The tender outboard has been the last petrol holdout on many yachts, and no longer. The Torqeedo Travel 1103 C and the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo are both 3 hp-equivalent electrics, and both are now good enough to make the petrol outboard look like a chore.
Torqeedo's 1103 C brings 1,100 watts in, 520 watts at the prop and a 915 Wh integrated battery in a unit that breaks into three carryable parts. It is the refined, established choice with the deeper service network.
ePropulsion's Spirit 1.0 Evo counters with a 1,276 Wh battery, the largest in its class, brushless direct drive with no gearbox to service, and hydrogeneration that recharges under sail. It is the thinking sailor's pick.
The verdict: you cannot go wrong. Choose Torqeedo for the network, ePropulsion for the battery and the regeneration. Either way, the petrol can stays ashore.
Photography: Wikisympathisant, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
