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Duffy Electric boats....?

Discussion in 'Tenders & Dinghies' started by Norseman, Sep 18, 2013.

  1. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

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    Hall-type rheostat throttles are well known for being troublesome. They work in a very specific resistance range . See if you can get another to test with.

    Throttles & Parts

    I have had a similar problem with my electric bike.
  2. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Yeah, I copied the exact part number (and OMH resistance) for the old throttle/rheostat, found an exact match from Honeywell on the 'net, ordered it and soldered in...Same dang problem, been there, done that. Frustrating, but it does keep me busy though, spent hours and hours with the electric meter trying to sort it out and no time for bars and strange women.:cool:
  3. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    You would think the manufacturer would have someone down here that can work on their boats. I've seen about a dozen different ones around Fort Lauderdale. Try Lean Marine, they're a really good marine electricians outfit. I would be looking for a bad ground, or a bad connection at what turns the motor on or off.

    Can you make it remote control? It would be real interesting to put a pirate manekin in it and stand at riverfront and drive it around. LOLOLOL
  4. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Ha, a bit twisted sense of humor right there...? :D

    Nah, no remote, the boat is already complicated enough, but it ain't no space shuttle so the factory should be able to put out a trouble shooting manual or have somebody knowing what the problem and the fix is after a short phone call.
    (They are helpful on the phone, but the solution is always: Yank out the parts, send them to California so we can bench test and trouble shoot at $100.00 per hour. Not very practical and rather expensive and time consuming :rolleyes:)

    The only technical help they offer is how to check water in the batteries..:rolleyes:
    Duffy have a dealer and a rental place in Stuart, Florida but they could not help when I called. "Sorry, we only sell them, call George at the factory, he knows everything".

    Tried to find a web page or a forum for Duffy Owners so we could compare notes and not having to re-invent the wheel every time, sadly I found none.

    The idea of these Duffy boats in the Canals and waterways around Fort Lauderdale in particular and South Florida in general makes sense: According to factory brochures you can run for 15 hours and it only costs 1 dollar to charge the batteries. No fumes, no noise, no maintenance, etc, excellent idea if I can just get this thing to run and not zonk out every time I select idle for a few seconds. :confused:
  5. HTMO9

    HTMO9 Senior Member

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    Electric throttle

    Take that one, it is for sale and it will never fail on you, promise. It worked flawless during its former life for more than 100 years :D.

    Attached Files:

  6. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    You're so true when saying how ideal they should be and that's what makes it so bad that they are failing to deliver to you. I was excited when you purchased it and we even talked about considering getting one sometime. Now, of course, I wouldn't consider one. Unfortunately, this is the way it so often is with innovation and uniqueness and creativity. One has an idea and takes it so far but then execution falls down.

    The sad thing is that they are not new. Duffy has been at this since 1970. But they seem focused on building rental fleets. Otherwise they make direct sales. But in the midst of all that, they don't offer service throughout the country. They only talk about Duffy Direct. I'm assuming the Stuart store was of no help? What about the representatives in Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Naples?

    Perhaps it's time to call someone in their headquarters other than service people. Executive or sales or someone in another area to express your dismay and disappointment.
  7. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Yeah, that would be next, but half of this is my own doing as I tried to fix this boat on the cheap. Got it for a lowball since the previous owner and his electricians could not get it to run right and I gambled I could fix it myself.
    So far I have repaired and fixed most of the problems it had, but the last one, the dying at Idle has surprised the heck out of me...:rolleyes:
    Tracked down the manufacture of the brain, Zapi, Inc: They sold me a re-furbished controller for $320 guaranteed to work great:

    http://www.zapiinc.com/products/motor-controller/sem-1

    It did, but again, the cutting out at idle was the last step. Sent the controller back once again and they tested and calibrated it again and returned it.
    Same thing..Then I got a new relay, new this, new that...Finally gave up and sent all the important parts to Duffy. Hoping they can sort it out without getting too creative when they write the bill...:D
    (Duffy wants $1,600 for a new controller, seems like a healthy mark-up:
    All these parts are for Golf Carts and Forklifts, nothing too exotic, but once they end up on a boat, they are all of a sudden made of Gold:rolleyes:)
  8. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Let me guess: From an old street-car or tram in Europe?

    Sure, I am all for simplicity but it probably weighs more than the boat and the owner and would slow me down..;)
  9. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Olderboater, you were saying in another thread how you had thought about getting a raceboat. Now you thought about getting an electric Duffy. I think you need to look at the AMG Cigarette electric raceboat.....the best of both words. You can cruise the New River and Dania Cutoff canal without the height restrictions, and you have a raceboat at the same time.....all while being able to have a conversation.
    Cigarette Racing
  10. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    Think I probably said a go fast but perhaps not, distinguishing as very fast vs. actually ready for racing. But that is one heck of a boat you linked to. I couldn't find what it's range was but I can't imagine it being more than a mile or two on a charge. Not so great for hauling your friends around with you.

    And honestly we dismissed the idea of a super fast boat pretty quickly. 90 mph and up on the ocean, no thanks. 60 mph maybe, but so far we're sticking to the 40 mph range. The boat that tempted us most was probably Hustler but that's probably more due to our lake background.

    Now do wish there was truly a functional electric day boat of some sort for local cruising. The boat I still find fascinating is the Solar Sailor.

    Probably best these aren't more fully developed. Helps us resist the temptation. If it will go on water we love looking and thinking. Even things like the Gibbs Amphibians.

    Well, for now we're sticking to more practical solutions but doesn't mean some of these concepts won't continue to get our attention. Maybe one day they're actually reach practical use.
  11. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    There is!!!!!!!!!!! The Water Taxi.....most of them are diesel electric anyways!!!! and best of all it's only $20 for the entire day ;)

    The range on the cigarette was like an hour at 70mph or something like that, 12 minutes at 112mph, and something like 150 miles at normal speeds 40mph or so if I remember. I posted another thread on it a while back.

    Here's a 30hp electric outboard......They also make a 20hp, and it would be interesting to see it on a duffy.....you'd have better maneuverability and less maintanence as it can be tilted out of the water..... .http://www.gizmag.com/30hp-aquawatt-most-powerful-electric-outboard-motor-in-the-world/18511/
  12. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    There are a lot of unique items out there. Most not quite ready for prime time of having limited use. Many tempting but too much sacrificed. I looked just now at the entire Aquawatt offering. Interesting but no US presence that I could tell.
  13. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
    A little something for your viewing pleasure.

    aquawatt Elektro Boot 550 elliniko - YouTube


    Also:

    Ray Electric Outboards, Inc
    908 N.E. 24th Lane
    Cape Coral, Florida 33909

    Ray Electric Outboard most powerful, durable, not plastic underwater trolling motor. We don't troll, we motor. Made in the U.S.A. two year warrenty!

    and

    ReGen Nautic USA Inc.
    850 NE 3rd Street, Suite 207
    Dania Beach, FL 33004

    Electric Outboards | ReGen Hybrid Electric Marine Power
  14. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    The regen is a pretty interesting deal with a 300hp Outboard all electric. But the price with the largest battery bank is $95k. You can buy a 300hp Yamaha 4 stroke for $30-35k and a heck of a lot of gas for it. i think battery prices need to come down more and battery technology to come along more for the electric idea to really get out there.
  15. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
    True.

    However, the 300 hp would have the Duffy zipping along the waterways of FLL.

    Priceless. :D
  16. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    It would be like hydroplanes, better keep it moving fast or it will sink from the weight.
  17. bjlindsey

    bjlindsey New Member

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    Where did you find the rheostat?

    Thanks!!!
  18. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Amazon.com or ebay, don't remember which. (Google will find it)

    $10.00

    Part number (s)
    53C320K
    RV4NAYSD203A

    [​IMG]
  19. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
  20. bjlindsey

    bjlindsey New Member

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    Thanks guys...that will help!!! I'm hoping that is the problem, I have forward, but only have reverse after cycling throttle between neutral and reverse about 20 times!!!