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Duffy Electric boats....?

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

  1. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Well, if you have the same set-up as me, there is 2 additional switches on the throttle, one for forward and one for reverse. Should be easy to measure if there is contact using a multi-meter.

    Or bypass the "reverse" switch and see if that solves the problem, then the solution is to change or repair the switch rather than replacing the rheostat.

    As for the problems on my boat. Now cautiously optimistic that the clouds will part and the sun will shine again:
    The Duffy factory and their Service Department tested my controller and found it working, but not to the Duffy specs, so they re-programmed it and tested the system for 45 minutes, now it works good and should last a long time.
    We shall see after UPS delivers the package Monday. :cool:
  2. Chasm

    Chasm Senior Member

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    There are not that many other parts left to check. ;)
    Is the motor original or has it been replaced with something different?
    Your problems sound very much like issues with back emf. - Which should not be the case since the controller is set up for regenerative breaking which uses this and other inductive phenomenons to return energy into the battery.
  3. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    You got that right Mr. Chasm: I have done everything and have no hair left on my head to prove it:rolleyes:

    I will post a few "Before and After" photos and detail my experience and trouble shooting for the benefit of others with the same boat and/or the same problem.

    In a nut-shell, a lot of stuff did not work on the boat, which could indicate either a sinking and salvage, or a lighting strike/power surge.

    No indication the important parts being submerged (I have seen mucho salvaged boats) so it must have been an electric problem.
    Stuff that did not work: 4 out of 5 cooling fans, fuel gauge (Analog Volt Meter), Diode/Charge Indicator, rheostat for interior lights, and the big one: The controller (brain).
    The boat is from 2006 and with about 100 hrs running time, but abused by previous owner who did stupid stuff like drilling holes all over the deck and interor to install dubious stuff, then using galvanized screws as fasteners. (Rusted out and hard to remove)
    All the seating area alongside and at the helm station was removed by previous owner and replaced with cheap plywood covered with shaggy carpet (Not making this up)
    The plywood of course got wet, warped, then it started to rot.
    I have spent a lot of money, frustration and time to un-redneck the boat and am almost there. Come Monday and UPS, I should have all the important pieces bolted on and connected for yet another trial run on the New River.
    If all is ok then, I will finish the refurbishing with focus on the cosmetics as the final chapter, then have it surveyed and insured. After all is done, I expect to have 3.5 times as much into the boat as I paid for it. :eek:

    IF I fall in love with the boat then, and IF it will make the perfect River Rat, I may keep it, if not, I will sell it. :cool:
  4. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I think I would've taken a shot at putting a 20hp electric outboard on the old stumpnocker......LOLOL I have to hand it to you, you haven't given up on the ole Duffy like all of the other ones in Fort Lauderdale that have become dock ornaments......
  5. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Aye, never, never give up.

    I'd be dead my now if I did, done too many stupid things in my life. :D
  6. Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

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    Does yours have that "power rudder" thing?
  7. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Negative: No Power Rudder, straight shaft, simple does it...
  8. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    It's a real shame and there are certainly many other examples of something so attractive in concept and potentially filling a need, but poorly executed and/or supported. The fact they sell them and rent them, but won't in the same location service the ones sold is beyond me. When the rental units give problems, surely they have to service them.
  9. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
    Would seem a business plan is in the works.

    Have you contacted SBA for a loan for your new business? ;)

    Remember: A business without a plan, is a business that plans to fail.


    Just curious.

    Which cost Duffy less?

    Norseman sending a part for repair or replacement, at his cost

    or

    Duffy establishing a service center in FLL.

    Hmmmmmmmmm.
  10. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    All the potential Duffy customers are not able to do the work Norseman has done. It's a lake boat, a pond boat, and a canal boat and the user lacking mechanical skills would become frustrated, hence the number of them just sitting now.

    Actually service centers generally make money even if the sales center doesn't. Plus with their rental business, they're having to service some. But my post wasn't simply meaning Duffy. It's a lot of innovations and concepts. But if you tell the potential purchaser that to get service you have to diagnose the problem, remove the parts yourself and send them off that's not going to build a business. Now perhaps they're quite happy and successful with the business they have.

    But, as a consumer, I'm not a potential purchaser in that kind of setup. And, while the last thing I need is another toy, I was very much tempted until finding out these things.
  11. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
    There seems to be a little gap between your theory and Duffy's reality.
  12. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Dear Duffy:

    This is a stupid design: The navigation lights are protruding outside of the rub-rail :rolleyes:

    [​IMG]

    Nuff said.
  13. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    There seems to be a little gap between Duffy's theory and Duffy's reality.
  14. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Reality is that there is nobody in South Florida with a "console", which is needed to trouble shoot and calibrate the Zapi controller in the boat.

    [​IMG]

    Had to send my controller [​IMG]
    to California to have it tuned, $115 freight for a $99.00 job.
    (I took less than 10 mins, but minimum charge is 1 hr @ $99.00.

    It works good now, hopefully it will last a long time, but it should be easy to contract with a boat shop in SE Florida to have a console handy for quick and painless trouble shooting and calibration.
    Even their own place in Jupiter don't have the console, they referred me to California, and that is the unfortunate reality..;)
  15. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Maybe you should buy one and start a little side business fixing all the duff Duffy's
  16. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno

    Is this the unit in question (link)?

    Aliexpress.com : Buy Top Quality Original CNTD CZ 7141 Micro Switch/Limit Switch Outer shell covered with intensive plastic/Water proof/Oil proof from Reliable switch white suppliers on Guangzhou Dawn Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd.

    P.S.- Would seem you already paid half the cost for a new unit. :eek:
  17. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    It has crossed my mind, but too lazy: Got enough with my day job, my crew house and my side gig looking after sailboats for absent owners: A Duffy Deal would cut into my "Me Time" and my beer time..;)

    Yup, looks like it. Never seen one up close but I Googled console for Zapi controllers and that picture came up. The online Zapi manual keeps referring to the console and it is a must to program the controllers.

    Golf carts and forklifts use the same technology and the same parts, should be easy for those guys to fix or program the electrical components of a Duffy boat, but several phone calls and visits to shops in town has been negative: "Sorry, we don't do electric boats" and they have never heard of Duffys'.
  18. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
    They most definitely are a bunch of duffers. ;)
  19. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

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    One should try to combine the two.

    Attached Files:

  20. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    What about borrowing the controller from one of these forklight or golfcart shops?