In Puerto Rico last winter, I met a cruising couple who had restored a Westsail 32. I came to meet them one late afternoon at an anchorage while sitting on Can-Drac with Andrea and Franc. This classic beauty was one of the last to arrive that day thru a narrow channel, to catch a mooring for the night.
As she passed us, Franc turns to me and says, 'Hey, that looks like a possible boat for you, Suky'.
We hailed them on the radio and asked if we could come aboard. Experienced and resourceful sailors, the owners were a retired boomer couple who had restored this Westsail 32 and been sailing the Caribean for at least 5 years, from Venezuela to Florida.
A classic heavy displacement vessel, we went aboard for a tour. The Westsail 32 measures 32’ LOA, 27’ 6" LWL, with a beam of 11’, a draft of 5’. Displacement is 19,500 lbs. There is a substantial bow pulpit, outboard rudder and a short boomkin and the estimated overall length, with appendages, is in the range of 40’.
Much to my astonishment, their auxillary power is an electric motor. No gas engine, no diesel engine but an electric motor. Bottom line, most of the time they sail. I'm still shaking my head but the more I learn about diesel or gas marine engines and all the fuel issues, the more I know when I get my live aboard vessel and the time comes to repower, I'm seriously considering electric.
I also just read about a sailor who made a marine engine using hydrogen.
I'll be really happy when they figure out how use vinegar as fuel. That would truly be thinking out of the box.
Go figure. Please !
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