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Full Version: Long Distance Voyage to be Powered by Solar, Torqeedo Electric Outboards
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Former commercial fisherman and current adventurer, Jim Greer, and his crew of three, starting in Fort Meyer, Florida, are traversing the waterways of what is commonly known as "The Great Loop". Along with solar power, Greer's top choice to power the trip is two Torqeedo Cruise 4.0 electric outboards.

"For a 6,000 mile trip, we needed reliable power," said Greer. "I love the motors and we made the correct decision when choosing them for this trip. They are performing like they should, running a lot of hours without any problems or safety issues."

The Great Loop water route passes through Lake Okeechobee Waterway, Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway, Hudson River, Historical Erie Canal, The Great Lakes, the rivers of Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee, and finally the Gulf Coast Intercoastal Waterway. The rivers and their offshoots will be explored along the way.

The Ra is a custom-built 48' trimaran able to move lightly across the water's surface. It sleeps six, and its solar panels and batteries are sufficient for a half-day cruise before recharging. The Ra, if it is successful, will be the first solar-powered boat to traverse The Great Loop. The cost to take this 6,000-mile trip in fuel alone would ordinarily be over $10,000 in a powerboat. But by using the power of the sun and electric outboards, the Ra is expected to have no fuel costs for its journey.

Mounted flat on top of the cabin will be a series of flexible solar panels, while below the cabin will be a series of batteries powering two state-of-the-art Torqeedo electric outboard motors, with a maximum speed of 10 mph. There will also be two bicycle-powered generators to help replenish the batteries. These will especially be used while getting around on errands when at a landing.

"People need to explore alternatives to oily, smelly gas outboards," continued Greer. "Going on this trip using only solar and electric power is so much fun and enjoyable." Greer plans to video his journey and develop a television or online series.

With thrust equivalent to a 9.9 hp gas outboard, the Cruise 4.0 R achieves an efficiency of more than 50%. Each Cruise 4.0 weighs only 37 lbs. It operates on a 48 V lead-gel, AGM battery bank or two Torqeedo Power 26-104 Li NMC batteries. An integrated on-board computer combines information from the motor, batteries and the motor's GPS receiver, so boaters always know how much battery power and range is remaining. This information is easy to view on the remote throttle display, which also provides current speed, speed over ground and current power consumption in watts. The Cruise 4.0 is perfect for boats on green lakes, pontoon boats, sailboats and catamarans.

Contact Torqeedo Inc., 171 Erick Street Unit A-1, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. 815-444-8806; Fax: 815-444-8807. usa@torqeedo.com; www.torqeedo.com.

If you have questions about this press release or client, please contact us:

Martin Flory Group, PO Box 360, Gurnee IL 60031

Phone: 847-662-9070; Fax: 847-336-7126<br />
news@martinflory.com; www.martinflory.com