Sailing Kherson - Nova Kahovka - Energodar - Zaporozhye
Command structure
From left to right: Sergey and Tolik - clew, tank and diving, Captain - Artem, cook - Oksana :)
Sailing route
Kherson - Novaya Kakhovka - Rogachinsky Bay - Energodar - Zaporozhye (325 km)
What's new compared to similar trips last year
This time we went on a voyage with a new team - Tolik and Sergey got to the Shark sailboat for the first time. Looking ahead - I am very satisfied and can recommend them to other sailing boats - all work with the sails happened quickly and accurately, we never had problems with reefing, even if there was very little room for maneuver (leventik led to a close aground) we always managed to change the windage in accordance with the strengthening and weakening of the wind.
The boat has also undergone many changes:
- The generator has acquired a noise-insulating casing and a modified heat removal system.
- The electric motor and controller are fan-cooled, which allows you to run at high power for a long time while maintaining a low temperature of the components.
- Batteries 60V 235 Ah (14 kWh) are temporarily located on the boat, which last for 10 hours at an average speed (7 km/h).
- Made a new rudder and tiller. The new pen has a better shape and works better in the propeller jet.
- Oversized bimini. In our hot summer, a very useful thing.
- Large solar panel 400W.
- New water tank. The old one was welded incorrectly and the stainless steel began to rust along the welds (overheated). Brand new food grade plastic.
- Smooth propeller shaft (finally vibrations are over!)
- New oil seal (finally nothing digs through it!)
- 7 kW maximum motor power
- Lazy Jack
Day 0 - 24.07.2020, Friday.
Before crossing Kherson - Zaporozhye, it was necessary to overtake the boat from the shipyard of Roma to the Kherson Embankment. We left around 17:00. It was necessary to go down the Koshevaya River to the place where it merges with the Dnieper and further up the Dnieper, to the Petrovets Yacht Club, which is located opposite the Kherson Embankment.
Sasha and Pasha (from the sailboat Sagittarius) went with us that day. Pasha asked him to drop him off at the pier of the restaurant near Hydropark, which we did. Sasha spent the night with us and in the morning left for the city on his own business.
The power of 1.5 kW was set on the motor all the way, and so we reached Petrovets by about 21:00.
Stuck in the outlet, had dinner and went to bed.
Statistics for today:
- Energy reserve at the beginning of the day - 13 kWh (approximately 90%)
- Energy consumption - 6 kWh
- Charged from the sun - 0.5 kWh
- Remaining energy - 7.5 kWh (approximately 60%)
- Passed under the motor - 27 km.
- Passed under sail - 0 km.
Day 1 - 25.07.2020, Saturday.
After spending the night at the Petrovets sailboat club, Ksyusha and I had to pick up Tolik and Sergey from the Kherson embankment. In the photo below, they took a picture of us when we approached the mooring.
Having taken the team under the engine, we went upstream through the Kherson bridges (by the way, their maximum height is 14m).
Kilometers remained behind the stern, today they were supposed to approach the Kakhovka lock in the evening
The power on the motor was set to approximately 1.2 kW, which made it possible to drive 6.5 - 7 km / h. The wind was up to 5 knots, the blow was clearly downstream, so the sails were not set.
In this part of the Dnieper, the banks are mostly overgrown with reeds, sometimes the banks become steep. The depth above the Kherson bridges is large, 10 meters or more. Shallow only near the shore. There are almost no pitfalls in these places.
Burun stem
Toward the end of the day, I noticed characteristic chugging - I climbed up to look at the wall line and noticed that the bearing was overheating (80 degrees its body temperature). It was decided to go through the lock, moor in Novaya Kakhovka and inspect the bearing.
In the evening we approached the gateway and spent the night half an hour away from it.
Statistics for today:
- Energy reserve at the beginning of the day - 13 kWh (approximately 90%)
- Energy consumption - 9 kWh
- Charged from the sun - 2 kWh
- Remaining energy - 6 kWh (approximately 40%)
- Passed under the motor - 65 km.
- Passed under sail - 5 km.
Day 2, 3 and 4 - 07/26/2020-07/28/2020, Sunday-Tuesday.
I phoned the lock dispatcher, got the go-ahead to approach the lock and an instruction to wait for a barge and a tugboat, for which Shark sailboat would have to enter the lock.
Photos in the gateway:
Passed the gateway
The upper pool met us with a strong wind and a wave, we went to 2 kW. Chovganiya in the bearing intensified. Good thing it was close to the pier.
At the guest berth in New Kakhovka:
We moored, dismantled the bearing - everything is bad there. metal shavings in grease. I assume that the reason was the heating of the bearing from the oil seals on the shaft and inappropriate grease - graphite.
I ordered a new bearing, until he arrives we are resting in New Kakhovka, we are watching the city.
While we were standing here, I redid the wiring of the "home network", now we take 12V from the engine battery through a DC-DC converter. 12V LiFePO4 batteries are automatically connected if the DC-DC power fails.
We walked around the city, went to the local large park
Then we went to Maxmarine
We returned to the boat.
Cooked steaks on the pier, played board games. while away the time)
Tomorrow the bearing arrives, we will install, test and prepare for departure.
During these days the boat stood still, charged up to 100%.
We walked 10 km through the gateway to the pier on the motor.
The sails were not set.
Day 5 - 29.07.2020, Wednesday.
New bearing installed in housing
Collected valoliny, began testing on the water
Tests have shown that everything works fine. Tomorrow morning exit further along the route.
Day 6 - 30.07.2020, Thursday.
Morning greeted us with calm, again we drive upstream
Ksyusha learns to steer
Some random photos of the coast
In the afternoon, a cloud arrived
The rain poured out and gave us the wind in gulfwind, turned off the engine and went under sail
The wind was enough for 1.5 hours, then I had to turn on the motor again.
In the afternoon there were many fishing nets and in the evening one was missed. But the engine was stopped in time and the screw did not wind it up. They cut off the net from the keel and rudder, catching it with a hook.
The sunset after the rain is usually beautiful.
We spent the night in the Rogachinskaya bay at anchor.
Statistics for today:
- Energy reserve at the beginning of the day - 14 kWh (100%)
- Energy consumption - 11 kWh
- Charged from the sun - 2 kWh
- Remaining energy - 6 kWh (approximately 40%)
- Passed under the motor - 75 km.
- Passed under sail - 15 km.
Day 7 - 07/31/2020, Friday.
Morning met with calm - we are already used to it)
They motored for 2 hours, then a light breeze appeared, they raised the sails, but the motor was left to run at 500W, because. there wasn't enough wind.
Approximately 6 hours after the release, the battery began to warn of a low charge. They started the generator, worked on it a little and the wind started, which this cloud brought
The muzzle was excellent, with rain and lambs on the water, the grotto had to be reefed. Sometimes they turned on the motor when the wind weakened.
So we got to Energodar and went to the mooring.
An acquaintance of his came to Sergey, brought marinated meat)
Statistics for today:
- Energy reserve at the beginning of the day - 6 kWh (40%)
- Energy consumption - 8 kWh
- Charged from the sun - 2 kWh
- Charged from the generator - 1 kWh
- Remaining energy - 1 kWh (slightly less than 10%)
- Passed under the motor - 20 km.
- Passed under sail - 15 km.
- Passed in mixed mode (sails with a motor) - 55 km.
Day 8 - 08/01/2020, Saturday.
Morning in Energodar
Charged from the outlet by 90%.
We left the pier. The reservoir met us with wave and wind
We left the pier, became gulffind and went under the middle staysail and reefed on one shelf of reefs.
The speed was in the region of 7-9 km / h, depending on the gusts. As we moved towards Zaporizhzhia, we had to bring in and the wind gradually blew into the haul.
On a gust we go 10 km / h
Closer to Zaporizhia, sails were mined, I put 1.5 kW on the engine and went further under the engine.
At 5 km from the pier, we met the sailboat Zabava, her captain asked to be towed to the beach
2 kW was enough to pull both boats at a speed of 5 km / h
We go to the 7th berth in Zaporozhye
In the evening we celebrated the end of the hike with friends :)
Thank you all for your attention, the trip is over)
Statistics for today:
- Energy reserve at the beginning of the day - 13 kWh (90%)
- Energy consumption - 7 kWh
- Charged from the sun - 2 kWh
- Remaining energy - 8 kWh (60%)
- Passed under the motor - 30 km
- Sailed - 35 km
Breakdowns : propeller shaft bearing.
Statistics (this does not include zero day) :
- Gasoline spent in the generator for the trip: 1 liter.
- The electric motor and controller have been working like clockwork for the 4th year. Haven't touched them once since I installed them.
- New batteries worked in the transition without nuances. Next year they are planning on a larger boat, and the old battery will return to Shark.
- The solar panel generated total energy during the walking days: 8 kWh
- Total energy spent per transition: 35 kWh
- Under the motor passed: 200 km
- Traveled under sail: 70 km
- Mixed sail + motor: 55 km
- The electric motor worked for the transition: approximately 35 hours
Nuances :
- Many times clung algae to the propeller. This is not a big problem - you can get the screw by hand without even diving, and in summer it is hot enough to swim in a joy)
- There are many fishing nets, you need to be vigilant
- In the current configuration with a 14 kWh battery and a 400W solar panel, a generator for hiking along the Dnieper is not that much needed. It would be possible to do without it.
Thanks :
- Roma from Kherson for work on the boat :)
- Ksyusha for delicious food and good photos :)
- Tolya and Sergey for good company and ability to work with sails
- Electric motor for 4 years of stable operation without nuances
- To Ukrainian BMS manufacturer Yaroslav for a convenient and reliable battery management system
As an advertisement :)
We make an electric sailboat out of your sailboat . There is experience in installing electric motors, and there is also experience in using them in long-distance crossings. High quality, trouble-free operation, average prices.
We are taking orders for the winter. It is possible to supply both a kit kit and a turnkey replacement of a diesel engine in Kherson.
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