SF44 Solar Electric Catamaran

Description

SF44 Solar Electric Catamaran  – Possibly the world’s greenest boat design. The all aluminum Solar Freedom 44 is a recent design by Rick Welin. The SF44 hulls were designed from scratch specifically for electric power not just re-purposed sail or power-cat hulls like most designs in the solar boat category. Her long and slender hulls and a fine entry at the forefoot ensure minimal drag resistance and can be driven on a whisper. If you’re looking for a greener lifestyle with minimal emissions and radically reduced diesel bills look no further. Powered by two 50 kW electric motors she’s expected to cruise at 6 knots on battery, and have an unlimited range at 4-5 knots directly off the solar panels. Battery power is provided by 100-150 kW LifePO4 battery bank(s) charged by the  8kW solar array which is backed up by a 50-100kW genset for cloudy days. With the auxiliary genset she can run continuously even on rainy days so there’s never any down-time. Quick charging can also be achieved at the dock over the shore power cable.

Electric power means virtually no maintenance compared to a diesel powered boat. Electric drive-trains have essentially only one moving part in the motor and those bearings are usually rated for a lifetime of service. The lifetime of savings in maintenance and fuel compared to a diesel drive are very real. No oil changes, no mechanics to hire, no mid-life rebuilds.. We have a more comprehensive article on our thoughts on electric propulsion here: https://metalboatkits.com/are-electric-boats-actually-viable/

And she’s green! Aluminum is one of the most recycled materials on the planet due to it’s high value, and when coupled with electric power and solar recharging it’s a combination that’s hard to beat! In fact most new manufactured aluminum already contains recycled material. Recycled aluminum makes up 80% of U.S. aluminum production.

She’s perfect as a live-aboard or charter with the immense interior space that a catamaran provides. You’ll pay less (if your moorage is billed by length) and get more space over the same size mono-hull.

The Study Plan is $29.95 and contains most of the assembly drawings and materials list so you can estimate build time and costs. CNC File License: $6750 USD – We license a cutting shop in your area to cut the materials for you to save on shipping. Optionally we can provide precut aluminum from our partners at CJM Technologies for $120k USD FOB. CJM can ship anywhere in North America or even globally. Please contact us for a quote on pre-cut aluminum with shipping. (Serious enquiries only please as our aluminum providers spend considerable time on these quotes).