NASA’s answer to this crucial reliability issue is to use a Stirling engine to generate enough electricity reliably enough.
Have a look at the NASA "KRUSTY" video above.
Yes – that stuff is “out of this world”. But the Stirling engine in my little boat has the same basic elements as theirs.
For me, the starting power comes from the heat of a gas hob.
No reliance on charged batteries and dry circuits to create a spark and ignite the petrol/air mix. The fuel/air mix needs to be correct in a petrol engine. Don't flood it.
When the weather is cold – the Stirling actually starts quicker. Its all about the hot end being hot and the cold end being cold – the colder the better.
Small boat engines suffer from neglect – especially during the winter months. Stirlings don’t have carburettors or injectors. The boats in the Stirling fleet do not need starter motors or batteries to drive them.
The “average” petrol engine has more than one hundred parts. The Stirling has less than ten moving parts.
Far fewer parts to go wrong or wear out.
Too many times I have walked down to the mooring, petrol can in one hand, tool box in the other, glancing at my watch thinking,
“Ok I’ve got an hour before the family turn up with the picnic. I hope I can get it started by then”.
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