 - Netherlands Combi Steerable Pod Combi Nautica CN2500 - - 2.5 7 48 52 - - 3 blade fixed, 240 1500 - Netherlands Combi Steerable Pod Combi Nautica CN3000 - - 3 8 48 63 - - 3 blade fixed, 240 1050 - Netherlands Combi Steerable Pod Combi Nautica CN3500 - - 3.5 9 48 73 - - 3 blade fixed, 240 1310 - Netherlands Electric Yacht Saildrive QuietTorque™ 10.0 Sail Drive 10.5 48 200DC Brushless PMAC • Programmable regeneration 45 2 or 3 blade, 12” - 16” - $US 11,995 USA Electric Yacht Saildrive QuietTorque™ 20.0 Sail Drive 21 48 400DC Brushless PMAC • Programmable regeneration. 77 2 or 3 blade, 12” - 18” - $US 14,695 USA Electric Yacht Saildrive QuietTorque™ 30.0 LC Sail Drive 48 48 400 - 600 Ah Brushless PMAC X 2, Liquid Cooled • Programmable regeneration 100 - - $US 19,995 USA Electric Yacht Saildrive QuietTorque™ 45.0 LC Sail Drive 60 72 300 - 600 Ah Brushless PMAC X 2, Liquid Cooled • Programmable regeneration. 100 - - $US 21,495 USA Electric Yacht Saildrive QuietTorque™60.0 LC Sail Drive 65 96 300 - 600 Ah Brushless PMAC X 2, Liquid Cooled • Programmable regeneration. 106 - - $US 19,995 USA ePropulsion Fixed Pod Pod Drive Evo 1.0 - 1 3 40.7 25A - 5.3 2 blade, 28 × 14.7 cm, 11 × 5.8 inches 1500 - Hong Kong/China ePropulsion Fixed Pod Pod Drive Evo 3.0 - 3 6 48 62.5A - 12 2 blade, 26 × 17.1 cm, 10.2 × 6.7 inches 2300 - Hong Kong/China E-Tech Fixed Pod E-Tech 2 POD - - 1.8 2.34 24 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Air cooled - not included 1100 min - Poland E-Tech Fixed Pod E-Tech 4 POD - - 4.3 5.59 48 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Air cooled - not included 1200 min - Poland E-Tech Fixed Pod E-Tech 7 POD - - 7.1 9.23 48 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Air cooled - not included 1050 min - Poland E-Tech Fixed Pod E-Tech 10 POD - - 10 13 48 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Water cooled - not included 1300 min - Poland E-Tech Fixed Pod E-Tech 15 POD - - 15 19.5 72 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Water cooled - not included 1600 min - Poland E-Tech Fixed Pod E-Tech 20 POD - - 20 26 96 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Water cooled - not included 1900 min - Poland E-Tech Steerable Pod E-Tech 2 POD - - 1.8 2.34 24 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Air cooled - not included 1100 min - Poland E-Tech Steerable Pod E-Tech 4 POD - - 4.3 5.59 48 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Air cooled - not included 1200 min - Poland E-Tech Steerable Pod E-Tech 7 POD - - 7.1 9.23 48 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Air cooled - not included 1050 min - Poland E-Tech Steerable Pod E-Tech 10 POD - - 10 13 48 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Water cooled - not included 1300 min - Poland E-Tech Steerable Pod E-Tech 15 POD - - 15 19.5 72 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Water cooled - not included 1600 min - Poland E-Tech Steerable Pod E-Tech 20 POD - - 20 26 96 - Brushless, perm.magnet electric engine (BLDC), Water cooled - not included 1900 min - Poland E-Tech Fixed Pod High Torque 40 PODH - - 40 52 150 - Water cooled, Type - - 2000 min - Poland Fischer Panda Fixed Pod EasyBox A06-140-6-AZ - - 3.8/7.5 5.0 / 9.9 48 - Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) 18.7 1250 / 2500 - Germany Fischer Panda Fixed Pod EasyBox A50-160-6-AZ - - 10 13 48 - Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) 50 1200 - Germany Fischer Panda Fixed Pod EasyBoxB00-150-8-AZ - - 10 13 48 - Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) 76 600 - Germany Fischer Panda Fixed Pod EasyBox B00-150-8-AZ - - 20 25 48 - Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) 76 1200 - Germany Fischer Panda Fixed Pod EasyBox B00-300-8-AZ 20 kW - - 20 25 48 - Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) 120 600 - Germany Fischer Panda Fixed Pod Easy Box High Voltage B00-360-8-AZ - - 50 / 80 5/8 360 - - 138 1200 / 1900 - Germany Fischer Panda Fixed Pod Easy Box High Voltage 100kW-420 - - 100 130 420 - - - 1200 - Germany Gardenergy Fixed Pod POD N.4.2 - 2 - 2.6 24 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available $US 3,970 Italy Gardenergy Fixed Pod POD N.8.4 - 4.3 2.508 5.59 48 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available 1450 max $US 4,200 Italy Gardenergy Fixed Pod POD N.12.6 - 6 3.673 7.8 48 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available 1600 max $US 4,750 Italy Gardenergy Fixed Pod POD N.16.8 - 8 5.126 10.4 48 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available 1750 max $US 4,975 Italy Gardenergy Fixed Pod POD N.20.1 - 10 6.912 13 48 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available 1950 max $US 5,400 Italy Gardenergy Steerable Pod POD S.4.2 - 2 1.5 2.0 24 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available - $US 5,850 Italy Gardenergy Steerable Pod POD S.8.4 - 4.3 2.5 3.3 48 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available 1450 max $US 6,075 Italy Gardenergy Steerable Pod POD S.12.6 - 6 3.7 4.8 48 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available 1600 max $US 6,400 Italy Gardenergy Steerable Pod POD S.16.8 - 8 5.1 6.7 48 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available 1750 max $US 6,620 Italy Gardenergy Steerable Pod POD S.20.1 - 10 6.9 9.0 48 - PMAC - 3 blade fixed, folding available 1950 max $US 7,075 Italy Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod GP 0,5 0.4 0.5 24 21 DC motor with permanent magnets, continuous control 14 3 blade folding or fixed - - Austria Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod GP 0.8 .4-.7 0.8 0.7 1 24 34 DC motor with permanent magnets, continuous control 15 3 blade folding or fixed - - Austria Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod GP 1.6 .7-1.4 1.6 1.4 1.8 24 67 DC motor with permanent magnets, continuous control 20 3 blade folding or fixed - - Austria Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod GP 2.2 1-4-1.9 2.2 1.9 2.5 36 61 DC motor with permanent magnets, continuous control 20 3 blade folding or fixed - - Austria Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod ACV 1.8 1.8 2.3 24 100 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 21 3 blade folding or fixed - - Austria Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod ACV 2.0 1.8-2 2.6 2.0 2.5 24 107 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 29 3 blade folding or fixed - - Austria Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod ACV 4.0 2-4 5.0 4.0 5 48 104 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 29 3 blade folding or fixed - - Austria Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod ACV 8.0 4 -8 9.7 8.0 10 48 202 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 40 3 blade folding or fixed - - Austria Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod ACV 10.0 8-10 tons 12.0 10 13 48 250 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 50 3 blade folding or fixed - - Austria Krautler Saildrive Rotatable Rudder Mount Pod GPRV 0.5 Sailboat: up to .4 tons Powerboat: .2 tons 0.5 0.4 0.5 24 21 DC motor with permanent magnets, continuous control 15 3 fixed - - Austria Krautler Saildrive Rotatable Rudder Mount Pod GPRV 0.8 Sailboat: .4 - .7 tons Powerboat: .2 - .3 tons 0.8 7 9.0 24 34 DC motor with permanent magnets, continuous control 18 3 fixed - - Austria Krautler Saildrive Rotatable Rudder Mount Pod GPRV 1.6 Sailboat: .7 - 1.4 tons Powerboat: .3 - .6 tons 1.6 1.4 1.8 24 67 DC motor with permanent magnets, continuous control 21 3 fixed - - Austria Krautler Saildrive Rotatable Rudder Mount Pod GPRV 2.2 Sailboat: up to .1.9 tons Powerboat: .6 - .8 tons 2.2 1.9 2.5 36 61 DC motor with permanent magnets, continuous control 21 3 fixed - - Austria Krautler Saildrive Rotatable Rudder Mount Pod ACR 1.8 Sailboat: up to 1.8 tons Powerboat: up to .7 tons 2.4 1.8 2.3 24 100 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 22 3 fixed - - Austria Krautler Saildrive Rotatable Rudder Mount Pod ACR 2.0 Sailboat: 1.8 - 2 tons Powerboat: .7 - .8 tons 2.6 2.0 2.5 24 107 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 30 3 fixed - - Austria Krautler Saildrive Rotatable Rudder Mount Pod ACR 4.0 Sailboat: 2 - 4 tons Powerboat: .8 - 1.6 tons 5.0 4.0 5 48 104 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 30 3 fixed - - Austria Krautler Saildrive Rotatable Rudder Mount Pod ACR 8.0 Sailboat: 4 - 8 tons Powerboat: 1.6 - 3.2. tons 9.7 8.0 10 48 202 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 44 3 fixed - - Austria Krautler Fixed Pod Fixed Pod ACV 10.0 Sailboat: 10 13 48 250 brushless three phase asynchronous motor 54 3 fixed - - Austria Krautler Saildrive Rotatable Rudder Mount Pod SCR 15.0 Sailboat: 15 19.5 48 355 - 79 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Compact SDK 2.0AC 2.0 2.6 24 104 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 42 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Compact SDK 3.0AC 3.0 3.9 36 100 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 42 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Compact SDK 4.0AC 4.0 5.2 48 99 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 42 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDK 2.5 AC Sailboat: up to 2.5 tons Powerboat: up to 1.0 tons 3.1 2.5 3.25 24 130 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 45 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDK 3.5 AC Sailboat: 2.5 - 3.5 tons Powerboat: 1.0 - 1.4 tons 4.1 3.5 4.55 36 115 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 45 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDK 4.0 AC Sailboat: 3.5 - 4.0 tons Powerboat: 1.4 - 1.6 tons 4.7 4.0 5.2 24 196 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 45 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDK 4.3 AC Sailboat: 4.0 - 4.3 tons Powerboat: 1.6 - 1.7 tons 5.0 4.3 5.59 48 104 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 45 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDK 6.0 AC Sailboat: 4.3 - 6.0 tons Powerboat: 1.7 - 2.4 tons 7.1 6.0 7.8 48 148 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 45 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDKH 8.0 AC Sailboat: up to 8.0 tons Powerboat: up to 3.2 tons 9.4 8.0 10.4 48 196 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 80 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDKH 10.0 AC Sailboat: 8.0 - 10.0 tons Powerboat: 3.2 - 4.0 tons 11.8 10.0 13.0 48 246 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 91 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDKH 15.0 AC Sailboat: 10.0 - 15.0 tons Powerboat: 4.0 - 6.0 tons 17.1 15.0 19.5 96 178 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 91 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDKH Watercooled 15.0 AC Sailboat: up to 15.0 tons Powerboat: up to 6.0 tons 17.7 15.0 19.5 48 370 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 91 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDKH Watercooled 20.0 AC Sailboat: 15.0 - 20.0 tons Powerboat: 6.0 - 8.0 tons 22.8 20.0 26.0 96 237 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 101 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDKH Watercooled 25.0 AC Sailboat: 20.0 - 25.0 tons Powerboat: 8.0 - 10.0 tons 28.4 25.0 32.5 96 296 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 101 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Fixed SDKH Watercooled 30.0 AC Sailboat: 25.0 - 30.0 tons Powerboat: 10.0 - 12.0 tons 34.1 30.0 39.0 144 237 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 104 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDK-D 2.5 AC 2.5 3.3 24 130 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 52 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDK-D 4.0 AC 4.0 5.2 24 196 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 52 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDK-D 4.3 AC 4.3 5.6 48 104 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 52 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDK-D 6.0 AC 6.0 7.8 48 148 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 52 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDK-D 8.0 AC 8.0 10.4 48 196 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 83 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDK-D 10.0 AC 10.0 13.0 48 246 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 94 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDK-D 15.0 AC 15.0 19.5 96 178 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 94 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDKH-D Watercooled 15.0 AC 15.0 19.5 48 370 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 97 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDKH-D Watercooled 20.0 AC 20.0 26.0 96 237 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 104 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDKH-D Watercooled 25.0 AC 25.0 32.5 96 296 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 104 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Mechanical Rotatable SDKH-D Watercooled 30.0 AC 30.0 39.0 144 237 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 104 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDK-D 2.5 AC 2.5 3.3 24 130 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 58 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDK-D 4.0 AC 4.0 5.2 24 196 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 58 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDK-D 4.3 AC 4.3 5.6 48 104 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 58 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDK-D 6.0 AC 6.0 7.8 48 148 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 58 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDK-D 8.0 AC 8.0 10.4 48 196 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 87 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDK-D 10.0 AC 10.0 13.0 48 246 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 98 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDK-D 15.0 AC 15.0 19.5 96 178 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 98 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDKH-D Watercooled 15.0 AC 15.0 19.5 48 370 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 98 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDKH-D Watercooled 20.0 AC 20.0 26.0 96 237 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 108 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDKH-D Watercooled 25.0 AC 25.0 32.5 96 296 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 108 not included - - Austria Krautler Saildrive SailDrive Electrical Rotatable SDKH-D Watercooled 30.0 AC 30.0 39.0 144 237 brushless three phase asynchronous motor, continuous control 108 not included - - Austria Navigaflex Saildrive Pod Navigaflex 6 6 8 48 - Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) • Option to regenerate 54 2 blade fixed - $US 8,000 Switzerland Navigaflex Saildrive Pod Navigaflex 10 8 11 48 - Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) • Option to regenerate 58 2 blade fixed - $US 10,000 Switzerland Navigaflex Saildrive Pod Navigaflex 10 10 13.5 48 - Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) • Water cooled (10kW and 15KW) • Option to regenerate 62 2 blade fixed - $US 13,000 Switzerland Navigaflex Saildrive Pod Navigaflex 15 15 20 48 - Brushless Permanent Magnet (PMAC) • Water cooled (10kW and 15KW) • Option to regenerate 68 2 blade fixed - $US 16,000 Switzerland Oceanvolt Saildrive Pod Saildrive 6 6 15 - - Synchronous permanent magnet • Regeneration/Hydrogeneration 42.5 Sold separately 2200 $US 13,500 Finland Oceanvolt Saildrive Pod Saildrive 8 8 25 - - Synchronous permanent magnet • Regeneration/Hydrogeneration 42.5 Sold separately 2200 $US 14,600 Finland Oceanvolt Saildrive Pod Saildrive 10 10 20-30 - - Synchronous permanent magnet • Regeneration/Hydrogeneration 46.5 Sold separately 2200 $US 37,500 Finland Oceanvolt Saildrive Pod Saildrive 15 15 20-30 - - Synchronous permanent magnet • Regeneration/Hydrogeneration 46.5 Sold separately 2200 $US 45,000 Finland Oceanvolt Saildrive Pod Saildrive 10 ServoProp 10 20-30 - - - - patented folding - - Finland Piktronik UWM1 - - 1.0 1.4 16 50 Underwater-PMSM (3~) 18 3 blade folding 1100 - Germany Piktronik UWM2 - - 2.0 2.7 17 92 Underwater-PMSM (3~) 23 3 blade folding 1200 - Germany Piktronik UWM5 - - 5.0 6.8 30 120 Underwater-PMSM (3~) 25 3 blade fixed 1850 - Germany Piktronik UWM6 - - 6.5 8.8 30 150 Underwater-PMSM (3~) 29 3 blade fixed 1200 - Germany Piktronik UWM10 - - 10.0 13.6 30 200 Underwater-PMSM (3~) 37 3 blade fixed 1000 - Germany Piktronik Saildrive UWM5 - Saildrive - - 5.0 6.8 30 120 Underwater-PMSM (3~) 25 3 blade fixed 1850 - Germany RAD Propulsion Saildrive or Pod RAD40 - - 40 peak 60 compatible with 110V (nominal) system - RIM 60 hubless rim drive, 300mm propeller diameter - N/A UK Rim Drive Technology Fixed Pod PR086-POD-M-24V 3 6.5 24 125 RIM 3.5 hubless rim drive, 86mm propeller diameter - N/A Netherlands Rim Drive Technology Fixed Pod PR0133-POD-M-24V 5 11 24 210 RIM 5 hubless rim drive, 86mm propeller diameter - N/A Netherlands Rim Drive Technology Fixed Pod PR065-POD-M-48V .5 1 48 11 RIM 2.5 hubless rim drive, 65mm propeller diameter - N/A Netherlands Rim Drive Technology Fixed Pod PR086-POD-M-48V 3.0 6.5 48 63 RIM 3.5 hubless rim drive, 86mm propeller diameter - N/A Netherlands Rim Drive Technology Fixed Pod PR133-POD-M-48V 5.0 10 48 104 RIM 5 hubless rim drive, 133mm propeller diameter - N/A Netherlands Rim Drive Technology Fixed Pod PR212-POD-M-48V 11 20 48 230 RIM 14 hubless rim drive, 212mm propeller diameter - N/A Netherlands Rim Drive Technology Fixed Pod PR341-POD-M-48V 16 28 48 334 RIM 70 hubless rim drive, 341mm propeller diameter - N/A Netherlands Rim Drive Technology Fixed Pod PR341-POD-M-96V 25 42 96 260 RIM 70 hubless rim drive, 341mm propeller diameter - N/A Netherlands Rim Drive Technology Fixed Pod PR341-POD-M-110V 30 52 110 273 RIM 70 hubless rim drive, 341mm propeller diameter - N/A Netherlands SeaDrive Fixed Pod SeaDrive 5-7.5 - 5-7.5 7.5 48 - N/A 20 (Aluminum) 23 (Bronze): Motor alone. Total weight differs with configuration 4 blade fixed or folding - - Norway SeaDrive Fixed Pod SeaDrive 10-15 - 10-15 15 96 - N/A 20 (Aluminum) 23 (Bronze): Motor alone. Total weight differs with configuration 4 blade fixed or folding - - Norway SeaDrive Fixed Pod SeaDrive 20-30 - 20-30 32 144 - N/A 20 (Aluminum) 23 (Bronze): Motor alone. Total weight differs with configuration 4 blade fixed or folding - - Norway SeaDrive Saildrive SeaDrive 5-7.5 - 5-7.5 7.5 48 - N/A 20 (Aluminum) 23 (Bronze): Motor alone. Total weight differs with configuration 4 blade fixed or folding - - Norway SeaDrive Saildrive SeaDrive 10-15 - 10-15 15 96 - N/A 20 (Aluminum) 23 (Bronze): Motor alone. Total weight differs with configuration 4 blade fixed or folding - - Norway SeaDrive Saildrive SeaDrive 20-30 - 20-30 32 144 - N/A 20 (Aluminum) 23 (Bronze): Motor alone. Total weight differs with configuration 4 blade fixed or folding - - Norway SeaDrive Steerable Pod SeaDrive 5-7.5 - 5-7.5 7.5 48 - N/A 20 (Aluminum) 23 (Bronze): Motor alone. Total weight differs with configuration 4 blade fixed or folding - - Norway SeaDrive Steerable Pod SeaDrive 10-15 - 10-15 15 96 - N/A 20 (Aluminum) 23 (Bronze): Motor alone. Total weight differs with configuration 4 blade fixed or folding - - Norway SeaDrive Steerable Pod SeaDrive 20-30 - 20-30 32 144 - N/A 20 (Aluminum) 23 (Bronze): Motor alone. Total weight differs with configuration 4 blade fixed or folding - - Norway TEMA Saildrive TEMA SPM132-1 - - 1800 RPM: 12 3600 RPM: 19 16-25 48/96 - PMAC (Permanent Magnet AC), PMS (Permanent Magnet Synchronous) Air cooled 73 not provided 1800/3600 - Croatia TEMA Saildrive TEMA SPM132-12 - - 1800 RPM: 19 3600 RPM: 29 25-39 48/96 - PMAC (Permanent Magnet AC), PMS (Permanent Magnet Synchronous) Air cooled 93 not provided 1800/3600 - Croatia TEMA Saildrive TEMA SPM132-2 - - 1800 RPM: 25kW - 33HP 3600 RPM: 41kW-55HP 33-55 48/96 - PMAC (Permanent Magnet AC), PMS (Permanent Magnet Synchronous) Air cooled 110 not provided 1800/3600 - Croatia TEMA Saildrive TEMA SPM132-22 - - 1800 RPM: 30 3600 RPM: 50 45-67 48/96 - PMAC (Permanent Magnet AC), PMS (Permanent Magnet Synchronous) Air cooled 130 not provided 1800/3600 - Croatia TEMA Saildrive TEMA SPM132-3 - - 1800 RPM: 35 3600 RPM: 57 47-76 48/96 - PMAC (Permanent Magnet AC), PMS (Permanent Magnet Synchronous) Air cooled 148 not provided 1800/3600 - Croatia Torqeedo Fixed Pod Cruise 2.0 FP 1.12 5 24 - Brushless External Rotor Motors with Rare-earth Magnets 15.4 3 blade fixed or folding 1300 $US 4,549 Germany Torqeedo Fixed Pod Cruise 4.0 FP 2.24 8 48 - Brushless External Rotor Motors with Rare-earth Magnets 15.8 3 blade fixed or folding 1300 $US 4,999 Germany Torqeedo Fixed Pod Cruise 10.0 FP 5.6 20 48 - Brushless External Rotor Motors with Rare-earth Magnets 33.5 5 blade fixed or folding 1400 $US 8,999 Germany Torqeedo Saildrive Cruise 10.0 FP Saildrive 5.6 20 48 - Brushless External Rotor Motors with Rare-earth Magnets 37 5 blade fixed or folding 1400 $US 8,999 Germany Torqeedo Saildrive Deep Blue 25 SD Saildrive 16.2 40 345 - Brushless External Rotor Motors with Rare-earth Magnets 125, 314 total system including 1 battery not included 1200 - Germany Get all the latest electric boats and boating news delivered to your mailbox! Sign up here for the Plugboats newsletter. IT’S FREE! Email address: Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy ZF Sail Drive Top sailboat propulsion. High efficiency Compact design, top comfort, what can zf sail drive provide, product configurator. Service & Support ZF Aftermarket for Marine ZF Marine worldwide Digital Showroom 397 IMAGES Deep Blue Saildrive Saildrives & Boat Drives Saildrive for boat How hybrid sailing yachts finally became a feasible option All About Saildrives Essential saildrive checks for your boat VIDEO Saildrive vs. Shaft Drive 2023 LEOPARD 45 SAIL Cruising Liveaboard Catamaran Sailing Charter Yacht Tour Learn How to Sail: A Step-by-Step Guide to SAILING Sail Drives Full yacht tour and test drive of this wooden wonder 9 of the most amazing modern sailing superyachts COMMENTS Saildrive A saildrive is a transmission system for a boat whose inboard engine has a horizontal output shaft. The saildrive's input shaft is therefore also horizontal. That input shaft is geared so as to drive a vertical intermediate shaft extending downward through the hull. The intermediate shaft is then geared so as to drive a horizontal propeller shaft mounted on a skeg outs… All About Saildrives Saildrive systems are commonplace on modern sailboats, taking the place of standard shaft-and-strut running gear. If you're evaluating a boat propelled by a saildrive auxiliary, get familiar with the pros and cons. Understanding the Saildrive Propulsion System The saildrive unit has emerged as a prominent choice for sailing yachts. The system combines an engine, transmission, and propeller in a streamlined unit. Unlike shafts, they are mounted horizontally, with the drive … Sail-drive on a sailboat: a vibration-free propulsion The sail-drive (originally designed by Volvo Penta but used by all engine manufacturers) is a bit like the Z-drive for sailing. The propeller is connected to the motor by a base plate. Discover the advantages and … Sail Drives Sail Drives. Saildrives are often used on catamarans as they result in a very compact drive system. Multihulls have narrow hulls, so there's not enough room to walk around an engine, as there is on most monohulls. Essential saildrive checks for your boat Saildrives. Regular maintenance is especially important with a saildrive as they are less forgiving than in-line transmissions for any lack of attention. Best practice is to check the saildrive fluid level before every engine … Deep Blue Saildrive The most powerful electric saildrives come from Torqeedo series production. The Deep Blue 25 SD propels sail yachts of up to 40 feet in length to speeds of up to almost ten knots (18 km/h), or smaller boats even faster when planing. Electric Saildrive and Pod Boat Motors Guide to electric saildrive and pod boat motors has everything you need to know - over 150 motors with info on power, weight, boat size, price, and more. ZF Sail Drive The ZF Sail Drive offers skippers a highly efficient and comfortable system for motoring while not under sail. The system, designed to allow the engine to be positioned facing the bow or stern, offers boat builders significant design … catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht