Old Tech, New Tech: Electrifying a 1950 Swedish Wooden Boat

jlc.thomsen · 2020-06-25T12:04:15Z

Explore jlc.thomsen's unique project: converting a 1950 Swedish wooden boat to electric power with a turbine motor and ion batteries. Discover the challenges and joys of silent, sustainable vintage boating.

jlc.thomsen's innovative project to electrify a 1950 Swedish wooden boat offers a fascinating look into sustainable marine propulsion. This article explores the challenges and triumphs of blending vintage craftsmanship with modern electric technology, providing valuable insights for enthusiasts considering similar conversions. His work highlights the potential for silent, eco-friendly boating experiences without sacrificing classic aesthetics.

Me and my middle son have had this boat for 4 years now. It was a nice wooden Swedish boat from 1950.
Motor was a 1972 Volvo Penta where you had to add lead to make it run. But the motor was gone and couldn’t be saved.
We installed a turbine motor and 4 serious ion batteries.
We’re selling it as we need to move on to some other projects and just didn’t use it enough. Now that we’re pimping it up to be sold and just installed a new old style mahogany deck we’re having second thoughts.

Photo credits: private photos jlcthomsen

Key Points from the Discussion

The conversion of vintage vehicles, whether boats or cars, to electric power is a growing trend, though often cost-prohibitive for private customers due to the specialized engineering required.
A key technical challenge in such conversions is managing the charging and discharging of multiple ion batteries evenly, which requires sophisticated software integration.
The primary advantage of an electric propulsion system in a classic boat is the unparalleled silence, allowing passengers to enjoy the sounds of the water and the wooden hull.
The boat achieves a maximum speed of 11 knots, but its hull design means it is not a planing boat, and higher engine power would not significantly increase speed but rather cause it to 'dip'.
Despite the prevalence of electric rental boats, private ownership of electric vintage boats is still rare, making jlc.thomsen's project a pioneering effort in the private sector.

The Discussion

VinnieD

Jun 25, 2020

Several engineers have also updated vintage cars with such setups but the cost to customers is usually prohibitive. Thanks for the pics!

jlc.thomsen

Jun 25, 2020

Most crazy is the silence, like on a sail boat as you only hear the waves against the wooden ship hull.

Tegis

Jun 25, 2020

Guess there is a lack of superchargers in most ports aswell but can be a fun little project anyway.

VinnieD

Jun 25, 2020

Range anxiety reaches another level to such matters in the automotive world!

patrick_y

Jun 25, 2020

How many knots can it do? At a more efficient cruise speed how many hours can she operate between charges?

jlc.thomsen

Jun 25, 2020

Takes 1 hour to reach 80% and another hour to get to 100%

Old Tech, New Tech: Electrifying a 1950 Swedish Wooden Boat

Key Points from the Discussion

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