Some highlights of my adventures and design features of SolGato, my Solar Electric Sailing Catamaran.

SolGato is a converted Hobie Getaway featuring a pair of Caroute 1.5kW brushless 24V electric motors whose forward and reverse independent thrust are used to maneuver and steer the vessel via a handheld wired remote, allowing for piloting from any position on deck.

For power, SolGato also uses a pair of 12V 100ah LifePo4 batteries in Series with a pair of Victron MPPT 75/15 solar chargers and 600 Watts of SunPower solar panels which provide autonomous charging and slow speed cruising at about 4MPH on sun power only. Top speed with a pair of 2-Blade props is 8MPH.

SolGato’s motor mounts are made from Ipe to help absorb vibration, and they bolt to the transoms via the factory rudder mount points, so no additional holes were added. The mounts are two part with a stainless hinge. The upper board doubles as a trim adjustment by catching adjustable clamping collars that are positioned along the motor arms. This allows for the setting of preset positions using the collars, and I run 3 collars to allow for a trailering/launching full tilt up position, a mid shallow water position, and a full deployment position. The motors stay down under their own weight, but can kick up at any time in the event of an object strike or running aground, and the bottom motor mount board doubles as a cavitation plate to help keep the props from sucking air. The motor mounts are now adjusted via remote using linear actuators instead of manually via the original collar clamp system.

Electronics are housed in a NEMA enclosure with a DPDT master power switch and USB charging built in. The box contains the solar chargers, a pair of 24V to 12V DC converters, and the remote controller for the Bimini top’s linear actuators and Trim and Tilt controller.

The wired remote for the motors features a potentiometer to control each motor independently, a Victron BMV-712 battery monitor which displays real time energy use and generation via a shunt, a pair of DPDT rocker switches for independent control of motor trim and tilt, and a pair of switches for LED lighting control which can also be controlled wirelessly by Bluetooth via the Load Output feature in Victron’s Connect App.

All Victron products are networked together and can be monitored and configured remotely via Bluetooth as well.

SolGato’s propulsion and charging system has been designed for my specific use of exploring the many navigable rivers of the island of Kauai. Typically that involves an afternoon of cruising up a river drawing partly from the batteries, then dropping the built in anchor to chill during which time the batteries recharge to full capacity before heading back down and sometimes out and around a Bay.

The boat was also designed for use as a tender to get to and from my Trimaran while on mooring during the Summer.

Whether on trailer parked in my yard or on the water, SolGato is always fully charged and ready to go every day thanks to our consistent sun here in Hawaii, and the boat can also serve as a trailerable solar electric generator in the event of a power outage by plugging in a DC to AC inverter.

Other features include the remote controlled linear actuated hardtop which is independently adjustable front to back to reduce windage, better harness the sun, and allow for sail clearance, a built in anchor system operated by a hand cranked winch, an Ipe center console with cup holders that splits the trampoline area into two lounges, a curtain camping enclosure that hangs from the Bimini top track, a removable center emergency/sailing rudder in case of a single motor failure, USB charging and LED lighting, a swing away BBQ mount, and a hybrid Lateen/Crab Claw sailing rig that is supported by an A-frame mast that can be stepped and struck while on the water.

And lastly, SolGatos trailer has been modified with underslung cross supports and rollers to allow the boat to sit low reducing the center of gravity for better towing and to make launching and retrieval, even from off the ground, very easy.