Vacuum resin infusion is the process at the heart of our technology and is used for all parts.
The vacuum resin process removes all of the air between the fibres of a part prior to the introduction of the resin.
After the process, our parts are meticulously sanded with variable grit — allowing for maximum paint adhesion on surfaces and smooth, stylish edges.
Core materials are introduced into the part to increase stiffness without increasing weight.
The core is a structural-grade foam with a high shear strength characteristic: if the part is of a complex shape, we cut the foam into sections, thermoforming it to the required shape.
We use five different sizes and densities of foam on the boat, optimized for local strength requirements.
We purchase carbon fiber by the roll and over 35 rolls are used in each boat. We have engineered the laminate schedule to be most efficient in the various areas of the boat maximising strength and reducing weight.
Each meant to be the most efficient for their respective areas. The fabrics are stitched, instead of weaved.
Stitched fabrics do not need to bend over or under other fibre and lay flat, making a stronger part.
At Open Waters, it is our mission to make catamaran cruising more exciting and environmentally sustainable. We’ve set out to create a performance cruising catamaran that will be a joy to sail and that will raise the bar in environmental sustainability.
We have developed a unique design and manufacturing process, selected high performance materials that enable us to build a boat that uses less materials and is 50% lighter. As a result it is a lot faster and as a result it is able to generate and store the energy needed to propel it electrically for hours and provide enough energy for on board equipment.
We use high performance carbon fibre and a vacuum infusion process to maximize strength and reduce the use of resin and eliminate resin vapour emissions. We use 100% recycled PET foam core wherever possible and we see the opportunity for incremental use of bio-based epoxy and natural fibres in our future.
As we continue to develop our sustainability roadmap for our boats we will perform a full lifecycle analysis to identify other opportunities to minimize our carbon footprint.
The unique processes and skills we have developed can be applied and licensed to other marine and recreational vehicles businesses.
Simon Angus P.Eng is a professional mechanical engineer with a background in project management and a passion for sailing.
He spent his university summers travelling around Europe searching for the best combination of wind and waves in addition to teaching both sailing and windsurfing.
After moving to Canada in 2004, Simon bought a Catalina 27 in Kitimat BC and enjoyed sailing in the Douglas channel with his young family. A career move to Alberta paused his sailing career until he found the joys of chartering sailboats in the Caribbean.
After a 20 year career in industrial engineering and project management he decided to make a change and combined his passion and profession to launch Open Waters Design and Manufacturing in 2016.
He designed and manufactured an 18ft canoe and developed a plug and mold and his proprietary vacuum resin infusion process. After the successful build of the canoe, Simon built a high performance 18ft A class foiling sailing catamaran out of a Carbon fibre and refined the mold construction and vacuum resin infusion process.
After researching the various build steps, Simon started with CNC shaping of a plug, hand finishing and building the hull molds. He also built the mast, Z foils and the Tee foil rudders. After successful trials in Vancouver BC, Simon then set out on his next ambitious project, to design and build the boat he had dreamt about for years.
A boat that could be shipped anywhere in the world, sail on with his family and returned to Vancouver for summer cruising and would be electrically sustainable.
Simon was introduced to Hal Whitacre in 2019 which started a design relationship that has resulted in the creation of the Open Waters ESC40.
Hal Whitacre, owner of Whitacre yacht design since 1984 and is responsible for some of the fastest and most luxurious boats ever built.
Hal is Open Waters Chief Naval Architect and has worked closely with Simon over the past 2 years to produce the detailed designs that make up the Open Waters ESC 40.
Hal has a distinguished career in Naval Architecture graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Naval architecture and Marine Engineering.
Throughout his career he has pushed the boundaries of naval architecture notably designing the Open Class 60 “Imagine”; breaking ground with the largest rig ever put on an Open 60.
Hal also owns and operates Bruce Roberts USA and in that capacity, he has designed over 100 steel and aluminium boat kits in addition to many fiberglass and wood sail and power boats. Most recently, Hal was the chief Naval Architect for Gunboat Catamarans when they were built in the USA.
Since their move to Europe, Hal has completed 2 gunboat 55’s along with a conversation of a gunboat 55 to a powercat ferry which has recently conducted successful sea trials.
Hal and his wife Tammy split their time between Annapolis, Md and Sister Bay, Wi. Hal continues to race Lasers during the winter and windsurfs/foilsurfs as much as possible.
We’re hiring!
Join us on our mission to make catamaran cruising more exciting and environmentally sustainable.
Marine Experience Marketeer
You are well versed and have experience in nearly everything digital marketing. You’ve either grown up boating, lived the life of a cruiser, traveler, racer or practice an other lifestyle action sport and know what makes people tick. You’re an avid content creator and storyteller and you can work your magic with the tools of the trade. Lights, camera, sounds, action.
Join us for a seamless blend of work and play as we test and trial the boat, document BC cruising experiences and host prospective customers from around the world. While a lot of time is spent on the boat you’ll also be responsible for the creation, editing and delivery of all digital content via influencers, communities, social and traditional media and marketing channels.
If this sounds like you, please email me at [email protected] tell me why you’d love to join us in BC this summer and include a few links to the amazing content you’ve created and shared. I look forward to our chat.
They’ve been a long time coming, but marine hybrid propulsion systems are finally a working reality, as Sam Fortescue reports
The Bootswerft Heinrich-built 13m Yamila uses an Oceanvolt electric motor rather than a diesel engine. Photo: Peter Minder
Every sailor is familiar with the wet cough of the diesel engine, and the acrid smell of its exhaust. For some it’s the sign that an adventure is starting, for others it is the reassurance that all is well on board the boat. The traditional engine is perhaps your boat’s most important safety feature, but its days may be numbered.
The electric sailing revolution is coming – and though adoption in the marine sector is proving much slower than in the automotive world ashore, progress is being made.
The market is still relatively small. Clear market leader Torqeedo had sales of €25m last year, most of which was in ferries and compact outboards. It also offers a range of saildrive and pod drive motors for yachts displacing from 2 to 50 tonnes, or roughly 20-60ft LOA.
But sailors have been slow on the uptake, and for one good reason: if you’re planning to cross an ocean or take on tough conditions offshore, you rely on your engine to help you outrun danger or motor through the doldrums – sometimes for days at a time.
Oceanvolt AXC series is a modular shaft drive system (10kW to 40kW) that will fit in place of a tradition diesel engine
Even with the current crop of advanced lithium-ion boat batteries , the range of an electric system is measured in tens of miles, not hundreds. So a 35ft monohull with 10kWh of lithium battery (four units weighing 96kg in total) would have a range of just 24 nautical miles at 3.8 knots, or less than 16 nautical miles at full throttle.
Taking into account the incredible wastage of combustion engines, which dissipate more energy as heat and noise than they provide in propulsion, diesel is still ten times more energy dense than batteries.
Full-carbon luxury daysailer Yamila uses an Oceanvolt SD8 8kW electric saildrive system. Photo: Tobias Stoerkle
“When you look at bluewater cruisers, of course you will have a diesel,” says Torqeedo’s founder and CEO, Dr Christoph Ballin. “And it’s right that not many coastal sailors opt for pure electric.”
But that doesn’t mean that electric has no interest for cruising sailors – far from it. The more common route for ‘normal’ sailors will be to combine diesel and electric in a hybrid sailing system.
Under this model, the engine is replaced by an electric motor, hooked up to a bank of lithium batteries. This can be charged via hydrogeneration – when the speed under sail turns the propeller and puts charge back into the batteries – and solar or wind. But when extended periods under power are required a standalone DC generator, which can be installed anywhere on board, supplies the electricity.
This is the set-up recommended by Finland’s Oceanvolt, which has focused on the cruising sailing market with a range of shaft and sail drive motors from 3.7kW to 15kW (roughly 10hp to 45hp in diesel engine terms).
“In the case of the round-the-world cruiser, we recommend a hybrid system with a backup genset to support continuous drive when/if needed,” says Oceanvolt CEO Markus Mustelin. “A regenerating prop, which spins while sailing and recharges the batteries (sacrificing 0.2-0.4 of a knot, depending on the boat and conditions) makes it possible to be almost independent of the genset and use it only for backup.”
Ipswich-based modern classic builders Spirit Yachts has started construction on its largest project to date, a 34m sloop, Spirit 111.…
The electric propulsion pioneer Torqeedo won the largest marine equipment prize of the year today (15 November) – for the…
This system has the advantage that the generator is only needed on longer passages, so the boat still manoeuvres silently in and out of ports and anchorages.
And a well-designed, correctly sized generator is much more efficient at turning diesel into electricity than an engine not originally designed for the job. Some sailors opt for an in-line hybrid system, like those offered by Hybrid-Marine, which bolts onto the existing diesel.
These are easier to retrofit, with many of the same characteristics as the full hybrid system, but there’s the disadvantage of still having an engine boxed away somewhere near the middle of the boat.
Until now, most business has been done through retrofitting existing yachts. But an increasing number of yacht builders are looking to include electric propulsion as original equipment. The world’s third largest boatbuilder, Hanse Yachts , is perhaps the most advanced – offering its entry-level Hanse 315 with an electric rudder-drive option.
The system takes up less space than the standard diesel, is much quieter and vibration- and emissions-free. But Hanse admits take up has been disappointing.
The technology has found more interest among lake sailors. Innovative young German brand Bente has been fitting Torqeedo motors to its successful 24ft model, originally designed for Germany’s ‘Green Lakes’.
Closer to home, dinghy specialist RS Sailing has decided to fit a retractable electric drive to its new RS21 keelboat. Already christened the ‘invisible gennaker’, the system is based on Torqeedo’s Travel 1003 outboard motor.
Bigger race boats have also been attracted by the lure of low-weight propulsion. Just look at Malizia , an IMOCA 60 being prepared for the 2020 Vendée Globe with a lightweight Torqeedo system.
“Emissions-free round the world under race conditions, while simultaneously producing your own energy, is a thoroughly inspirational concept,” said Malizia skipper Boris Herrmann.
Electric has also been successful at the luxury end of the market, where lithium-ion batteries account for a smaller share of the boat’s overall cost. A 50ft Privilege 5 catamaran and a carbon fibre Gunboat 60 have both been retrofitted with Torqeedo kit, while Oceanvolt appears on a Swan 57 and an all-carbon Agile 42.
Overview of the Torqeedo Deep Blue propulsion system installed in the Gunboat Moonwave
The Gunboat Moonwave has two 25kW Deep Blue saildrives both capable of regenerating under sail. There is still a generator on board to extend battery range offshore, but “they no longer use the generator – it’s just for emergency,” says Torqeedo’s Ballin.
Spirit Yachts is also designing electric propulsion into its Spirit 111 flagship, due for launch this summer. With four big 40kW lithium batteries aboard and a 100kW motor, the yacht will be able to operate silently for hours, although it also has 100kW of diesel generator capacity.
“The real focus is not the propulsion,” explains Spirit director Nigel Stuart, “but that everything works in harmony, from galley equipment and hot water to heating, air conditioning, hydraulics etc.” The British yard is also building a 65-footer using Oceanvolt hybrid technology and a new 44-footer that is pure electric.
With racing on one hand and high-end cruisers on the other, there is something of a gap in the middle. By Torqeedo’s own admission, the cruising sailor hasn’t been a big focus of the electric revolution, but all that is about to change. “We started a bit late with sailing,” Ballin admits, “but in the next five to eight years it will be addressed big time.”
Fully integrated electric drive system will power the new 111ft Spirit Yachts flagship
What does that really mean? Well, in the first instance, it means system integration. If that doesn’t sound revolutionary, then imagine a set-up on board where solar panels, hydrogenerators, batteries, generators and motors all worked seamlessly together to keep the yacht supplied with ample power around the clock. “That’s what people are willing to pay for: plenty of energy with heating or air-con through the night,” says Ballin.
In the near future, Torqeedo is planning a new range-extending DC generator specifically for hybrid sailing boats. Its existing unit is built by WhisperPower and provides 25kW, which is too much power for boats using the pod drive system.
The genset will be designed to operate at optimum revolutions, while clever DC to DC conversion decouples the battery voltage from the charging voltage, for much greater efficiency.
With boats, just as with cars, the breakthrough that will make all the difference is around battery capacity. Until range under electric power can match that of diesel, there will be many sceptics. And that isn’t likely to happen for a decade or more, according to Ballin.
“Theoretically, they’ve tested batteries in labs that are ten times more efficient than lithium,” he explains. “And if that comes through, then gasoline is done. But we are trying to combine long-term vision with short-term mindset.”
In the meantime, the prevalent technology is based on lithium-manganese-cobalt, and a process of steady development is making this 5-8% better each year. For example, BMW has just announced its next generation i3 battery, used by Torqeedo’s Deep Blue system, will be able to hold 40kWh of power – an increase of 33% for the same size, weight and nearly the same cost.
Torqeedo Cruise 2.0 FP Pod Drive is suitable for small yachts up to 4 tonnes – a folding prop can also be fitted
The other area of development is around the propeller. Most cruising systems use a folding or feathering prop designed for diesel engines. But Torqeedo’s own research shows that the consistently high torque of an electric motor is best utilised by props with variable pitch.
And yet it is Oceanvolt that has addressed this issue specifically for electric motors with its Servo Prop system, which it claims to be 30% more efficient ahead, 100% better astern and 300% more efficient in regeneration mode.
Oceanvolt says that this prop can pump around 500W into the batteries at just 5 knots – the average pace of a 30ft monohull. At 6 knots that rises to around 800W, and at a very manageable 7 knots for a larger ocean cruiser you get 1.2kW.
“A new technology can rarely compete in price with an established one in its initial growth phase,” says Mustelin. “However, we have passed this and today electric systems are offered at a quite competitive price. When you add to that the fact the electric system is almost service free, the total cost of ownership is turning in favour of electric.”
So, you may not hear them approach, but expect to see more and more electric-powered boats on the water as the revolution continues.
A key part of the viability of electric propulsion rests on the notion that a smaller motor can achieve the same work as a bigger diesel. There are two elements to this. First, a diesel engine is not an efficient converter of chemical energy into thrust, creating a lot of heat and noise in the process. Second, the torque characteristics of electric are much better than diesel.
Mustelin says that Oceanvolt’s 10kW motor “easily outperforms” a 30hp diesel. “Typically, maximum boat speed will be somewhat lower (0.5kt-1.0kt) than with a comparable diesel engine, but at the same time the boat will maintain the speed better in heavy seas and headwind due to higher torque. Manoeuvrability is much better in confined marina spaces.”
That’s because combustion engines only reach peak power (and maximum torque) over a small range of speeds. Torque is a measure of turning power – at the propeller in the case of a boat.
A diesel engine develops optimum torque between 1,800-2,000rpm, while electric motors deliver it from 0 to around 2,000rpm. This allows electric motors to use higher efficiency propellers that are slimmer and more steeply pitched.
It has taken years of development and over $10m of funding, but renowned boat systems expert Nigel Calder has helped design an alternator so powerful that it eliminates the need for a generator on board.
Mounted on the engine, on the second alternator position, the Integrel can produce five to ten times more power. Sitting behind the system is at least 10kWh of lead acid batteries (lithium is also an option), and Victron chargers and inverters.
“If you crank the engine it’ll charge the batteries; if you’re running with the engine in neutral, it’ll know it’s in standalone generator mode and switch to that algorithm,” explains Calder. “It will likely be cheaper than a generator installation, and eliminates the issue of the through-hulls, the cooling circuits, the long running hours, the maintenance.”
The system allows you to run all sorts of creature comforts on board that would normally require a generator: from hot water on-demand to coffee makers and freezers. “We honestly believe that this system is going to supplant generators on almost all boats that currently have, or would like to have, a generator,” adds Calder.
With the engine in gear and at low revs, tests show how the Integrel can produce some 2kW of power without increasing fuel consumption or reducing speed – simply utilising the engine’s wasted capacity. This means it will work with the yacht’s existing engine – no need to overspec – and it has already been successfully installed on a new Southerly 480, a Malo 46 and a similar-sized Hallberg-Rassy.
Built by Dufour in 2016, Alcyone was immediately retrofitted professionally with Oceanvolt’s SD15 saildrive motor, supplied by a 14kWh lithium battery bank. Owners Michael Melling and Diana Kolpak also specced an 8kWh DC generator for range extension. The fit out cost €30,600 for the motor and battery system, plus an additional €13,744 for the generator, and installation costs were around €8,000.
They charter the boat out near Vancouver, for exploring Desolation Sound and the surrounding area where silent, clean propulsion is a selling point. “Nothing spoils the joy of sailing – or a secluded anchorage – more than the noise and smell of diesel engines,” they explained. “Installing an Oceanvolt system in our new boat has freed us from that. It’s the way of the future.”
Charter manager Merion Martin said the conversion has also been popular with charter customers, adding: “The main advantage of the system is that it consistently uses around 40% less fuel than a standard diesel engine over the course of a week’s charter. But understanding the power management system takes a bit of getting used to, and the many components involved in the system can make troubleshooting a challenge.”
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If you sail you likely spend considerable time—and money—cleaning, fixing, and worrying about your diesel or gas engine. When it comes to safety, your backup propulsion is as important as your sails. Can you rely on electric motors for safety? What are the pros and cons of buying an electric sailboat?
Diesel engines are reliable, but they pollute. Diesel (and gas) engines emit greenhouse gasses and exhaust that includes particulate matter and carcinogens that are a risk to human health.
Until recently, alternatives to marine diesel engines were limited. Boat owners could carry out their own repower projects or purchase expensive commercial electric motors. Storage capacity was a problem.
Fortunately, the winds are shifting and there are now numerous high quality and economically competitive alternatives to traditional marine engines. In this article we describe the pros and cons of purchasing a new motor or repowering an existing engine. We also describe the market for marine electric propulsion systems and identify leading boat builders, manufacturers, and installers.
The climate is warming and we continue to pump greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere at a torrid pace. Transport emissions, including road, rail, air and marine transportation, account for nearly a quarter of global CO 2 emissions. 1 https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/transport/ According to the United Nation’s International Maritime Organization , marine traffic accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO 2 emissions.
While emissions from recreational boaters are less than those from shipping and fishing fleets, they are still considerable. According to an estimate from electricmotoryachts.com , if just 5% of the roughly 13 million registered boats in the United States today repowered with electric, boaters would eliminate an estimated 1 billion pounds of CO 2 emissions. Scaled across boaters around the world, the potential for boaters to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions is significant.
Exposure to diesel emissions also poses health risks. The smallest particulate matter can contribute to heart attacks, strokes, and lung disease. High exposure to small particulates can impair brain development in children. The International Agency for Research on Cancer , part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies diesel engine exhaust as carcinogenic to humans.
Global concern over climate is leading to a revolution in how we produce and use renewable energy. This is particularly true in the transportation sector. Sales of electric cars in 2019 increased 40%. In 2020, Tesla motors alone produced almost 500,000 new electric vehicles. This helped to propel Elon Musk to become the world’s wealthiest person. Electric vehicle penetration is still just about 3% but growing dramatically 2 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/mckinsey-electric-vehicle-index-europe-cushions-a-global-plunge-in-ev-sales# A key factor driving this growth, according to the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Energy Agency, is innovation in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and other storage technology. Batteries now account for nearly 90% of all patenting activity in the area of electricity storage. Between 2005 and 2018, patenting activity in batteries and related electricity storage technologies grew four times faster than the average of all technology fields. 3 https://www.iea.org/reports/innovation-in-batteries-and-electricity-storage
It is clear we are reaching a tipping point for electric automobiles and trucks 4 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/22/electric-vehicles-close-to-tipping-point-of-mass-adoption . Is the marine sector also experiencing an electric revolution?
The market for marine electric propulsion systems is lagging what is happening with cars and trucks. However, the potential for growth in this sector is extraordinary. In an article published in Yachting World, Christoph Ballin, CEO of electric motor manufacturer Torqueedo, estimated that only about 1.3% of marine propulsion systems are electric. 5 https://www.yachtingworld.com/features/future-yachting-smart-technology-126136 According to an article published in 2017 by IDTechEx there are over 100 manufacturers of electric boats and ships with an estimate of more than $20 billion in global sales by 2027 for non-military boats. According to the IDTechEx report, recreational boats are the largest—and fastest—growing electric marine market by sales.
The growth potential is enormous considering the size of the recreation economy. In the United States alone, in 2019 outdoor recreation generated US$ 788 billion dollars in output. 6 https://boatingindustry.com/news/2020/11/12/orr-provides-breakdown-of-latest-recreation-economy-data/ An estimated $37 billion of this came from retail sales of boats, engines, accessories and marine services. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) data, Boating and fishing was the largest conventional activity for the nation as a whole, adding US$ 23.6 billion to the economy. This was the largest conventional activity in 30 states and the District of Columbia and the second largest activity in 11 states. 7 https://boatingindustry.com/news/2020/11/12/orr-provides-breakdown-of-latest-recreation-economy-data/
What are the pros and cons of electric motors for sailing?
Who are industry leaders in the electric sailboat space?
Numerous companies produce electric and hybrid propulsion systems for the marine sector. Some of the best known and highest quality brands that provide electric propulsion systems for yachts and sailboats include:
Who builds sailboats with electric motors?
Electric propulsion is going mainstream. Dozens of boat builders are building electric-only boats (like SoelYachts.com and Silent-Yachts.com ). Some traditional yacht builders now offer electric propulsion options—and this will likely grow to include all major manufacturers in coming years. Examples of leading yacht manufacturers that include electric propulsion options include:
Who can help me convert my sailboat to electric propulsion?
A growing number of companies are dedicated to helping boat builders and individuals convert their yachts. These companies may provide design and support options for advanced battery systems, solar and wind systems, hydrogenation, and overall system design. Some of these companies produce their own electric motors and systems. Leading companies in the field include:
A small but growing number of yacht dealers offer new and used electric boats. Green Yacht Sales is an example of a small company that supports the sale of electric yachts and systems from diverse manufacturers.
Global clearinghouses, like YachtWorld and Boat Trader , now provide options to filter searches for electric propulsion sailboats.
Until recently, the amount of energy batteries could store was limited. The cost of buying a new battery bank was prohibitive for most sailors. Today, however, costs are dropping and batteries provide more charge. Range anxiety remains one of the biggest reasons sailors don’t want to swap out polluting diesel engines for quieter and cleaner all-electric systems. However, this concern will soon be obsolete.
There are many high quality marine battery suppliers. Some of the major players in the LiPO market include:
Okay, this all sounds good in theory, but is it really possible to throw out your old engine and install a new motor? Here are a few examples of individuals and companies making the switch to electric yachts.
As with many disruptive technologies, it is easier for wealthy individuals to pay more—often much more—for tomorrow’s technology today. That said, these Super Early Adopters are a harbinger of things to come. These individuals may be risk takers but they are also typically really smart and forward-thinking.
Swedish billionaire Niklas Zennstrom is one example of a pioneering “mogul” in the electric yacht world. The founder of Skype and former Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People awardee, in 2018 Zennstrom’s team launched Rán VII. Yachtingworld described the boat as “…so angular it calls to mind Darth Vader or a Stealth bomber.”
Zennstrom shared his views on the future of electric racing in a CNN article in 2018:
“Having gone through the design, build and initial test cycle there is no doubt to me that the future for racing yachts is electric propulsion. It's lighter, less drag, quieter, and most importantly it is environmentally friendly.”
Do-it-yourselfers have been converting electric sailboats for years. The mainstream boating magazines and the media are increasingly showcasing the stories of these sailors retrofitting their boats. A few examples of well-publicized electric yacht conversion stories include:
We are facing a climate emergency and the world is mobilizing to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses. A growing number of boat builders, engine and battery producers, service companies, and individuals are addressing this need by building and retrofitting emission-free sailboats. We are still in the early stages of this transformation, but change is coming quickly.
Some of the major challenges—and opportunities—for catalyzing this transition in coming years include:
We are at the dawn of a new age of sailing. With each passing month electric propulsion technology is improving. Motors are getting better, batteries and solar panels are getting cheaper, and electric sailboats are starting to become mainstream.
If you want to learn more about healthy products, check out The Sail Greener Guide to Healthy Sailing . If you want to learn more about who is working to conserve the ocean, see our list of The Best Ocean Conservation Organizations for Sailors .
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It’s no secret that we’re approaching, or have maybe even passed the moment in history where most buyers are considering buying an electric vehicle. The awkward early adopter phase is long gone, doubters few and far between, and every car manufacturer has at least some EV options, while others focus exclusively on electric and are experiencing massive growth. Mass adoption is here, the prices are falling, and infrastructure and legislature are hurrying to catch up.
All of this has left many people wondering why not bring sailing boats into the electric world? Sailing was never about motoring, never about engine speed – it is about that connection to nature, the serenity of the sea and the challenge. So why not get rid of the “dirty and loud” diesel engine, and simply exchange it for “clean and quiet” electric propulsion? Motor out of the marina or bay in silence, then use the sun, wind and waves to continue your journey.
Well – it turns out that like all good things in life, it’s not that simple, but it can be completely viable if approached correctly, and Elan and Oceanvolt have partnered-up to offer just that.
EARLY ADOPTER PHASE
Unlike the automobile industry, electric-powered yachting is still in the early adopter phase. That is why picking experienced manufacturers is crucial. Elan Yachts, for instance, had built various highly successful projects with Oceanvolt in the past and were part of the pioneering few boatbuilders to take on the challenge. The partnership flourished and matured so that Elan is now working exclusively with Oceanvolt and has extended the offer to their whole range of yachts. But what does being an early adopter mean for the buyer? Mostly that the technology is here, but the price is high. For a well-rounded, high-quality and reliable system, you can expect to pay 20-30% more than a comparable diesel-powered sailing yacht. And since a large part of that cost is for the batteries, do not expect that to change very soon as the demand for Lithium-ion batteries is only increasing.
FOR SERIOUS SAILORS
However, let’s assume that the price is not a problem. You want to be among the first few with a zero-emissions yacht – no noise, no exhaust, no smell and no environmental restrictions. You want to sail without the use of fossil fuels. You want the famous instant power output benefits of electricity in emergency situations, no engine rev settling, no pre-start waiting and low maintenance costs. You want to use the wind and the sun to re-charge. All of these are actual benefits of electric yacht propulsion, but what are the downsides? For committed sailors, there are not many. The operating range of high-end electric propulsion systems like the one from Oceanvolt is from 25 to 70 miles at 5 knots (and more, depending on the battery pack options and power generation), which is more than enough to get you in and out of marinas and bays and still have plenty left over to get you out of a bind. The rest, you sail. And if the yacht is fast, the winds are fair and you achieve 5 knots or more, Oceanvolt’s hydrogeneration kicks in and generates power for recharging the battery bank. Hydrogeneration creates drag of only 0.1 knot at a boat speed of 7.0 knots – so it is barely noticeable. If you can go even faster, the power generation increases exponentially (see GRAPH 1).
GRAPH 1: Elan E4 Power generation prediction
(Source: Oceanvolt)
LIVING ABOARD
Buying an electric-powered yacht is still far from an off-the-shelf experience. You need a trusted team of specialists who will guide you through the process and make sure they create a custom solution according to your needs and a good partnership between the shipyard and the electric propulsion provider is crucial. Why is this so different from a car? A yacht is an independent element on the sea and, unlike a car, it will need to provide its owner with much more than just propulsion. It is imperative therefore to consider everything, from the way the yacht is built to the equipment on board. Since you will spend most of your time sailing, you need a yacht that performs well and is easy to sail. A good, reliable sail plan and rig, like the one on Elan yachts, will give you enough options to substitute the practicality of a diesel engine. Elan’s VAIL technology keeps the weight down, its short-handed sailing approach and comfort-centric design will keep you comfortable even when sailing for longer periods, and the high-end electronics are designed to keep consumption low. That is crucial because you will need to bear in mind cooking, refrigeration, water and cabin heating and entertainment, as well as the availability of ports/marinas with good electrical infrastructure. Of course, there are fossil fuel solutions for all these challenges, and Elan’s and Oceanvolt’s partnership offers a hybrid option with a 48V DC generator, which is very practical, if on the pricier side. Purists, however, will want to go full electric. And for them, more renewable power generation options like photovoltaics, a wind generator or a humbler approach to on-board living will be crucial, especially in colder climates. Bear in mind that experienced shipyards like Elan Yachts will be able to provide a complete solution, including solar panel procurement and installation.
POWER OPTIONS
How powerful are electric motors on sailboats? Well, Oceanvolt offers two different propulsion systems. The Finland-based company has developed a 6, 8, 10 and 15kW SD saildrive, as well as a special 10 and 15kW ServoProp with even better hydrogeneration, thanks to its patented and DAME-awarded software-controlled propeller blades, which change pitch to generate as much power as possible. Depending on the yacht, the entry-level SD saildrive enables 5 knots of cruising speed and a top speed of 7 knots on the 30 ft Elan E3. Bear in mind that power consumption and speed is inverse in relation to power generation – as you go faster, you consume exponentially more power (see GRAPH 2) The good part is that the motor and the saildrive weigh only 42.5 kg, which offsets some of the battery weight. In addition, all of the motors are all closed-circuit liquid-cooled, so there is no annoying spluttering.
GRAPH 2 : Elan E3 RANGE PREDICTION
Source: (Oceanvolt)
Want to go electric?
Get in touch with Elan Yachts, and request the configuration of your ideal electric-powered sailboat. Elan is the only yacht manufacturer offering complete electric propulsion solution for the whole range of yachts. Contact our experts, build an energy balance sheet for your needs and your new Elan, taking into account the type of sailing, the environment, living habits and other possible criteria, to create the optimal setup.
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Everything electric boats and boating
Sweden’s arcona yachts has announced that their new arcona 415 has oceanvolt electric propulsion as a standard feature, a first for series-produced sailing yachts..
Having electric as standard on a boat like the 415 marks a big change. Now it means that potential owners would have to specifically ask about diesel as an option, which then requires comparing its pros and cons to electric. Arcona obviously thinks most will go with the clean, quiet, zero emission system.
“Electric is here to stay” says Urban Lagnéus, Arcona Yachts CEO. “The ability to spend your leisure time at sea without emissions, and yet gain advantages in comfort and performance, opens up a new world of opportunities for our normal usage. Our cruisers sail beautifully in any conditions, but in light winds and close to marinas, if you need to use the engine, electric propulsion is the way forward.”
To provide the motors and electric system the company turned to Oceanvolt , which was founded in 2004 by avid sailor Janne Kjellman and is a pioneer in zero emission propulsion for sailboats.
Their modular AXC series lets the user ‘stack’ motors to build power configurations of 10kW, 20kW, 30kW or 40kW and their patented ServoProp variable pitch sail drive was a 2017 category winner in the prestigious DAME awards that recognize the best-designed products in each year’s METSTRADE nautical trade show.
It is the ServoProp with hydroregeneration that will be the standard on the Arcona 415, using a 15kW system and 19kWh battery pack. In hydro regeneration (sometimes called just regeneration or ‘regen’) the electric motor can be instantly converted to an electricity-generating turbine that is turned by the ServoProp propeller while the boat is under wind power. That electricity is then stored in the system’s battery pack for later use.
One of the keys for regen is achieving enough speed to get the propeller turning, and the Arcona yachts are well suited to the task. The boatyard is known for ‘cruiser-racers’ which are designed to perform well in racing when the pilot has an expert team aboard, but also be comfortable, safe and easy to sail for relaxed family cruising.
Lagnéus says “The sleek and light hull design works extraordinarily well with electric propulsion, however our customers have seen the hydro regeneration commence when the yacht is sailing at a speed as low as 3.3 knots.”
Arcona is also a pioneer in electric propulsion. It already has the largest fleet of electric sailboats on the water, the first being the Arcona 380Z (for Zero emission) launched in 2015. In 2019 Graham Balch of Green Yacht Sales wrote about What it’s Like to Cross the Atlantic Ocean in an Electric Sailboat. You can read the whole story »» on the Green Yachts site , but here’s a teaser:
And (spoiler alert):
“ Would I do it again? Crossing the ocean in an electric sailboat was so enjoyable compared to a sailboat with a diesel engine, I would never want to cross the ocean with a diesel engine ever again (pretty similar to how most Tesla owner feels about the idea of going back to driving a gas car).”
Sailing boat owners have been some of the first to adopt electric propulsion over the past decade, with a big reason most likely being that many sailors like sailing for the very reason that they prefer silence and fresh air to the sounds and odours of diesel and gasoline motors.
Many owners have converted boats themselves, with motors from companies like Oceanvolt , Fischer-Panda , Bellmarine , Thoosa and others (check the Plugboats Guide to Electric Saildrives and Pods and the Marketplace of Electric Motors ).
A growing number of builders have been offering electric propulsion as an option, and the number of manufacturers doing so is increasing almost daily. In February Elan yachts was the first to offer electric as an option across its entire fleet , and an Electric Sailboat category was started in this year’s Gustave Trouvé Awards. You can see the nominees »» here
As Arcona’s Lagnéus says: “The benefits of electric propulsion are numerous; not having an exhaust and the elimination therefore of emissions, the ongoing cost saving vs. fuelling up with diesel, the minimized operating noise and vibrations, the increased space for living, the complete power management, the ease of use and maintenance, and having an overall lighter weight thus increased performance.”
“We can all do our bit to combat climate change, and to be the first yacht builders with zero emission propulsion as a standard is an important step towards further enjoyment of sailing the Arcona way.”
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The silence of an Oceanvolt electric propulsion is a skipper's dream. Whether quietly maneuvering through a harbor or motor-sailing on low-wind days to create your own apparent wind, our electric solutions will enhance and extend your sailing enjoyment.
Oceanvolt offers Hybrid or Electric systems as a power & propulsion option in partnership with many leading monohull boat builders - adding new partners continuously. We also offer repowering solutions for converting away from legacy diesel engines – removing the diesel engine, fuel tanks and exhaust system - cleaning up greasy, smelly engine compartments and freeing up both weight and space below deck.
Oceanvolt systems are scaled and configured to achieve maximum efficiency - taking into consideration boat length, beam and displacement as well as system weight and placement within the boat. Range, beyond battery capacity, is extended through hydro generation while sailing above 6kn. This can be complemented with either a portable AC generator or a DC generator (in larger boats or for long distance cruising).
All Oceanvolt systems are engineered to operate at 48 volts for passenger safety and ease of repair. Oceanvolt systems are extremely low maintenance and do not require winterizing (no annual engine maintenance/storage costs).
Owner testimonials.
John Vo knows nil about boats. He says it’s ideal for an e-boat builder. “People ask us what experience we have, and I say, ‘Zip. Nothing. Zero,’” says Vo, whose team at Blue Innovations Group is preparing to launch its first electric boat, the R30, this autumn. “But you can’t use the same people from the same industry to revolutionize themselves.”
Vo, the former head of manufacturing for Tesla, is just one among many minds trying to bring electric-powered boats into widespread production. So many longtime boatbuilders are transitioning from internal-combustion to electric power , and so many other builders are popping up anew, that the president of the American Boat and Yacht Council says his agency’s safety experts are being “bombarded” with requests about technology that’s changing by the day. E-boat prototypes and launches are coming from long-standing marine brands such as Chris-Craft (the Launch 25 GTe) and Four Winns (the H2e) at the same time that newer brands are promising everything from an electric dayboat (the Blue Innovations R30) to a catamaran with world-cruising capability, but without generators or fuel tanks (the Zen50).
And as the boats get bigger than about 30 feet length overall, trying to understand all the different ways they can work becomes even more of a challenge.
“I expect, in the nautical industry, we will have full-electric propulsion, but we can expect hybrid energy,” says Michael Jost, founder of eD-TEC, an electric-propulsion system that will be on the Silent Speed 28 tender at the Cannes Yachting Festival this autumn. “There will be smaller boats that can run fully electric, and the bigger boats will have fully electric propulsion but hybrid energy.”
Before joining the marine community, Jost was a manager at Volkswagen, helping to lead its transition to electric power in vehicles. He says the recreational marine industry today is where automotive was decades ago: filled with ideas and trying to learn what the broader marketplace solutions will be. The difference between automotive and marine, he says, is that with marine, you can go from displacement to gliding to foiling.
That’s right: Foiling technology that lifts boats off the water’s surface is also part of e-boat thinking today—so are wing sails, which most boaters recognize as part of the high-tech builds used for America’s Cup racing. And, of course, there’s ever more ways to install solar power, which can help recharge the banks of batteries that make electric boats go.
Every possible idea is on the table, Jost says, because the way cruising boats have always been built just isn’t efficient enough for the switch to e-power, which includes heavy batteries that weigh boats down. “The boats of today are not true,” Jost says. “If you have a bad boat, you don’t see it. You put more power, more gasoline inside, and then you are happy. But if you go electric, you are not happy because you don’t get the range. The boat has to be much more efficient than an internal-combustion boat—and the boat business does not want to change the hull. That’s why we are looking to support builders working with the hydrodynamic foils.”
Vo says his team at Blue Innovations Group is also trying to think differently about boat design: Forget about the hulls that traditional molds were built to create, and wonder instead about what might be possible from scratch. “In the old days, anybody who came to Tesla with a long automotive resume, we threw it in the trash,” Vo says. “Otherwise, you’ve got these people with a lot of experience, and they can overwhelm you. Instead of building your vision, they will try to assimilate you, and you revolutionize nothing. You just add another mediocre company. It’s difficult but necessary for us not to hire anybody with boat experience until we reach a critical mass and launch the product. At that point, we’d be stupid not to incorporate their experience into our process.”
Then again, brands with marine experience are also trying to lead. At Mercury Marine, vice president of e-solutions Perissa Bailey—who previously was director of technology at Ford Motor Co.—says it’s understood that electric boats are still in the phase of early adopters, with companies trying to figure out exactly what consumers want. One thing they know for sure at Mercury Marine, she says: “They don’t want to compromise the time they spend on the water. In the early electrification days in automotive, there were a lot of questions about range anxiety. It forced consumers to think about how many miles they drive a day and what’s the cost of ownership for an electric vehicle for that many miles. We’re going through that same learning curve in marine. Customers are saying, ‘If my leisure boating activity typically consists of this many hours on the water, I don’t want to compromise that just because I go electric. And if there’s a series of activities I do, if I’m [riding on a PWC] or fishing or whatever I do, I don’t want to compromise those either if I go electric. I don’t want to have to adapt my usage pattern to a technology. I want the technology to adapt to that usage pattern.’”
The trick is that the technological solution for a boater who wants to cruise to dinner and back is likely to be far different from the solution for a boater who wants to cruise off the grid for months, says Julien Melot, CEO and designer at Zen Yachts, which is preparing to launch the Zen50 catamaran. It has solar power, along with a wingsail, with the latter adding the long-distance range that previous models lacked. “The last boat was great for coastal cruising, but I would not have sold it to a family that wants to cross the Pacific. If it gets cloudy or overcast, the laws of physics apply, and you won’t have enough power to escape the storm,” Melot says. “On the Zen50, with the addition of the wingsail, that problem is solved.”
As with some of the other brands in the e-boat space, Zen Yachts is seeing early adopters who don’t necessarily fit the profile of traditional boaters. “Our client base is not experienced sailors,” he says. “They are more attracted by the fact that you are self-reliant. If the world collapses one more time, they know they can take their boat out, and they’ll be fine.”
And some leaders in this space are already thinking past the boats. They’re focusing instead on where boaters will want to go, as more styles of e-boats take to the water. Silent-Resorts, which is affiliated with the catamaran builder Silent-Yachts, is now creating destinations to harness electric power and make recharging easy for all types of boats, no matter what comes next. The first location, in the Bahamas, is scheduled to finish construction later this year, with build-out starting on the second location, in Fiji, around that same time. “We’re talking with all the builders,” says Victor Barrett, CEO of Silent-Resorts. “We’re setting up in areas where cruising is popular, and we’re setting up the micro grid that connects the marinas, facilities and residences. If you have a house that’s not occupied, all that power is going into the central grid so the boats can plug in, charge fast and go. The boats can feed power into the island as well. We’ll be the first company in multiple locations to have Silent-Marinas ready to accept electric boats.”
All these advancements, of course, are far from inexpensive. The cost of a Blue Innovations Group R30 is about $300,000. The Silent Speed 28, Jost says, is likely to retail for about 500,000 euros (that was about $550,000 at press time). “The batteries are expensive,” Jost says. “You need new software. You have to develop it. And you have to make it lightweight. It might take about five years for the price to come down.” Until then, expect to pay as much as $440,000 to $660,000 for e-boats up to about 30 feet length overall, he adds. “It’s double what you pay for an outboard system, but the scale of combustion comes from the automotive industry, so if that industry loses scale by going electric, you will also lose that scale for the nautical industry on combustion.”
And the people buying e-boats right now often care more about innovation than prices. Melot says four Zen50 catamarans have been sold. The first and third are going to the East and West coasts in the United States; the other two are headed to Europe. Three of the four clients are Tesla shareholders. “Typically, the clients already have an electric car, they already have solar panels on their home, and the next thing they can buy is an electric boat,” he says, adding that for these folks, electric power is the top consideration. “They don’t want to hear about a yacht that has diesel on board.”
Torqeedo’s Deep Blue 100i 2500 is an inboard system that provides 100 kW of continuous power for planing powerboats. It’s made with the same type of lithium batteries that are now found in some cars, but with components that are waterproof and that come with monitoring to guard against short circuits. The company offers a nine-year warranty for boats in private use, with the hope that the long guarantee will help customers feel secure about the type of power. Torqeedo also markets Deep Blue as low-maintenance and emission-free.
Blue Innovations Group is taking reservations for the R30, which is expected to cost about $300,000. Customers who put down $5,000 can get one of the first 100 hulls. For $1,000, customers can be next in line after that. As of this writing, more than 50 reservations were in hand.
While some e-boat builders are trying to solve design challenges for long-distance cruising, Blue Innovations Group is starting with a dayboat. The 30-foot R30 will have the capacity to carry 12 people with an estimated run time of eight hours and a top hop of 39 knots.
Swedish e-boat builder X Shore recently announced a partnership with the German company Bosch Engineering to improve the performance and efficiency on the drive system aboard the 21-foot X Shore 1. Bosch’s background is in passenger cars, commercial vehicles, RVs, rail, ships and other industries. This partnership marks Bosch’s first foray into the world of e-boats for leisure use. The goal of the partnership is to share series production experience as well as proven high-performance components from the automotive world.
The team working on creating Silent-Resorts is talking with government officials in Fiji about deploying a floating ring that collects rainwater and generates solar power as an eco-friendly way to address two of the biggest challenges that hamper island development. Eventually, a similar system may also launch in the Bahamas.
Creators of the world’s first series produced, solar-powered electric yachts.
Noiseless cruising, zero emission, minimal maintenance, pioneering solar powered yachting since 2009.
As the original inventors of series produced solar-electric yachts, we pioneered this innovative approach. Our first model, the Silent 64, was launched to the market in 2016, several years before any other shipyard considered the possibility of going electric.
Our founders began to research alternative energy sources to power yachts during the mid 1990s. Today, the technology of our in-house developed solar-electric drivetrain has been perfected and is multiple generations ahead in terms of reliability, performance and efficiency.
In 2009, the Solarwave 46 was launched as our first prototype of a fully solar-electric, self-sufficient ocean-going catamaran. Since then, our electric yachts have cruised many 10.000s of nautical miles, performing flawlessly during a variety of weather conditions.
What differentiates a Silent is the unprecedented level of autonomy provided by our yachts. Being able to produce your own energy enables a fully self-sufficient lifestyle on board. Travel the oceans sustainably while making them your infinite playground.
The award-winning entry to solar-electric yachts.
Timeless design meets state-of-the-art technology.
The boldest expression of solar powered yachting yet.
The tranquility on board of our yachts is unique. A lack of noise, fumes and vibrations create a deep connection with the sea. Luxury and sustainability finally merged into a holistic experience, working hand in hand with nature by minimizing the impact on the marine environment without compromising comfort.
For optimal performance and efficiency, our solar-electric drivetrain integrates seamlessly with all onboard systems. Compared to fossil fuelled powertrains of motoryachts, electric powertrains have very few moving parts, resulting in minimal maintenance, maximum reliability and significantly lower running costs.
The ability to recharge your own batteries with the sun marks a new era of freedom. Depending on cruising speeds and weather conditions, a Silent has virtually unlimited range, enabling you to live a fully self-sufficient lifestyle on board. Unbound by the limitations of fossil fuels, you are free to explore the horizons.
The technology powering our yachts today has been pioneered by our founders almost three decades ago. Continuous upgrading and steady optimization of the entire system are some of the key reasons our in-house developed solar-electric drivetrain offers a comprehensive portfolio of assurances and warranties.
A sensible approach to yachting which works in self-sufficient harmony with nature and creates a completely new experience on board.
Let’s break down the advantages of harnessing the sun’s energy for yacht propulsion: solar power offers remarkable efficiency, significant environmental benefits, and an unmatched synergy with the yachting experience. Join us as we dive into the future of sustainable yachting and discover how solar-powered yachts are revolutionizing the seas.
“The Tesla of the seas! An amazing founding couple, a highly innovative product as well as a really cool story behind it. Furthermore, a lot of love and attention has been invested into every single detail – truly impressive!” Frank Thelen / TV Personality, Founder, Angel Investor & Disruption Expert
While the present has brought us the dawn of smart cars, I strongly believe the future will bring us solar powered smart boats – and I definitely want to be at the frontline of that journey. Michael Jost / Former Head of Group Strategy of Volkswagen Group
The idea of sailing while charging your own battery is super powerful to me – solar powered sailing is the perfect love story! Jochen Rudat / Former Tesla Central Europa Director, Advisory Board Silent Group
Elon Musk single handedly forced an entire industry to go electric, as a matter of fact if they don’t all go electric now they will soon die. I would like to see the same thing happening for boating. You are not just selling boats – you are the actual leading edge of a crucial and much overdue revolution to sustainable transport!” Klaus Obermeyer / Emmy Award Winner
I am completely excited about solar catamarans. I knew before they are great but now I truly believe this is the future. After so many boats I’ve seen in over 18 years with Boote Exclusiv, this yacht truly blew my mind. Such a silent and peaceful cruising experience – just the way it should be. Martin Hager / Editor in Chief for Boote Exclusiv - Yachts
The future is here. Since 1928, Hinckley has been leading the way in the design of beautiful, highly innovative, and timeless yachts. In 2017, Dasher Concept launched as the world’s first fully electric luxury yacht.
The Dasher story started in 2016 in the wake of a Hinckley-sponsored technology summit to discuss the future of yachting. This gathering of futurists included entrepreneurial leaders, accomplished engineers, and known innovators from all over the world. The final decision to develop a concept boat with Zero-Emmissions, bleeding-edge construction techniques, 3D printing, and an unparalleled operator interface paved the way for advancements across the entire Hinckley product line. Today, All Hinckleys benefit from simplified digital interfaces, infused carbon epoxy construction among other advancements inspired by the Dasher Concept.
Designed from the ground up for fully electric propulsion, Dasher achieves a new standard of excellence with modern styling paired with super lightweight construction. From her carbon-epoxy composite hull, to her hand-painted, lightweight Artisanal Teak, every ounce of weight has been shaved and every curve sculpted.
Arriving not with a roar, but with our silent Whisper Drive propulsion system powered by dual BMW i3 lithium ion batteries, the shape of the future is also the sound of silence. The result is a serenity not easily found. Time to reconnect with friends and family, sharing a conversation and enjoying quiet, quality time together. With zero emissions and zero time lost traveling to the pump and back, it’s not what we’ve added to Dasher but what we’ve removed that you’ll love most.
Dasher is the lightest Hinckley Yacht ever created. With a carbon-epoxy composite hull and carbon stringers, Dasher is light and sleek, bringing together performance and propulsion like never before.
BMW i3 lithium ion batteries have been designed with a prismatic cell design for efficient cooling and temperature distribution with compact size and superior shock resistance.
The shape of the future is also the sound of silence. Quiet propulsion and zero emissions make Dasher the best way to spend time on the water with family and friends. This is the heart of the world’s first fully electric luxury yacht.
Say goodbye to the tank — and all that comes with it. Dasher accepts dual 50amp charging cables so you can charge twice as fast as the most popular plug-in electric cars. Dasher gains a full charge in under 4 hours with dual 50 amp charging.
* All performance data, including speeds, fuel consumption and range, is estimated and not guaranteed. Actual performance may vary. Boat performance may be impacted by many factors including, but not limited to, loaded displacement, boat configuration and options, trim, sea conditions, climate, hull bottom, surface condition and mechanical systems condition
LENGTH, OVERALL | 28’ 6” |
LENGTH, HULL | 28' 6" |
LENGTH, WATERLINE | 27' 2" |
BEAM | 8’ 7” |
DRAFT | 1' 11" |
DISPLACEMENT | 6,500 lbs. |
CRUISING SPEED | 7 knots |
TOP SPEED | 23.5 knots |
Time at Cruise | 5 hours |
Images and media on this page may represent optional equipment or previous specifications. Specifications and equipment are subject to change.
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Electric boats are here and they are quietly turning heads all over the world, we pick out 37 of the most exciting all-electric projects being built right now...
Electric boats are here to stay. What started as a trickle of electric craft over the past few years has turned into a torrent with everyone from Riva to Axopar jumping on the bandwagon.
Hybrid diesel electric boats are by no means a new concept in the marine world, but the latest generation of electric boats, not to mention electric outboard motors , is proving that this technology is no longer something to look forward to in the future, electric boats are a viable option right now.
Here at MBY.com, we’ve been following the electric boats revolution with intent for over a decade and now there are enough models on the market to make this style of boat a true competitor to conventional diesel and petrol-powered boats.
With a network of fast electric boat chargers already in place along the French Riviera, and plans for many more in marinas all over Europe and the UK, it looks like the electric revolution is now fully under way.
Read on for our round-up of the best electric boats currently in build…
Near silent cruising at 5-7 knots is the electric Alfastreet’s forte
These Slovenian-built boats are now a common sight on the Thames where their elegant lines, large sociable cockpits and clever lifting hard tops make them ideally suited to lazy days afloat.
Although most of them are available with powerful petrol outboard or sterndrive engines for fast coastal passages, Alfastreet also offers factory-fit electric boat versions of all its models for inland use.
Designed for slow speed displacement cruising , these are built for slipping along silently at 5-6 knots with zero emissions rather than rushing about at speed.
The top-of-the-range Alfastreet 28 Cabin, for example, is powered by twin 10kW motors for a top speed of around 7.5 knots and an estimated cruising range of 50nm at 5 knots from its twin 25kWh batteries.
Alfastreet 28 Cabin specifications
LOA: 28ft 3in (8.61m) Motor: 2 x 10kW Battery: 2 x 25kWh Top speed: 7.5 knots Range: 50nm Price: Approx £150,000 (inc. VAT)
Article continues below…
Volvo penta d4 hybrid first look: is this the future of boat propulsion.
Ski boats are all about instant-on torque to punch you out of the hole and leap on the plane. New California start-up Arc Boat Company is ensuring its upcoming Arc One ski boat will do just that, courtesy of its honking 350kW electric motor.
In case you’re wondering, that’s the equivalent of 475hp. Or around twice the juice on tap in the highest-capacity Tesla Model S. It also means a top speed of 40mph, and enough amps to keep you skiing or wake-boarding for up to five hours.
The aluminium-hulled 24-footer, with seats for 10, is the first offering from Los Angeles-based Arc, which is being headed-up by Tesla’s former head of manufacturing. He’s expecting the first electric boats to be delivered, with custom trailer included, this summer.
ARC One specifications
LOA: 24ft (7.3m) Motor: 350kW Battery: 200 kWh Top speed: 35 knots Range: 160nm at 35 knots Starting price: $300,000 / £226,000
The Boesch 750 offers all the style, heritage and performance you could wish for, and an electric motor
This exclusive Swiss yard has been in business since 1910 building elegant retro sportsboats for lake and sea use.
Unlike Riva , it still builds exclusively in wood using a lightweight mahogany laminate construction that it claims is as strong and easy to maintain as a modern GRP hull.
All its craft use a traditional mid-mounted engine with a straight shaft propeller and rudder steering for maximum reliability and a flat trim angle, making them well suited for use as ski boats.
The current range comprises six models from 20ft to 32ft, however only the models up to 25ft are available as electric boats.
The top-of-the-range electric model, the Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe, has twin 50kW Piktronik motors giving a top speed of 21 knots and a range of 14nm.
Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe specification
LOA: 24ft 7in (7.5m) Motor: 2 x 50kW Battery: 2 x 35.6kWh Top speed: 21 knots Range: 14nm @ 20 knots Price: €336,000 (ex. VAT)
The Candela C-8 recently set a world record for electric boat endurance by covering 420nm in 24hrs
With a claimed range of 50nm at 22 knots, overnight accommodation for two and a more robust deep vee foiling hull , this new Candela C-8 could be the electric boats game-changer we were waiting for.
Whereas the Candela C-7 looked oddly dated for such a high-tech boat, the C-8 has a purity of line to it that is fresh, modern and distinctive. With its vertical bow, slender beam and subtly contoured topsides free of scoops, slats or unnecessary styling lines, it has a pared back simplicity to it that oozes confidence.
It doesn’t need to shout for attention because every pair of eyes will be glued to it the minute it rises onto its foils and flies silently past the assembled onlookers, leaving nothing but a lingering aura of astonishment hanging in the air.
New for 2023, the C-8 will now be available with an uprated 69kWh Polestar 2 Standard battery pack, which considerably improves the range (as the Candela C-8’s recent world record attempt proved), and with the option of a center console deck layout.
Candela C-8 specifications
LOA: 27ft 11in (8.50m) Motor: 45-55kW Candela C-Pod Battery: 44-69kWh Top speed: 24 knots Range: 51nm Price: €290,000 (ex. VAT)
Watch our full test drive review of the Candela C-8
Electric motors powered by batteries, solar panels and ICE generators allow it to cruise night and day
Newcomer Cosmopolitan Yachts is hoping to shake up the market for large electric boats with a striking new 66ft (20.1m) solar-powered catamaran called the Cosmopolitan 66.
An all-aluminium multihull design, the Cosmpolitan 66 features a vast amount of interior space thanks to a maximum beam of 35ft (10.67m).
The outside deck spaces are just as generous, with entertainment terraces fore and aft as well as wide side decks and a huge, almost square flybridge .
Cosmopolitan 66 specifications
LOA: 66ft (20.1m) Motor: 2x 180kW Battery: 450kWh Top speed: 20 knots Range: TBC Price: TBC
Read more about the Cosmopolitan 66
Two-tiered windows provide big views and generous light down below
The new Vripack-designed Delphia 10 is a very versatile yacht. You can spec it with either a diesel engine of up to 110hp or an electric shaft drive from 40 to 80hp.
You can also tailor the layout to your needs with one of three standard arrangements. The Delphia 10 Sedan is a traditional pilothouse model with walkaround side decks and a large cockpit settee.
The Lounge model (pictured) uses a fully open design, with plenty of seating and a forward cockpit, securely contained within elevated side decks. And the Lounge Top model uses a large flat hardtop that makes a great platform for boat solar panels .
Delphia 10 specifications
LOA: 32ft 1in (9.78m) Beam: 11ft 5in (3.49m) Engines: Single inboard electric 40-80hp / up to 110hp diesel Top speed: 44 knots Price: £229,950 (inc. VAT)
Watch our full yacht tour of the Delphia 10
You can’t talk about electric boats and not talk about Duffy. Since 1970, more than 14,000 of these surrey-topped, genteel bay and lake cruisers have been sold. In Duffy’s home port of Newport Beach, California, there’s an estimated 3,500 of them running around. It’s simply the world’s best-selling electric boat.
Beautifully-built, with cushy seats for 12, a built-in fridge, and a multitude of cupholders, the top-selling Duffy 22 makes the perfect cocktail-hour cruiser.
Don’t expect to get anywhere in a hurry. Top speed is a heady 5.5 knots courtesy of a 48-volt electric motor amped by a bank of 16 six-volt batteries.
One especially cool feature is Duffy’s patented Power Rudder set-up. This integrates the electric motor with the rudder and the four-bladed prop, allowing the whole assembly to rotate almost 90 degrees for easier docking.
Duffy Sun Cruiser 22 specifications
LOA: 22ft (6.7m) Motor: 1 x 50kW Battery: 16 x 6-volt Top speed: 5.5 knots Range: 40nm at 5.5 knots Starting price: $61,500 / £47,000
Another member of the Beneteau Group vying to build the best electric boats, Four Winns will launch a 22ft model called the H2e in late 2022, which it claims is the first all-electric series production bowrider in the world.
Powered by a 180hp electric outboard motor from Vision Marine that promises a 35-knot top speed, the Four Winns H2e will get its American debut at the 2023 Miami Boat Show before going into full production in the summer.
Twin 700v batteries will be fitted, but there’s no word yet on the price or cruising range, but given Four Winns’ pedigree, you can expect the former to be very competitive indeed.
Four Winns H2e specifications
LOA: 22ft (6.7m) Motor: 180hp Vision Marine electric outboard Battery: 2x 700v Top speed: 35 knots Range: TBC Starting price: TBC
The tag line for this Austrian yard is ‘Engineers of Emotion since 1927’, and given the effect its boats tend to have on casual observers, let alone the person sitting behind the helm, we’re inclined to agree.
Simply put, it builds some of the best looking boats on the market, combining rakish proportions with cutting-edge style and exquisite detailing.
Although it builds petrol-powered boats up to 39ft offering searing performance, it also offers most of its smaller craft with the option of silent, emissions-free electric power.
The Frauscher 740 Mirage is a perfect example of this, offering two different electric Torqeedo motors of either 60kW or 110kW. The more powerful of these delivers a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 17-60nm depending on how fast you go.
As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Frauscher have also teamed up with Porsche for an all-electric version of their 8.5m Fantom model, which is due to launch in 2024 as part of a limit edition 25-boat series.
Frauscher 740 Mirage specification
LOA: 24ft 6in (7.47m) Motor: 1 x 60-110kW Battery: 40-80kWh Top speed: 26 knots Range: 17-60nm @ 26-5 knots Starting price: €216,616 (ex. VAT)
Slovenian-based Greenline Yachts can lay claim to kickstarting the current trend for electric boats. Way back in 2008 it launched the first affordable diesel electric hybrid boat, a formula it has been refining and improving ever since.
Greenline now offers an extensive range of cruisers from 33ft to 68ft, all of which are available with all-electric as well as hybrid or conventional diesel power.
The mid-range Greenline 40 is a fine example; the all-electric version is powered by twin 50kW motors giving it a top speed of 11 knots and a range of up to 30nm at 7 knots with a small 4kW range extender increasing that to 75nm at 5 knots.
However, if you need more flexibility the Hybrid model is fitted with twin 220hp Volvo D3 diesel engines boosting the speed to 22 knots but still allowing electric-only cruising at 5 knots for up to 20nm.
Greenline 40 specification
LOA: 39ft 4in (11.99m) Motor: 2 x 50kW Battery: 2 x 40kWh Top speed: 11 knots Range: 30nm @ 7 knots Price: €445,000 (ex. VAT)
Inspired by the curvy lines of Porsche’s classic 1950s 356 Speedster, this achingly-gorgeous Hermes Speedster from UK-based Seven Seas Yachts, has been spinning heads since 2017.
The rakish, Greek-built 22-footer typically comes with a 115hp Rotax Biggles-style motor doing the powering. But more recently it’s been offered with an eco-friendly, 100kW electric motor juiced by a 30 kilowatt-hour battery pack.
Flat out it’ll do just over 30 knots. But throttle back to a more leisurely five knots and it’ll glide in stealthy silence for up to nine hours on a charge. Perfect for a trip up the Thames.
And for lovers of retro, it boasts a curvy chrome-framed windscreen, chrome-ringed gauges in a hand-stitched leather dash, bucket front seats in glove-soft marine leather, and chrome air intakes on the rear deck. A nautical piece of art? You bet.
Hermes Speedster E specifications
LOA: 22ft (6.7m) Motor: 100kW Battery: 1 x 35kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range: 50nm at 5 knots Price: $269,000 / £203,000
Mention the name Hinckley and you immediately conjure-up an image of gorgeous teak-and-stainless, water-jet-thrusted Picnic Boats. But the legendary New England builder has been looking to the future and investing big in electric power.
Its first offering is the sleek 28-foot, all-electric Dasher that comes complete with a BMW-developed lithium-ion battery pack and twin 80hp Torqeedo Deep Blue motors. The high-tech combo can punch the Dasher to a top speed of 23.5 knots. Ease back to seven knots and it’ll run for over five hours on a charge.
Available as an open-deck, fishing-focused runabout, or classic-style windshielded day boat, the Dasher is a hand-built Hinckley bow to stern.
That said, while the boat still looks like it oozes with mirror-varnished teak and stainless fittings, the teak is actually hand-painted composite, the stainless is 3D-printed titanium. That flag-blue hull? Made of carbon-epoxy composites with carbon stringers.
Hinckley Dasher specifications
LOA: 28ft 6in (6.7m) Motor: 2 x 50kW Battery: 40kWh Top speed: 23.5 knots Range: 40 miles at 20 knots Starting price: $545,000 / £412,000
The electric Iguana is capable of three knots on the land and 30 knots at sea
Iguana Yachts has launched the world’s first battery-powered amphibious boat, called the Iguana Foiler. As if that weren’t enough, it also features folding foils and retractable caterpillar tracks.
The all-new 33ft Iguana Foiler is powered by a specially adapted version of Evoy’s new prototype 300hp electric outboard motor fed by a 120kWh lithium-ion battery bank.
To reduce drag and increase range, it rides on a pair of curved surface-piercing foils that fold down from each side and a third T-shaped foil at the rear fitted to a specially extended lower leg of the outboard.
Iguana Foiler specifications
Length: 32.8′ / 10m Beam (min): 10′ / 3.1m Engine: Single 300hp EVOY electric outboard Top speed: 30 knots Range: 50 miles Capacity: 8 people Price: TBC
Read more about the Iguana Foiler
The compact Magonis E-550 is a refreshinghly affordable electric option
Spanish newcomer Magonis may not be the prettiest electric boat on the market but it is certainly one of the most affordable, with prices starting from as little €33,485 inc VAT.
Admittedly that only buys you the least powerful displacement-only 4kW version but even the most powerful 30kW model starts at a relatively modest €68,960 and boasts a top speed of 22 knots.
The key to its performance is a lightweight resin-infused hull that weighs just 335kg, which is powered by off-the-shelf electric outboards from Torqeedo and Mag Power.
Despite its diminutive proportions the squared-off bow means it is Category C rated for up to six people. Battery sizes vary from 10kWh to 23kWh according to engine power, giving a range of up to 60nm at 5 knots.
Magonis Wave e-550 specifications
LOA: 18ft 0in (5.50m) Motor: 1 x 4 – 30kW Battery: 1 x 10 – 23kWh Top speed: 22 knots Range: 30nm @ 3 knots Starting price: €33,485
What makes this 24ft Mannerfelt-designed runabout particularly interesting is its simplicity. Unlike its main foiling rival, the Candela C-7, the Mantaray M24 requires no complicated electronics to ‘fly’.
Instead it uses the builder’s patented mechanical hydrofoil system, which it has trademarked as Dynamic Wing Technology or DWT.
The technology is said to be the result of ten years’ development work and uses a retractable T-foil in the bow and H-foil amidships that self-stabilise mechanically.
Mantaray M24 specifications
LOA: 24ft 0in (5.50m) Motor: 48kW Battery: 26kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range: 60nm Starting price: TBC
Read more about the Mantaray M24
The Marian M800 doesn’t make any compromises on style or speed
This Austrian yard only manufactures all-electric boats so they can be designed from the ground up to suit the packaging requirements of the battery and motor rather than having to accommodate big petrol or diesel engines too.
The result is a supremely elegant range of retro-inspired sportsboats from 19ft to 26ft, as well as a more prosaic lake cruiser. The latest M800 Spider, launched at the 2021 Cannes Yachting Festival , is its prettiest boat yet, rivalling the Riva Iseo for sheer style.
With each boat being built to order, you can specify anything from a 10kW electric motor and affordable 200Ah AGM batteries for lake use up to a 150kW motor and 125kWh lithium ion batteries for a top speed 34 knots (waterskiing is also possible) and a range of 30nm at 16 knots.
Marian M800 Spyder specifications
LOA: 25ft 9in (7.90m) Motor: 1 x 10-150kW Battery: 10-125kWh Top speed: 34 knots Range: 30nm @16 knots Starting price: €238,560
Styling is a bold mix of retro design cues and futuristic detailing
German start-up Mayla Yachts is close to launching the first of its outrageous all-electric performance boats, called the Mayla FortyFour. Based on a Petestep deep-vee hull platform, this ultralight carbon fibre electric boat promises top speeds of over 70 knots.
Twin 800kW dual-core electric motors deliver up to 2,150hp of power to tunnel-mounted surface drives and thanks to the 4,800Nm of torque on tap, the second you apply the throttles, acceleration should be fearsome.
Power comes from either an all-electric 500kWh lithium-ion battery or a smaller 400kWh battery backed up by a 400hp (300kW) diesel generator and fuel tank. This hybrid boat version should give a maximum range of 270nm at 30 knots.
Mayla FortyFour specifications
LOA: 44ft (13.4 m) Beam: 10ft (3.0 m) Displacement: 6,200kgs Water capacity: 200L Power: Twin 400-800kW Battery: 400-500 kWh Li-ion Top speed: 70 knots Cruising range: 70nm (electric) / 270nm (hybrid) Price: TBC
Read more about the Mayla FortyFour
Anyone who has watched America’s Cup boats in action will know foiling does wonders for performance, which is the thinking at Silicon Valley-based and Sergey Brin-backed Navier, which is currently developing one very cool, and very clever, hydro-foiling electric dayboat, the Navier N30.
With its retractable foils and twin 90kW electric motors connected to a 80kWh battery bank, the carbon-hulled Navier can soar four feet above the waves at over 30 knots. Throttle back to 20 and the projected range is over 75 nautical miles, which Navier claims makes this the rangiest 30ft electric boat in the world.
You cake your pick from a Cabin version or open Hardtop, both of which come with a nifty self-docking feature (demonstrated in the video above). Navier says that the 2023 production run has sold out and it is already taking deposits on 2024 boats.
Navier N30 specifications
LOA: 30ft (9.1m) Beam: 8ft 6in (2.6m) Motor: 2 x 90kW Battery: 80kWh Top speed: 35 knots Range: 75 miles at 20 knots Starting price: From $300,000 / £226,000
Designed in Italy and built in Germany, the new Nero 777 looks like a very appealing combination of style and engineering know-how. Due to launch in 2024, it will come with a choice of five Evoy propulsion systems ranging from 60kW all the way up to 300kW.
The latter will offer an impressive top speed in excess of 50 knots, making this one of the fastest electric boats in development. And with a Petestep hull, it should offer a very comfortable ride even at such rapid speeds. Bring the speed back to a leisurely 5 knots and the claimed range shoots up to an impressive 108nm.
Design-wise, the Neto 777 Evolution taps into the current trend for fold-down balconies, which can create a water-level beach club effect – no mean feat on such a compact boat.
Nero 777 Evolution specifications
LOA: 25ft 6in (7.77m) Beam: 8ft 8in (2.63m) Motor: 60-300kW Battery: 40-126kWh Top speed: 50 knots Range: 108nm at 5 knots Starting price: From €287,500
Legendary Swedish yard Nimbus is renowned for its thoughtfully designed and sturdily built boats and the 305 Coupe is no exception.
Although originally designed for conventional combustion engines, it has been successfully adapted for electric use with the aid of a Torqeedo Deep Blue electric motor and a pair of 12.8kWh lithium ion batteries.
The recommended cruising speed is a modest 5.7 knots giving a range of 22nm at this speed but this can be almost doubled with the aid of a second optional battery.
Nimbus 305 Coupe E-Power specifications
LOA: 33ft 3in (10.07m) Motor: 1 x 25kW Battery: 1x 40kWh Top speed: 6.5 knots Range: 22nm @ 5.7 knots Starting price: €265,000 (ex. VAT)
One of the most striking elements of the Optima E10 is its hull shape. This stabilised monohull design features a slender central hull flanked by even thinner external ones, creating tunnels underneath.
This design enhances efficiency by reducing drag, allowing the boat to achieve fast displacement speeds of approximately 14 to 15 knots. The external riggers also contribute to the boat’s stability, ensuring a comfortable and smooth ride.
Measuring 10m in length (around 33 ft), the Optima E10 is powered solely by electricity. It does not feature a hybrid drive or combustion engine, thus maximising its efficiency. The boat is equipped with two 63kWh Kriesel batteries and a 40kW electric motor from Rad propulsion, equivalent to approximately 54hp.
Optima E10 specifications
LOA: 36ft 1in / 11m Motor: 40kW Rad Propulsion Batteries: 120kWh Kriesel Top speed: 15 knots Range: 200 nautical miles @ 6 knots Starting price: £400,000
Watch our yacht tour of the Optima E10
Pixii’s aluminium hull and powerful battery should deliver impressive range and performance
Although this budding British brand has yet to launch one of its pretty new Pixii SP800 electric sportsboats, the first one is already in build on the Isle of Wight.
Featuring a light but strong aluminium hull with either one or two electric motors linked to a jet drive and what is said to be a class-leading 150kWh battery pack, it has all the ingredients of a formidable contender.
We’ll have to wait to see if it lives up to its maker’s claims of a 40-knot top speed, but if it does, it would make it one of the fastest electric production boats on the market.
It even has the option of a remote anchoring system that lets you jump off onto a beach then drive it out into deeper water before dropping the hook!
Pixii SP800 specifications
LOA: 24ft 6in (7.5m) Motor: 2 x 25kW Battery: 1x 150kWh Top speed: 40 knots Range: 100nm @ 14 knots Starting price: £114,000 (inc. VAT)
Performance boat specialist Persico is set to launch its first all-electric superboat this year, called the Persico Zagato 100.2. Designed in collaboration with iconic automotive design house Zagato, the 26ft stunner is built around a revolutionary new steerable electric waterjet pod from Italian start-up Sealence.
The 100.2 part of the name celebrates Zagato’s second century in business, the new electric boat features a reverse bow, wraparound windshield, aft sunpad, rear bench-sofa and two front pilot seats, plus cuddy space beneath the foredeck.
However, it’s the ultra-efficient electric drivetrain that is likely to cause the biggest stir. The single 205kW Sealence DeepSpeed 420 steerable azipod is said to give the new boat a top speed of 43 knots and a cruising speed of around 24 knots, at which the range should be almost 50nm.
Persico Zagato 100.2 specifications
LOA: 25ft 11in (7.9m) Motor: 205 kW electric integrated jet pod Battery: 2x 83kWh Top speed: 43.5 knots Range: 47nm @ 24 knots Starting price: TBC
Read more about the Persico Zagato 100.2
This Finnish yard was established in 2016 with the idea of developing an elegant electric boat that gave the same swift, silent cruising experience as a high-end sailing boat but without having to worry about sails and crew.
The result is the Q30, a stylish open day boat with striking minimalist looks and a super efficient hull shape that allows it to slip through the water at speeds up to 14 knots, making almost no noise or wake.
It’s powered by a pair of 10kW Torqeedo motors and a relatively meagre 30kWh battery but such is its efficiency that it will cruise for 10 hours at 6 knots or 5 hours at 9 knots.
Q-Yachts Q30 specifications
LOA: 30ft 6in (9.3m) Beam: 7ft 3in (2.2m) Motor: 2 x 10kW Torqeedo Battery: 30-40kWh Top speed: 14 knots Range: 60nm @ 6 knots, 21nm @ 14 knots Starting price: €183,000 (ex. VAT)
Distinctive rebated topsides are a growing trend in small sportsboat design
Rand Boats claims its new Rand Source 22 is one of the most affordable electric sportsboats on the market, as well as one of the fastest.
Two electric boat options enable it to cover both these extremes in addition to a range of inboard and outboard petrol and diesel engines of up to 250hp.
When propelled by Torqeedo’s Deep Blue 50 outboard, it will carry a price tag of less than €100,000 but when fitted with Rand’s much more powerful 170kW electric inboard it will be capable of short-burst speeds of up to 50 knots and sustained cruising at 28 knots.
Rand Source 22 specifications
LOA: 22ft (6.7m) Motor: 170kW Battery: TBC Range: TBC Top speed: 50 knots Starting price: €63,900
Read more about the Rand Source 22
Hailing from Norway and launched at the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival, Ripple Boats is a new brand founded by Frydenbø Marine and Pascal Technologies.
They have raised over €4million of funding for their start-up venture and their debut model will be a 10m day cruiser developed by Thorup Design.
Key features from the initial renderings include an extendable hard-top bimini with inset glazing, plus the now ubiquitous folding balconies.
Should this debut model prove successful, Ripple Boats have plans to build a wide range of electric boats from 6-11m.
Ripple Boats 10m Day Cruiser specifications
LOA: 32ft 10in (10m) Beam: 10ft 6in (3.2m) Motor: 2 x 93kW Battery: 190 kWh Range: 45nm Cruising speed: 25 knots Starting price: TBC
Only Riva could produce an electric boat that looks as pretty as this
As its name suggests the El-Iseo is an all-electric version of Riva’s entry-level sportsboat, the gloriously retro 27 Iseo.
The heart of the El-Iseo is a 250kW Parker GVM310 electric motor that spins a Mercury Bravo Three XR sterndrive leg. The prototype is capable of 40 knots, much the same as it delivers with its usual 300hp petrol or diesel engine options.
However, those who have driven the electric version say it’s the acceleration that really stands out. The quoted range figures are one hour at 25 knots or 10 hours at five knots, meaning a range of 25nm at planing speeds or 50nm in displacement mode.
Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi says that they will not start selling the El-Iseo or commit to a price until they have thoroughly tested the prototype and are certain it will deliver the performance, safety and reliability expected of a Riva.
The production model will be packaged with the latest electronics including a smart management system that reduces speed when the battery runs low and collision-avoidance software. “If it is going to be a Riva, it has to be perfect,” said Galassi.
Riva El-Iseo specifications
LOA: 27ft (8.2m) Motor: 250kW Battery: 150kWh Top speed: 40 knots Range: 50nm Starting price: TBC
RS Sailing is the first British yard to offer a production ready electric planing RIB in the form of the RS Pulse 63 . With a super efficient hull design by Jo Richards, the man behind the hugely successful RS range of sailing dinghies, and styling by superyacht studio Design Unlimited, it looks like a really enticing package.
Power comes from a brand new 40kW RAD propulsion system, that claims to be safer and more efficient than an exposed propeller, linked to a bespoke 46kW Hyperdrive battery pack.
This delivers a top speed of 23 knots and a range of 25-100nm miles depending on speed but can be further increased with the aid of an optional extra 23kWh battery pack.
RS Pulse 63 specifications
LOA: 20ft 8in (6.30m) Motor: 1 x 40kW Battery: 46kW Top speed: 23 knots Range: 25-100nm @ 20-5 knots Starting price: £82,800 (inc. VAT)
Watch our sea trial video of the RS Pulse 63
As the name suggests, this German yard is renowned for its ultra light, high performance carbon fibre craft and it’s these same properties that make the SAY Carbon Yachts 29 E such a compelling electric craft.
This slender, low draught speed machine weighs less than two tonnes all up, including a powerful 360kW Kreisel electric motor and 120kWh battery. Hardly surprising then that it also holds the record for the world’s fastest production electric boat (under 9m) after scorching to a top speed of 50 knots on an Austrian lake in 2018.
Use the power more sparingly and the yard claims a range of 25nm at 22 knots, while a built in 22kW charger delivers a full recharge in just six hours.
SAY Carbon Yachts 29 E specifications
LOA: 29ft (8.85m) Motor: 1 x 360kW Battery: 120kWh Top speed: 52 knots Range: 25nm @ 22 knots Starting price: €396,460 (ex. VAT)
Silent Yachts ’ electric-powered Silent 28 Speed grabbed headlines at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival thanks to a claimed top speed of more than 60 knots and an impressive range of 70nm at 30 knots. The secret to its performance is a foil-assisted hull with unique surface-piercing propellers.
Pushed along by twin 100kW eD-QDrive electric motors hooked up to a 100kWh lithium-ion battery bank topped up by built-in solar panels, it demonstrates that serious performance is no longer the preserve of petrol powered boats. No price has been announced.
Silent 28 Speed specifications
LOA: 28ft (8.6m) Motor: 2 x 100kW Battery: 100kW Top speed: >60 knots Range: 70nm Starting price: TBC
A marriage of gloriously retro styling and cutting-edge foiling technology, this electric foiler was commissioned as a chase-boat toy by the same European owner that took delivery in early 2020 of Spirit Yachts ’ largest and most technologically advanced project to date, the 111ft super-sloop Geist .
She was drawn by Spirit Yachts’ CEO and chief designer Sean McMillan, who admits to taking his principal inspiration from a slightly smaller twice Gold Cup winning hydroplane of mid-1920s America called Baby Bootlegger , which sported a similar near-plumb bow, long varnished foredeck and a two-seat cockpit.
The vessel encompasses a modified electric motor, developed for motorsport, and three integrated foils. The claimed top speed is 30 knots, but the usual fast cruise speed will be in the low 20s, at which the quoted range is 100nm.
This was put to the test on July 17, with the SpiritBARTech35EF setting a new electric boat record for fastest circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, covering 51m in 1hr 56mins at an average speed just shy of 23 knots.
Spirit 35 Foiler specifications
LOA: 35ft (10.6m) Motor: TBC Battery: TBC Top speed: 28 knots Range: 100nm at 20 knots Price: Available on application
Read more about the SpiritBARTech35EF
Based on the petrol-powered GS22 wake surf boat, the Super Air Nautique GS22E is packed with the best features available. These include a hydraulic folding wake tower, custom finishes, a configurable cockpit, and a customizable running surface that can change the characteristics from ski boat to wake surf or wakeboard use via a simple touchscreen at the helm. The boat can even be optioned with an electric stern thruster to make docking a doddle.
As well as being virtually silent underway, this electric boat version can offer up to three hours’ use on a single charge. The huge flat torque curve of the electric power plant perfectly suits tow sports use and onboard telemetry constantly monitors and reports the engine’s performance.
The significant $140,000 premium over the petrol powered version means this model will not be for everyone, however the emissions-free GS22E is the first of its kind and potentially the wake surf boat of the future.
Super Air Nautique GS22E specifications
LOA: 22ft / 6.7m Motor: 1 x 220kW Battery: 124kWh Top speed: 37.5 knots Range: 2-3hrs usage Starting price: $312,952
Vita isn’t just a boat-building company, it also hopes to sell off-the-shelf electric drivetrains to other yards. Given the impressive performance and range of its own flagship LION model, this could prove a very smart move.
This elegant 10.5m day boat packs roughly the same amount of battery power as four Tesla 3 models and, thanks to a pair of 150kW electric motors linked to a single Mercury Bravo sterndrive, it goes like one too.
In fact Vita has to limit the amount of torque the motors put out to stop it shredding the gears. Despite this it maxes out at around 35 knots and can cruise for 90 minutes at 22 knots or almost 10 hours at 6-7 knots.
Vita LION specifications
LOA: 32ft 9in (10.5m) Motor: 2 x 150kW Battery: 235kWh Top speed: 35 knots Range: 33-70nm @ 22-7 knots Starting price: £750,000 (ex. VAT)
Watch our full sea trial review of the Vita LION
Typically, the brand new Voltari 260 electric boat is all about going fast. With its high-torque 740hp electric motor juiced by a 142kWh bank of lithium-ion Evereadys, it can slice and dice the waves at an impressive 52 knots.
But when there’s a world record to be broken, it’s worth a compromise or two. So, to claim the gong for covering the longest overseas distance in an electric “vehicle” on a single charge, the Voltari streaked along at a heady… 4.3 knots.
That meant covering the 91-miles between Key Largo, Florida, across the often-boisterous Gulf Stream, to Bimini in the Bahamas in what must have seemed an endless 20 hours. But it got the job done, and on a single charge.
Voltari 260 specifications
LOA: 28ft 11in (8.6m) Motor: 551kW Batteries: 142kWh Top speed: 52 knots Range: 91 miles @ 4 knots Starting price: $450,000
Read more about the Voltari 260
The big claim for the new X Shore 1 is that it’s the first all-electric 30-knot sportsboat to be priced at under €100,000 ex taxes, making it the cheapest electric planing runabout in Europe.
With an LOA of 21ft 4in (6.5m), it is around 5ft shorter than the original X-Shore Eelex 8000 and €150,000 cheaper. It is powered by a 125kW electric motor with a single 63kWh Kreisel battery (the Eelex has a 225kW motor and two 63kWh batteries) but thanks to the 1’s smaller, lighter hull it boasts the same top speed of 30 knots and a similar range of 20nm at 20 knots or 50nm at 6 knots (the Eelex can do 100nm at low speed).
The X-Shore 1 is available either as an open boat with a half height windscreen or a semi-enclosed Top version with the aid of an extended windscreen, a small hard top and canopies protecting the helm. Unlike the walkaround Eelex, it also has an enclosed foredeck with a cuddy underneath for overnighting.
X Shore has also started branching out into the realm of commercial boats. Based on the Eelex 8000 platform, the first X Shore Pro is being used for school transportation in the Swedish archipelago.
X-Shore 1 specifications
LOA: 21ft 4in (6.5m) Motor: 125kW Battery: 63kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range: 50nm @ 6 knots Starting price: <€100,000 (ex. VAT)
Watch our full video tour of the X-Shore 1
ZIN’s waif-like sportsboat has a claimed range of 100nm at 13 knots
Seattle-based start-up Zin Electric Boats claims an astonishing range of up to 100nm for its pretty little Z2R sportsboats. Its secret is a super-lightweight all-carbon fibre hull that allows it to plane efficiently at just 13 knots.
As with many of these boats it is powered by Torqeedo’s 55kW electric motor linked to the same company’s 45kWh battery adapted from the BMW i3 electric car.
The first prototype reached a faintly terrifying 48 knots flat out but the production version is being limited to 30 knots to extend the range. Acceleration should still be lightning quick though thanks to the motor’s impressive torque.
Zin Z2R specifications
LOA: 20ft 0in (6.1m) Motor: 55kW Torqeedo Battery: 40kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range : 100nm @13 knots Price: $250,000 (ex. VAT)
French RIB specialist Zodiac is developing an entire range of small, affordable electric RIBs in conjunction with Torqeedo, but in the meantime it has already started building a state-of-the-art electric jet-RIB, predominantly for use as a superyacht tender.
Powered by a 50kW Torqeedo Deep Blue motor with a 40kWh battery from the BMW i3 car driving a low drag water jet, it can reach a max speed of 30 knots.
It also boasts a useful 90 minutes of cruising time at 24 knots, equating to a range of 36nm. High quality Neoprene tubes, retractable seating and hand-sewn quilted seats help justify its price and intended target market.
The new 3.1m and 3.4m eOpen range won’t be quite as quick but will have a range of around 10nm at 12 knots, and with prices from €25,200, they’re more affordable.
Zodiac 450 e-jet specifications
LOA: 14ft 9in (4.5m) Motor: 50kW Torqeedo Battery 40kWh Top speed: 30 knots Range: 36nm @ 24 knots Price: €140,800 (ex. VAT)
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The all-electric Tridente is nothing if not dashing. It joins other electric boats affiliated with sports car marques, including the Frauscher X Porsche 850 Fantom Air and BMW-designed Tyde foiling electric boat . The Maserati has a much more conventional look than the other two.
The Tridente debuted alongside the car manufacturer’s newest electric vehicle, the Grancabrio Folgore, meaning “lightning bolt” in Italian. Maserati’s head of design, Klaus Busse, was on hand for both launches. Busse, a genial and strikingly tall German, had this to say about Maserati’s design approach, and Italian design overall: “If you look at the design of the Porsche 911, for example, you can see the Germans evolved it little by little over time—as if they are on a road to the idea of perfection. But with Italians, every ten years or so, they break everything and start with something fresh and new.”
Somewhat ironically, the Tridente seems to pull more from the German school of thought. Sleek and classic looking, there is nothing groundbreaking about the aesthetics. The boat has the familiar design language of an old Riva runabout—gently cambered bow deck, tumblehome in the after section—though built with modern materials and colors, and adorned nearly everywhere with the Maserati emblem.
But when the Tridente first pulled into view beside the lake’s breakwater, and the dark-blue water shimmered off its steel-gray hull, for a moment the machine looked almost surreal. It was stunning.
The boat is built around a carbon-fiber hull for rigidity and weight savings, and the fit and finish meets the standards one might expect: soft leathers, tight stitching, and a general feeling of solidity to the seating. This model seats eight comfortably, with wraparound seating at amidships and a scooped-out section aft that is, in effect, a giant sunpad. The cabin is tiny, but could fit a child who needs a nap out of the sun.
Maserati enlisted Vita Power, the EV marine company, for Tridente’s electric propulsion system. The boat is powered by four batteries that weigh 3,200 pounds, which explains the choice of lightweight carbon fiber for the hull. The entire boat displaces 11,400 pounds, about 2,000 pounds less than a Riva Aquariva 33. That light weight, paired with the equivalent of 600 horsepower, lets the Tridente accelerate like a proper sportscar.
When I pinned the throttle I felt real G forces pressing me into the captain’s seat—common for a high-performance raceboat, but rare for an electric vessel. The helm is a simple setup: a center touchscreen and two throttles. The reported top end is 46 mph, but I saw 42.6. At a 25-knot cruise, the Tridente has a 43-mile range, more than enough to get from Monaco to Cannes on a single charge.
Maserati says the batteries can be topped off in under an hour via a fast-charging DC connection. Running at cruise, the Maserati manifested the nimbleness requisite of a boat in this class, slicing cleanly through S turns and hard overs.
There were no waves, but I did send the Tridente through its own wake and was pleased with the way the hull split the chop. In the end, it proved a very fun boat to drive and looked exceptional with the lake and mountain backdrop.
The price may well be a bit much for most boaters to swallow, even if it’s the coolest superyacht tender on the planet. But if you want what is arguably the world’s most advanced and best-constructed electric boat, the Tridente fits the bill, an evolutionary leap for a classic-looking Italian runabout.
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Ed and Eileen Pauley launched their new custom 40-foot powercat, Electric Philosophy , this July. They’ve been living aboard and cruising the Salish Sea for the better part of two months and have yet to plug into shore power. They have not refueled, because they have no fuel tank. Ed and Eileen are solar sailors, and they are successfully cruising a self-sustaining platform.
Electric Philosophy is a Sam Devlin design and build, but Ed and Eileen are responsible for the concept of the boat and most of the implementation of its solar-electrical systems. The Pauleys call the midwest home, but their vision has Pacific Northwest roots. Ed and Eileen were visiting Ed’s cousin Phil — who lives in Port Townsend and is also a partner in the boat — for the Wooden Boat Festival when they wound up speaking with local electric outboard innovator and entrepreneur, Joe Grez. Inspired by Grez’s ideas and stories about solar sailing, and fueled by curiosity honed in their professions as a scientist (Ed) and an engineer (Eileen) — the Pauleys started learning and dreaming.
Eileen and Ed did not have lengthy backgrounds as boaters. They are paddlers, regularly taking backcountry canoe trips in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Their main “cruising” experience, however, was land-yachting in an Airstream camper. Serendipitously, their Airstream explorations brought them along the waterways of the Inside Passage and Alaska on three separate occasions; they would ferry from port to port and camp nearby. All of this provided assurance that not only did Ed and Eileen enjoy traveling together in a small, mobile abode; but they also wanted to see more of the exquisite Inside Passage.
Dutifully, the Pauleys researched their options on a variety of levels. This even included the purchase of an Albin single-screw trawler, aboard which they began doing short cruises, educating themselves about boating and boat systems, and translating their Airstream knowledge into nautical skills.
Resolved to pursue a new solar-electric concept, they began inquiring about a number of production boat options, both mono- and multi-hulls. Nothing seemed quite right. Harkening back to connections made at the Wooden Boat Festival, Ed and Eileen contacted designer and builder Sam Devlin in Olympia, Washington.
Devlin recalled their early conversations and described the idea and undertaking as, “very different and brave.” Though he has built a dedicated solar electric boat in the past ( Wayward Sun completed a solar voyage to Alaska and back this summer), he still acknowledged that it’s “difficult to wrap your head around” the notion that it will never need to be fueled up.
The conversation continued, and soon the project was taking shape. Though Devlin has mostly built and designed monohulls, the evident advantages of a catamaran in this application — especially to accommodate some of the Pauleys’ desires — were inescapable. Ed and Eileen were very focused on self-sufficiency and redundancy. The architectural space in the catamaran allowed for enormous battery banks and very large water and waste tanks in the hulls.
One would be correct in assuming that a catamaran has the possibility of greater efficiency under electric power since it has less wetted surface. Devlin says that this is likely the case, but there’s variability in reality and expectation because of questions about overloading. According to Devlin, “a monohull would be more forgiving to different degrees of loading.” Presuming the Pauleys can resist packing the boat full of gear, they should have a more efficient boat. Devlin noted that generally, “solar electrics have to be much more like a sailing hull — in other words, they can’t drag their ass around.” It required discerning design when it came to things like exit lines on the hull, since Electric Philosophy will always be a displacement boat; enough power output to push a boat onto a plane is not part of the solar plan. All up, the boat displaces around 25,000 pounds, which means it is stoutly built, but not a tank.
Likely the single greatest attribute of a catamaran, though, is surface area. The boat’s beam of 15-feet 3-inches and coachroof width of 15-feet 6-inches were drawn to perfectly fit the maximum number of solar panels. Save for a couple of cabin hatches, the cabin-top is wall-to-wall solar.
Structurally, the boat is “immensely strong,” says Devlin. Ensuring strength, while also being courteous to time-effectiveness and cost, several components were sourced from outside Devlin’s shop. Notably, they purchased fiberglass beams that provide the structure between the hulls. These turned out to have added benefit in achieving a higher bridge-deck clearance as well, since they are comparatively lower-profile than the plywood beams Devlin makes in his shop. But mainly, the build is typical Devlin — high-end, elegant, plywood, and finished to exacting standards.
In terms of liveability, the Pauleys stipulated simplicity and low maintenance. There is no exterior brightwork. There aren’t even any thru-hulls. The only holes in the hulls are for the electric drives. The boat is drawn and built to be plenty sea worthy for the waters of the Inside Passage and Alaska.
Electric Philosophy ’s interior is an open concept, with a berth aft, head and separate shower midship to starboard and port respectively, the galley and dining area forward from there, and the helm station at the bow. The boat has walkable side decks, a generous aft deck, and a small bow deck that is well elevated thanks to Devlin’s attractive rising sheer line. The cabin sole follows these lines, rising slightly underfoot as you walk from the galley to the helm. Visibility from the helm is excellent with large windows offering almost 360° views.
Lots of the interior decisions were made with significant input, and sometimes craftsmanship, from Ed and Eileen. The wood trim throughout the interior is walnut sourced from around their home in Iowa, including some walnut lumber from their own property. Eileen made and upholstered the cushions throughout the boat. They chose appliances based on their Airstream experience — the “gravity” head system, the galley stove, and lighting throughout, among others. Between this involvement and the fact that the solar electric system was of their own design, Devlin said simply, “I have never had a project where the owners were as involved on a day-to-day basis as Ed and Eileen were. We didn’t have any difficulties with that.”
So, how is Electric Philosophy powered? In a word, impressively. The boat is home to four enormous battery banks. Each hull has a house bank and a drive bank. Each house bank is composed of 16 100Ah Lithium batteries grouped together in parallel, and there are eight of those groups in series making 24 volts. Each drive battery bank is made up of eight 200Ah cells grouped in parallel, and 16 of those groups in series to make 48 volts. The drive banks power a 26-horsepower equivalent electric motor in the starboard hull and a 13-horsepower equivalent electric motor in the port hull.
The coolest part about all of this is that it actually works. I was fortunate enough to have Ed and Eileen take me out from Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes on a partly sunny October afternoon. Frankly, the whole experience was incredibly inspiring. I had to remind myself throughout that this boat has never been plugged in — in fact, because of a supply chain delay, at the time of our excursion, it still couldn’t be plugged in.
Once we were off the dock in our benign autumn conditions, the boat was generating a fair amount of solar power, though not quite as much as we were using. At their normal cruising speed between 5.5 and 6 knots, the propulsion drives were using about 3kw each. Of that, the sun was putting in about 1.5kw and the batteries were providing the other 1.5kw. If we throttled up above 7 knots, the draw increased to 4.5kw from the batteries. This was October, though, and the seasonal position of the sun and the patchy clouds didn’t provide ideal solar generation opportunities. With full summer sun, they can generate as much as the drives require to go closer to 7 knots.
The boat has a very nice motion, and I was reminded that Devlin has built several other catamaran ferries, including the Admiral Jack , which is now in use as a teaching vessel at Seattle’s new Maritime High School. So, this workboat style is one to which he brings familiarity and experience. The motors were quiet, though Ed and Eileen are already looking for ways to make them quieter.
For any cruising boat, range is a critical factor. They chose massive battery banks because they didn’t want to think about their range in hours; they wanted to think in days. Though the situation would never realistically come up, Ed and Eileen estimate that the boat should be capable of about 40 hours at normal cruising speeds without any solar generation.
Ed and Eileen call themselves solar sailors and, like any sailor, their philosophy is very responsive to the environment around them. Ed cleverly pointed out that the sun is responsible for wind, anyway, so as he says, “all sailors are solar sailors.” Electric Philosophy ’s careful balance between generation and consumption leads the Pauleys to travel with cooperative wind and current as much as possible, as well as with the sun. They call it “life in the slow lane” and they love it.
With a few months in their wake, it all seems to be going great. Electric Philosophy is beautiful. The concept is successful. Next year, they plan to explore farther north and into more remote areas, powered entirely by the sun. And I bet I’m not the only one who’ll think about their journey with admiration and jealousy.
This article originally appeared in the November 2021 issue of 48° North.
Joe Cline has been the Managing Editor of 48° North since 2014. From his career to his volunteer leadership in the marine industry, from racing sailboats large and small to his discovery of Pacific Northwest cruising —Joe is as sail-smitten as they come. Joe and his wife, Kaylin, welcomed a baby girl to their family in December 2021, and he is enjoying fatherhood while still finding time to sail, make music, and tip back a tasty IPA every now and again.
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Electric winches are becoming cheaper and simpler to fit, making effortless sailing an affordable option, says Sam Fortescue
Converting to push-button powered electric winches is easier than you might think
Electric winches have been with us for decades, and are often specced as upgrades on cruising boats. But as the idea of all electric yachts becomes more prevalent and battery performance improves, electric winches are also fast becoming more comonplace.
The technology behind it is pretty unimpeachable these days, but manufacturers are always finding small incremental improvements to distinguish their product from the competition.
Take major supplier Lewmar, now part of the US Lippert Group. Its sleek Evo winch, which weighs 20% less than the familiar Ocean range, is available in a fully electric version from size 40 upwards.
And so is its Revo range – designed to backwind so that you can sheet out at the touch of a button too.
Though touted as a racing feature, this is exceedingly useful for shorthanded crew or solo sailors, where it might otherwise mean letting go of the helm to dive into the cockpit and manually slip a line.
An electric Evo 40ST costs from around £2,810, while the Revo version is priced according to exact requirements.
You can use handles in electric winches, but the technology is very reliable. Credit: Mike Turner
An upgrade even allows you to connect two electric winches together, so that one backwinds while the other takes in the slack when tacking – at the touch of a single button.
‘We would not generally sell the Revo winch system to an aftermarket customer, as they require very specific set-up requirements,’ says Claire Martin, group marketing manager at Lippert.
Harken is often considered a step up from Lewmar, with racing pretensions.
Here, too, the basics are well covered with a range of instantly recognisable black anodised self-tailers (bronze and chrome finishes are also possible).
Electric versions start at size 35, and cost from around £2,586.
And the Harken Rewind Radial is also able to backwind at the touch of a button, like the Lewmar Revo.
It goes a step further in that a knob on the winch itself allows you to switch between forward-reverse mode and two-speed winding in one direction.
The Selden E40i has an internal motor. Credit: Selden
This feature kicks in from size 40, costing from £4,168.
Antal is another strong winch brand with a stout electric option in the XT.
You’ll need the control box that houses the solenoids, and should consider the additional load control box, called the WBC.
This starts the winch in its fast gear, then steps down to the more powerful slower speed when the winch reaches its maximum safe working current.
It cuts out altogether when it hits this limit in slow gear. At £3,220.87 for the winch plus more for the WBC, this is not a cheap option.
If there’s a limit to Lewmar, Harken and Antal’s otherwise well-engineered and soundly priced systems, it is the choice of control buttons available.
Continues below…
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Some sailors swear by mainsail furling systems, others swear at them. Graham Snook looks at way to keep your furling…
Electric anchor windlasses are becoming more affordable and can take the grind out of cruising shorthanded, says Sam Fortescue
There are just two options, both for deck mounting, which have a housing that allows them to be activated with a finger when closed, or by a foot when open.
It doesn’t allow you to put a button on the instrument console or wire it into a digital switching system.
Denmark’s Andersen is reputed for the quality of the build of its all-stainless steel winches, which run from size 12 up to 110.
The E1 is its entry-level electric winch, which operates with just a single speed.
Two- and even three-speed versions start from the 60ST size, which roughly equates to genoa sheeting on a 45ft-plus boat.
The Harken Performa winches are available with manual, electric or hydraulic drives. Credit: Harken
A super-simplified Compact Motor system is available, where all the gubbins from gearbox to controller is built into a single, low-profile unit.
‘It uses a brushless DC motor matched to a low profile planetary gearbox, which requires less space for installation and draws considerably less current than traditional motor/gearbox configurations,’ explains Andersen’s Thomas Galster.
‘Simple electrical installation requires no external control box, and the low profile above or below deck motor allows installation even if the original boat design did not allow for space under the deck for a motor.’
Another nice feature of the Compact Motor is the variable speed system, where a pressure-sensing button controls the rate of rotation: the harder you press the button, the faster the winch will turn.
Pricing for the Compact Motor starts at around £2,250 for the 28ST unit, and £2,940 for an E1 of the same size.
A relatively slim plastic or stainless-steel hinged lid protects the button, which is designed with a built-in LED which tells you when the system is powered up.
When it comes to connectivity, however, Selden is streets ahead with the launch of its E40i electric winch (£2,850).
This is unique in its ability to talk to other Selden devices in a push-button system that might include a furling main or headsail.
It uses its own bus network to shuttle information between units and in principle, just a single power supply unit (£592) is required to run all the components.
It is not yet compatible with a multifunction display (MFD) or your NMEA instrument network, but that is surely just a question of time.
The motors involved all run on 42V, which has several benefits over 12V or 24V without running into the restrictions associated with ‘high-voltage’ equipment over 50V.
Electric winches can make sailing shorthanded a lot easier. Credit: Selden/Dan Ljungsvik
This higher voltage means lower amperage during power-intensive use, so wiring runs can be lighter and motors smaller.
This has allowed Selden to engineer a powerful motor that actually fits inside the drum of the E40i winch, so there’s no heavy-duty drilling required to install, fitting on deck exactly as a manual winch does.
Launched last year in Sweden, the E40i has proved popular with boat owners in the 35-45ft range, especially those who sail with limited or inexperienced crew.
‘It’s convenient and easy for everyone onboard, such a simple way to hoist, furl and trim the sails,’ says Anders Lagerberg, owner of a Najad 400 with an E40i installed.
‘I’m experiencing much smoother sailing than ever before, especially when sailing by myself.’
Anderson’s electric winches are all stainless steel. Credit: Anderson
Six years ago, Jeanneau teamed up with Harken to launch the ultimate in connected winches.
A Harken Rewind was linked to a dedicated sail handling display to automatically trim sails without the skipper having to raise a finger.
It could handle wind shifts, gusts and course changes, and even to tack the jib.
Jeanneau had expected 20% of those buying its 50-plus foot boats to opt for the €15,000 system, but it appears to be no longer available, which tells its own story.
Credit: Lewmar
The Ocean and Evo (above) winches can be electric but conversion kits for manual are also available.
www.lewmar.com
Credit: Harken
Harken’s motor drives the central shaft, using the winch’s gears, rather than driving the drum directly, so reducing the power draw.
www.harken.com
Credit: Antal
Antal says its winches deliver 490W or 700W at the winch drum, compared to a human arm at 400W.
www.antal.it
Credit: Anderson
Andersen winches are distinguished by the use of a ribbed drum surface, which doesn’t abrade ropes like the commonly used rough finish.
www.andersenwinches.com
The E40i’s internal motor means that there’s no big hole in the deck, and no motor protruding into the space below.
www.seldenmast.com
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The 91.8-metre Feadship superyacht Drizzle has now been delivered following successful sea trials in June. According to BOATPro , her final destination is Malta, an archipelago in the central Mediterranean.
The superyacht was last seen departing from the shipyard's facilities in Amsterdam (13 June). Built for a repeat Feadship owner who came to the project with "informed requests based on his long experience of yachting", Drizzle 's design is by Dutch studio Sinot and the owner's related design office.
Characterised by chamfered exterior contours and a more traditional flared bow, the yacht has a modern-classic style with naval architecture by Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects . Notably, she is the first Feadship to carry full Hybrid Electric Class notation.
Drizzle 's interior is designed to reflect an "understated family home" with natural materials and finishes throughout. Accommodation is found on the main deck, along with the large pool and open-air lounge shaded by the deckhead overhang.
Meanwhile, the owner's suite, family lounge and wellness area are situated on the upper decks. Up top, the sundeck serves as an observation vantage point with a forward-facing sofa and sun loungers, while the aft deck is used for storing two rescue tenders.
One of the owner's key requirements in building the yacht was to house a more spacious beach club in the stern, which occupies one-quarter of the total length of the lower deck. The large, fixed stern platform combines with two fold-down platforms to create 165 square metres of water-level lounging space. Sweeping staircases on either side of the stern platform lead to the main deck aft.
Between the engine room and the beach club is a side-loading garage with room for two 10-metre tenders, a ski boat and various water toys. Forward is the crew area, comprising the galley, crew mess and crew accommodation.
Drizzle carries full Hybrid Electric Class notation, the power package comprising two main engines and shaft-driven fixed pitch propellers, coupled with electric motors of 560kW each and 1MW of Li-ion batteries. The e-motors work as shaft generators to produce electricity to serve the hotel load or recharge the battery bank, as well as for low-speed navigation while the generators or batteries generate the required electrical power.
Albert Abma, Feadship project manager, commented on the launch in April: "Working with the experienced owner, designers and owner's team has been a professional pleasure. Gathering the operational experience of the owner's team with the yard’s building experience has resulted in this modern-classic, state-of-art and full-custom new Feadship".
The news comes closely after the first proper sighting of Project 713 , Feadship's first solar powered superyacht. She is now preparing for sea trials.
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Electric boat.
Outboard motor and battery specialist Flux Marine has introduced a new center console boat package to its lineup to help further electrify the industry. The package combines Flux’s 100% electric propulsion system with a hull from Scout boats to deliver a vessel that can travel 30 mph and replenish on a DC fast charger.
Flux Marine is a company based in Bristol, Rhode Island that specializes in all-electric outboard motors and marine-grade batteries to power them. Additionally, Flux offers customers boat packages that implement its propulsion technology onto existing vessels.
To date, the company has unveiled an all-electric dual console boat option that includes a Scout Dorado 215 hull and a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) package with the help of Highfield. Today, Flux Marine has announced a third entry in its new electric boat lineup, which once again includes a hull from Scout Boats.
Check out the Electric Scout 215 XSF.
Flux shared details of its new electric boat package today, which consists of a 21′ 6″ center console hull from Scout that is powered by its own electric outboard motor and a 84 kWh marine-grade lithium-ion battery pack.
The result is a 100% electric day boat with room for nine passengers designed for cruising and coastal fishing at sea. The Scout 215 XSF offers a top power output of 150 hp (112 kW) and 100 hp (72 kW) of continuous power. It can cruise at 25 mph, reach a top speed of 30 mph, and offer a top range of up to 30 miles (26 knots) at cruising speeds. Per Flux Marine CEO Ben Sorkin:
The idea behind Flux Marine is to provide a better, more efficient method of boat propulsion. Our 100 hp outboard hits the sweet spot, capable of propelling a 22 ft boat like the Scout XSF for almost any activity on the water. Our goal is to evoke excitement and innovation while ensuring users feel comfortable with what’s powering their boat.
A huge bonus in the all-electric Scout XSF center console boat is its ability to charge via AC or DC plugs when docked. Flux says the vessel can recharge from 20-80% in 7.5 hours on an AC plug (110-, 220-, or 240-volt) or as quickly as 1.5 hours using a DC fast charger.
In addition to the powertrain and battery pack, Flux has integrated the Scout boat with its own designed throttle, UI, and mobile companion app. Flux’s software will help future boat owners monitor and manage their speed and range from the helm, complete with live updates on an integrated Garmin chartplotter.
The all-electric Scout XSF center console boat starts at $120,000 and joins the Scout Dorado 215 and Highfield RIBs in the lineup. All are set to go on sale directly to consumers later this year.
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Scooter Doll is a writer, designer and tech enthusiast born in Chicago and based on the West Coast. When he’s not offering the latest tech how tos or insights, he’s probably watching Chicago sports. Please send any tips or suggestions, or dog photos to him at [email protected]
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Efforts to recruit for Electric Boat’s growing workforce are expanding to the Hartford area.
The submarine manufacturer hired 5,300 people for its locations in southeastern Connecticut and Quonset Point, R.I., last year and an additional 2,500 people during the first half of 2024. The company is expected to continue to hire at a very strong clip in the coming years, said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District.
Given the high demand, the Navy’s “Hire Hartford” campaign is starting to raise awareness in the Hartford region about jobs at Electric Boat and in the submarine industrial base and help connect people to job opportunities and training programs.
The campaign is modeled after “Project Providence,” which began 18 months ago to expand recruitment beyond the area around Quonset Point, R.I., and called for the development of a curriculum in Rhode Island for career and technical schools, programs for youths, and job training programs for adults, among other initiatives, said Courtney.
An Electric Boat spokesperson said in a statement that Electric Boat is at the beginning of a historic hiring effort involving thousands of jobs for trade employees and engineers each year that will continue for the foreseeable future.
“The demand for our product is so significant that our future workforce includes students who are currently in grade school,” the spokesperson said.
““Hire Hartford” will bring greater awareness to opportunities in shipbuilding,“ the company added. ”To meet our anticipated growth, we need to attract more workers from Hartford and other regions of the state. We also anticipate that “Hire Hartford” will help the hundreds of suppliers located throughout the state who build critical submarine components and are also looking to hire new employees.“
Electric Boat said the Providence campaign led to “a significant increase in new hires from Providence” along with engagement from schools, state and local leaders and industry partners.
Courtney said the first step for the Hire Hartford initiative is targeted communication to let people in the high-density region know good jobs are available, whether at Electric Boat or at industrial base supply chain companies.
The initiative, paid for through Submarine Industrial Base funding, will include a partnership between Capital Workforce Partners, a workforce board, and Electric Boat to develop a job training program closer to people’s homes.
Courtney and U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, held a discussion Monday about the initiative at the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology in East Hartford with representatives of Electric Boat, the Department of the Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base team, Capital Workforce Partners, BlueForge Alliance, BNL Industries, a Vernon-based valve design and engineering company, and others.
The initiative also calls for outreach to small manufacturing firms in the Hartford area, Courtney said.
Courtney said Connecticut has an impressive network of small manufacturing companies, many around the Hartford area and many involved in the aerospace industry, and some of these companies will realize there is a new opportunity with Navy shipbuilding.
“It’s really going to be a very positive growth area for not just eastern Connecticut but also the north central part of the state, which I think, based on the response today, is going to really take advantage of it,” Courtney said.
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Efforts to recruit for Electric Boat’s growing workforce are expanding to the Hartford area.
The submarine manufacturer hired 5,300 people for its locations in southeastern Connecticut and Quonset Point, R.I., last year and an additional 2,500 people during the first half of 2024. The company is expected to continue to hire at a very strong clip in the coming years, said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District.
Given the high demand, the Navy’s “Hire Hartford” campaign is starting to raise awareness in the Hartford region about jobs at Electric Boat and in the submarine industrial base and help connect people to job opportunities and training programs. The campaign is modeled after “Project Providence,” which began 18 months ago to expand recruitment beyond the area around Quonset Point, R.I., and called for the development of a curriculum in Rhode Island for career and technical schools, programs for youths, and job training programs for adults, among other initiatives, said Courtney.
An Electric Boat spokesperson said in a statement that Electric Boat is at the beginning of a historic hiring effort involving thousands of jobs for trade employees and engineers each year that will continue for the foreseeable future.
“The demand for our product is so significant that our future workforce includes students who are currently in grade school,” the spokesperson said.
““Hire Hartford” will bring greater awareness to opportunities in shipbuilding,“ the company added. ”To meet our anticipated growth, we need to attract more workers from Hartford and other regions of the state. We also anticipate that “Hire Hartford” will help the hundreds of suppliers located throughout the state who build critical submarine components and are also looking to hire new employees.“
Electric Boat said the Providence campaign led to “a significant increase in new hires from Providence” along with engagement from schools, state and local leaders and industry partners.
Courtney said the first step for the Hire Hartford initiative is targeted communication to let people in the high-density region know good jobs are available, whether at Electric Boat or at industrial base supply chain companies. The initiative, paid for through Submarine Industrial Base funding, will include a partnership between Capital Workforce Partners, a workforce board, and Electric Boat to develop a job training program closer to people’s homes.
Courtney and U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, held a discussion Monday about the initiative at the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology in East Hartford with representatives of Electric Boat, the Department of the Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base team, Capital Workforce Partners, BlueForge Alliance, BNL Industries, a Vernon-based valve design and engineering company, and others. The initiative also calls for outreach to small manufacturing firms in the Hartford area, Courtney said.
Courtney said Connecticut has an impressive network of small manufacturing companies, many around the Hartford area and many involved in the aerospace industry, and some of these companies will realize there is a new opportunity with Navy shipbuilding. “It’s really going to be a very positive growth area for not just eastern Connecticut but also the north central part of the state, which I think, based on the response today, is going to really take advantage of it,” Courtney said.
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ALVA Yachts, the German builder of luxury electric solar catamarans and sail boats, has announced it is currently building the world's first fuelless 90ft superyacht catamaran with wings, the OCEAN ECO 90 H2. The first superyacht catamaran to run without fossil fuels and producing zero emission, the OCEAN ECO 90 H2 is designed with luxury ...
Imported into the US market by Green Marine, the Swedish-built Arcona 435Z is a rarity: an all-electric cruising sailboat. Jon Whittle. This past October, I saw one of the most interesting exhibits in more than 500 new cruising sailboats I've reviewed over two decades. It was the Arcona 435Z, built in Sweden and introduced by Graham Balch of Green Yachts in San Francisco.
This New Electric Sailing Yacht Can Charge Its Own Batteries While Cruising The 49-footer can generate 3.5 kW of clean, green energy when sailing at speeds greater than 8 knots. Published on June ...
Sail power. Modern reaching and downwind sails have revolutionised the sail area it's feasible for a lightly crewed cruising yacht to carry in light airs. When using a dedicated reaching sail ...
Sailing with the ZEN50 is not only exhilarating and clean, it is ultra safe! Unrivaled space & COMFORT. The ZEN50 offers the speeds of a performance catamaran, the comfort of a large motor yacht and the simplicity of an electric car. No less than 2 large day beds, 3 dining areas for over 10 people, 1 professional galley and 2 wet kitchens, 5 ...
Additionally electric power and batteries offer the bonus of being able to be recharged via solar panels, a wind turbine or hydroelectric power - via a hydrogenerator mounted on the stern of a boat sailing.. At first glance the electric yacht market could appear in its infancy, but like every revolution, the will of the people is driving forward technology that only a few years ago was seen ...
For two decades, we have been pioneers in electric propulsion, transforming the sailing world with sustainable, silent, and efficient solutions.... HIRING: MECHANICAL ENGINEER Oceanvolt is a leading company in engineering and manufacturing environmentally friendly electric and hybrid propulsion systems for boats.
The ESC40 is a 40-ft catamaran designed to be two to three times faster than the typical cruising cat - using carbon fibre to reduce weight and provide increased hull strength. The twin helm stations are covered by a solar cell-covered roof and come with a 59m2 main sail in addition to three headsails: Jib 26 m ², FRO 65 m ² and Asail 121 m ².
Infant electric boat manufacturer, ZEN Yachts, has announced its first US order for its flagship ZEN50 solar electric catamaran. The zero-emission sailing yacht is currently under construction in ...
Spirit Yachts is also designing electric propulsion into its Spirit 111 flagship, due for launch this summer. With four big 40kW lithium batteries aboard and a 100kW motor, the yacht will be able ...
Alva Yachts: The German luxury electric yacht brand has designed both mult-hull (non-sail) and monohul (sail) boats. The company's 25-m Ocean Sail 82 was designed with a hybrid propulsion system and a high capacity battery bank.
Hydrogeneration creates drag of only 0.1 knot at a boat speed of 7.0 knots - so it is barely noticeable. If you can go even faster, the power generation increases exponentially (see GRAPH 1). GRAPH 1: Elan E4 Power generation prediction. (Source: Oceanvolt) LIVING ABOARD. Buying an electric-powered yacht is still far from an off-the-shelf ...
August 24, 2021 Jeff Butler 2691 Views 0 Comments Arcona, Oceanvolt, Sweden, The Gussies. Sweden's Arcona Yachts has announced that their new Arcona 415 has Oceanvolt electric propulsion as a standard feature, a first for series-produced sailing yachts. Having electric as standard on a boat like the 415 marks a big change.
Oceanvolt systems are scaled and configured to achieve maximum efficiency - taking into consideration boat length, beam and displacement as well as system weight and placement within the boat. Range, beyond battery capacity, is extended through hydro generation while sailing above 6kn. This can be complemented with either a portable AC ...
In addition to emissions-free yachting, electric yachts deliver quiet, vibration-free rides that are easy to get used to. Courtesy Sunreef Yachts. Finally, there can also be the grin factor. "The Eelex 8000 can accelerate from 0 to 20 knots in 4.2 seconds," Wästberg says.
The fully electric eD-QDrive from eD-TEC is for vessels up to 33 feet length overall, at 50 kW to 2,400 kW. Courtesy eD-TEC. Every possible idea is on the table, Jost says, because the way cruising boats have always been built just isn't efficient enough for the switch to e-power, which includes heavy batteries that weigh boats down.
The Original Solar Yacht. As the original inventors of series produced solar-electric yachts, we pioneered this innovative approach. Our first model, the Silent 64, was launched to the market in 2016, several years before any other shipyard considered the possibility of going electric.
In 2017, Dasher Concept launched as the world's first fully electric luxury yacht. The Dasher story started in 2016 in the wake of a Hinckley-sponsored technology summit to discuss the future of yachting. This gathering of futurists included entrepreneurial leaders, accomplished engineers, and known innovators from all over the world.
The current range comprises six models from 20ft to 32ft, however only the models up to 25ft are available as electric boats. The top-of-the-range electric model, the Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe, has twin 50kW Piktronik motors giving a top speed of 21 knots and a range of 14nm. Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe specification.
This summer, the world of competitive sailing is set to witness a historic moment as the Dutch sailing organization introduces their first-ever emission-free, hydrogen-powered coach boat, equipped with a Torqeedo Deep Blue electric motor. Learn why this is a pivotal moment in the effort to protect our climate and local air quality. READ MORE
It joins other electric boats affiliated with sports car marques, including the Frauscher X Porsche 850 Fantom Air and BMW-designed Tyde foiling electric boat. The Maserati has a much more ...
The blueprint also calls for two electric motors and 100-kWh battery pack combination that can reportedly be charged passively from the spin of the propellers as the yacht moves along under sail ...
New life to a US Yacht 1-Ton racer s/v Chilly Bear. Feb 10, 2023. ... Sailing with an Electric Motor In 2021 we installed the QuietTorque™ 10.0 Electric Motor by Electric Yacht on our 1972 Cheoy Lee Clipper Sailboat, which we use for day charters from May through October on Lake Superior. We have been extremely satisfied with the...
Electric Philosophy's interior is an open concept, with a berth aft, head and separate shower midship to starboard and port respectively, the galley and dining area forward from there, and the helm station at the bow.The boat has walkable side decks, a generous aft deck, and a small bow deck that is well elevated thanks to Devlin's attractive rising sheer line.
Denmark's Andersen is reputed for the quality of the build of its all-stainless steel winches, which run from size 12 up to 110. The E1 is its entry-level electric winch, which operates with just a single speed. Two- and even three-speed versions start from the 60ST size, which roughly equates to genoa sheeting on a 45ft-plus boat.
Drizzle carries full Hybrid Electric Class notation, the power package comprising two main engines and shaft-driven fixed pitch propellers, coupled with electric motors of 560kW each and 1MW of Li-ion batteries. The e-motors work as shaft generators to produce electricity to serve the hotel load or recharge the battery bank, as well as for low-speed navigation while the generators or batteries ...
Electric Boat is ramping up hiring, launching an initiative to get more workers from the Hartford area building subs. Media photo via General Dynamics Electric Boat. U.S. Reps. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and John Larson, D-1st District, listen to speakers at a program on Monday in East Hartford launching the "Hire Hartford" labor initiative ...
The result is a 100% electric day boat with room for nine passengers designed for cruising and coastal fishing at sea. The Scout 215 XSF offers a top power output of 150 hp (112 kW) and 100 hp (72 ...
Electric Boat said the Providence campaign led to "a significant increase in new hires from Providence" along with engagement from schools, state and local leaders and industry partners.
Electric Boat said the Providence campaign led to "a significant increase in new hires from Providence" along with engagement from schools, state and local leaders and industry partners. Courtney said the first step for the Hire Hartford initiative is targeted communication to let people in the high-density region know good jobs are ...