Future Fuels · 500 Sails / Marine systems
Deep-sea electric fishing boat
Solar-electric propulsion for an 18-foot fishing boat, developed with 500 Sails in the Northern Mariana Islands.
About the project
Typhoons can interrupt outside supplies to remote islands for up to six weeks. In partnership with 500 Sails, a nonprofit with the largest boatyard in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, I am leading a team developing a modernized Chamorro galaide to support local food gathering and community resilience. The Sustainable Propulsion Galaide remains in early development. The design builds on the traditional Chamorro galaide and uses solar-powered propulsion to support deep-sea fishing during high-typhoon seasons.
Project leadership and community needs
- Lead a team of 20 engineers developing a deep-sea electric fishing boat.
- Develop the project through government-grant funding in partnership with 500 Sails.
- Develop a resilient food-access solution so local fishermen can continue harvesting during high-typhoon seasons and when outside resources are cut off.
Power architecture and battery design
The following diagrams show the power architecture, electrical distribution, and LV battery pack design for the final full-size boat.
- Develop a redundant dual-battery power architecture and a long-lasting waterproof electrical system for an 18-foot sailboat.
- Select components through circuit analysis while accounting for supply-chain and manufacturing constraints.
Controls and communications
The control-system diagram below is a preliminary design for the RC boat. The diagrams in the preceding section are for the final full-size boat.
- Work with CAD, ESP32 controls, motor drivers, CAN bus, and a high-frequency transceiver system.
