Having decided to remove the diesel engine on his yacht and fit an electric one the owner of the Forna 41 Zigzag 3, Wim Clinkspoor, was confronted with a considerable reduction in propulsive power. Although the available torque from the electric motor is higher the total power available is lower meaning that every possible gain in the propulsion efficiency of the new installation had to be achieved.
After considering the options Wim decided that replacing his yachts two blade Max Prop with a 3 blade Autoprop Eco*Star propeller would be the best option as far as power efficiency was concerned. Fitting the Eco*Star and another product from Bruntons, a SigmaDrive, has had the added advantage of radically reducing the vibration and noise that was being produced.
The Eco*Star is probably the only propeller in the world that has been developed specifically to propel electrically or hybrid powered craft and the performance improvements it has given Mr Clinkspoor’s yacht are considerable; for example to cruise at 6 knots the Eco*Star requires 4 kw of power while his previous propeller could only reach 5.1 knots when using 6 kw. The yachts range under power has also been significantly improved therefore. Together with its power delivery efficiencies his Autoprop Eco*Star also gives him the ability to charge his batteries if required when sailing, plus all the other advantages that the ‘standard’ Autoprop has been providing vessel owners for over thirty years.
The Autoprop Eco*Star is rapidly being accepted as the number one choice for most vessels that are powered electrically, not just leisure craft. You can read more about its development and the types of craft that are now fitting it here: Autoprop Ecostar
