Passagemaker Magazine

to do about finishing the hull?

Previous experience in Florida waters told Gillespie that worms would be a major issue. In addition, years of storage had taken at least one toll on the boat’s wood—Gillespie could not get the keel to close up to the boat. An uncomfortably large gap remained. Jacking the keel to push it into place did not work, and he could not count on swelling to accomplish much of anything. So he exorcised his restoration purist guilt and called Mystic to consult with their restoration staff. The answer: We live in a practical world. You want to use the boat. Anything you do can be undone. Go ahead, glass it. And so he did.

HYBRID POWER

Vagabond was almost ready for the water except for a new power plant. On the surface, the issue seemed simple. But then, very little with boats is simple, and even less is easy. Vagabond weighs approximately 1,600lb and it had been powered with a 40hp engine weighing 1,200lb while turning the prop at 600 rpm for cruising speed. When Gillespie revisited the electric motor world, he found that conflicting information (think sales claims) persisted.

Elco continued to be a possibility, but Gillespie needed engineering assistance. So he turned to Jon Hall of Huckins Yacht, who had worked with the Gillespies previously. They went over the requirements and possibilities, and Hall went to work.

Elco soon emerged as the preferred choice. Their engineers
assisted in determining the proper motor, the battery bank
and its charging requirements. This one-sentence description
overly simplifies and masks the effort involved. Technical
considerations meant Elco was involved with working out
the charger specifications and working with the vendor.
The final result is an Elco motor rated as being equivalent
to 45–85hp diesel, a battery bank of AGM batteries totaling
2,996Ah and a Kohler 8.5kW genset. This package weighs
just about the same as the Lathrop engine.

However, weight distribution could be an issue. The genset would go in the gallery engine area; batteries and motor, farther aft. So Huckins put Vagabond in the water with movable test weights (and beefy yard workers to shift them). They found that the motor and batteries could go under the cockpit/pilot house deck. Three hundred pounds of lead in the bow brought the boat to original trim lines. Back to work for Huckins with a substantial installation job.

THE RESULT

The hybrid-electric-powered Vagabond was launched in May of 2013. And what did David Gillespie get for his efforts? A guest is struck by details; the details that were the standards of a previous generation of builders and owners: rich, dark mahogany, brass fittings and controls. Modern fixtures and equipment blend in inconspicuously or contribute to Vagabond’s new ambiance. Gillespie has kept the original brass throttle and gear shift. It is a handsome companion to the brass wheel, and the two visually set the stage for small electronic displays, a Garmin plotter and Elco’s control display.

That engine display and plotter will show a passenger that Vagabond will run a bit over 4 knots at 600

rpm while drawing 21 amps. Boost the rpm to 1600 to get the boat into the 7-knot range. While this motor package will push Vagabond up to hull speed, it does protest above 1600 rpm. Dial back the rpm, and a day cruise of five to six hours without supplemental generator charge is routine.

Of course, if the generator is run, the cruising time is more than one would ever want—as would be the noise. This boat runs totally silently. Gillespie ran the motor up to cruising output while the boat was tied up under a covered shed. I did not know the motor was running until he told me. That’s a lifestyle easy to get used to.

Ultimately, we should evaluate boats in light of their intended purpose. David Gillespie wanted a boat project. No doubt he got that. Along the way, Ruth and David moved to the St John’s River south of Jacksonville—a river well suited for elegant, quiet, day cruising. Now they have a boat well suited for their new home.

Job well done.

Vagabond has a mix of tradition and innovation. The steering controls are original; the brass throttle is a reminder of days long ago. The display provides electric motor information: rpm, amp draw and battery status. Vagabond comes to David Gillespie as a jigsaw puzzle of uncataloged boat parts.