Bellmarine twin SailDrives power Leopard 42’ catamaran
The Leopard 40’ sailing catamaran ‘Bubayeh’ (Aboriginal for sea turtle) was converted to electric propulsion in late 2022 in QLD, Australia, with sea trials completed early 2023. The old diesel engines and fuel tanks were removed and replaced with 2 x Bellmarine SailMaster 15kW electric saildrives and DC diesel generator, in a serial-hybrid system. The SailMaster electric motors are fitted with two fixed 3-blade propellers.
The electric motors are powered by 2 Victron Lithium battery banks which in turn are charged by the Eniquest diesel generator and a sizeable array of solar panels and regeneration through the electric motors when the boat is under sail. This combination makes the boat very fuel efficient, averaging around 30 litres a day during passagemaking under power, compared to approx 120 litres a day with the old conventional diesel engines.
The system design and installation of the Bellmarine electric propulsion system and electronics was carried out by Malcoms Betts from Betts Boat Electric in QLD.
For more information on similar projects or to receive a quote including installation, visit Betts Boat Electric here
For more info on the Bellmarine DriveMaster electric inboard range, see here