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MarineServices.ie Complete EPropulsion eSSA Training

18th December 2023
Lorcan Tighe (left) and Kenny Rumball of Marine Services completed intensive training, installation, and a maintenance course in the UK to become the first certified eSSA - ePropulsion Smart System Architecture technicians in Ireland
Lorcan Tighe (left) and Kenny Rumball of Marine Services completed intensive training, installation, and a maintenance course in the UK to become the first certified eSSA - ePropulsion Smart System Architecture technicians in Ireland

Always looking towards the future, MarineServices.ie has been very keen to become the first major player in Ireland to offer electric propulsion systems to the leisure and commercial marine sectors in Ireland.

With some experience through the RS Sailing RS 21 Keelboat that is powered by a small E-Propulsion Spirit engine, MarineServices.ie was keen to develop the product offering further.

The E Propulsion Spirit 6The E Propulsion Spirit 6

In tandem with this, EPropulsion, which started through a love of water sports and robotics by founder Danny Tao in China in 2012, has grown its range of products over the last number of years. The company has grown to become one of the market leaders in electric propulsion technology and now offers a very wide range of products that can be tailored to different watersports requirements.

The entry range is the Vaquita series for paddleboards, followed by the Spirit range, which can be seen in the RS 21 and is also available as an outboard for use on small tenders or as auxiliary power on a small keelboat such as a J80. The Navy range moves up to the 9.9-15hp outboard motor for larger tenders.

ePropulsion X40ePropulsion X40

Recently released are the X Series outboard motors that come in three sizes ranging from 12-40kw (16-53HP). This show-stopping outboard really is a game changer with electric steering and customisable drive modes that are really bringing the future here faster than you can imagine.

The i-Series inboard motors ranging from 10-40KW are effectively bolt-in replacements for shaft-driven yachts and other vessels. These super silent engines deliver range-topping torque with no noise, vibration or emissions.

Powering the x-series and i-series range is the 96v G-Series Lithium Iron Phosphate battery system. This battery system is extremely reliable, being impact-resistant and drop-proof while having three times higher energy density and 70% less weight than comparable lead-acid batteries. These batteries are guaranteed to 3,000 cycles at 80% and are controlled by individual battery management systems, ensuring the longest battery life on the market.

Lorcan Tighe and Kenneth Rumball of MarineServices recently undertook an intensive training, installation, and maintenance course in the UK to become the first certified eSSA - ePropulsion Smart System Architecture technicians in Ireland.

A state-of-the-art solution combining ePropulsion’s most advanced hardware and software technology.

eSSA takes the X-ECU in the I and X series motors as the core and integrates the electric drive system,

interactive displays, battery system and the internet cloud into one. It features a smart and modular design to deliver a safe and reliable performance and supports the integration of the ePropulsion Connectivity Service and update system.

Lorcan and Kenneth can now safely supply, install and maintain any of the ePropulsion products and are the only persons certified to do so in Ireland.

MarinesServices had a 3hp Spirit outboard electric engine on display after the Turkey Shoot Racing in the RIYC every Sunday.

This engine is available for demonstrations as well as the same pod that is installed in the RS21 keelboat that is also racing in Dublin Bay and has been throughout the season with full reliability from its ePropulsion engine.

In early 2024, Lorcan and Kenneth will begin the first iSeries installation on the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat Schools Elan 36 training yacht, converting it to electric power using the i20 engine from the propulsion range with 2 G-Series batteries.

Lorcan Tighe of Marine Services at the propulsion workshop with some of the new electric outboard engine rangeLorcan Tighe (pictured) and Kenny Rumball of Marine Services completed intensive training, installation, and a maintenance course in the UK to become the first certified eSSA - ePropulsion Smart System Architecture technicians in Ireland

Finally, in January 2024, expect to see the first X-Series outboard powering across Dublin Bay as the first of the electric outboards on a RIB is due to land in Ireland.

Kenneth Rumball

About The Author

Kenneth Rumball

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Kenny Rumball is the Principal of the Irish National Sailing School in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. He is a multi dinghy champion and offshore sailor. In 2018 he was awarded the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Seamanship Trophy for a Man Overboard Rescue in the Round Ireland Race. In May 2020 he embarked on a mixed offshore doublehanded keelboat campaign with Pamela Lee.

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The Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School is based on Dun Laoghaire's West Pier on Dublin Bay and in the heart of Ireland's marine leisure capital.

Whether you are looking at beginners start sailing course, a junior course or something more advanced in yacht racing, the INSS prides itself in being able to provide it as Ireland's largest sailing school.

Since its establishment in 1978, INSS says it has provided sailing and powerboat training to approximately 170,000 trainees. The school has a team of full-time instructors and they operate all year round. Lead by the father and son team of Alistair and Kenneth Rumball, the school has a great passion for the sport of sailing and boating and it enjoys nothing more than introducing it to beginners for the first time. 

Programmes include:

  • Shorebased Courses, including VHF, First Aid, Navigation
  • Powerboat Courses
  • Junior Sailing
  • Schools and College Sailing
  • Adult Dinghy and Yacht Training
  • Corporate Sailing & Events

History of the INSS

Set up by Alistair Rumball in 1978, the sailing school had very humble beginnings, with the original clubhouse situated on the first floor of what is now a charity shop on Dun Laoghaire's main street. Through the late 1970s and 1980s, the business began to establish a foothold, and Alistair's late brother Arthur set up the chandler Viking Marine during this period, which he ran until selling on to its present owners in 1999.

In 1991, the Irish National Sailing School relocated to its current premises at the foot of the West Pier. Throughout the 1990s the business continued to build on its reputation and became the training institution of choice for budding sailors. The 2000s saw the business break barriers - firstly by introducing more people to the water than any other organisation, and secondly pioneering low-cost course fees, thereby rubbishing the assertion that sailing is an expensive sport.