Electric Avenues

Imagine a boat that requires no tune-ups or oil changes. A boat where you never worry about a gas spill because it doesn't even have a gas tank. A boat that costs you just a dollar to spend the entire day family cruising or fishing. A boat that makes no noise, has no fumes, and leaves no wake.

Wishful thinking?

This seemingly magical boat is already a reality that may just provide a crystal-ball peek into the very future of boating. On the edge of a new millennium, it's no surprise that propulsion systems for boats are evolving rapidly but, in fact, the electric motor is one of the oldest power plants. Although it was cast aside seven decades ago when the gas engine came into favor, ever-growing numbers of electric boats are cruising the today's waterways and making waves, but only in a figurative sense.

As automakers worldwide look for ways to cope with a growing demand for "green" engines that leave no mark on the environment and, perhaps just as important, aren't dependent on our dwindling petrochemical supplies, it stands to reason that electric vehicles are reappearing on the highways. Electric cars, trucks and sport-utes are now available right off the showroom floor, so it's no surprise that this technology is finding its way onto the water as well.

The earliest electric boat engines can be traced back to Gustave Trouve, a Frenchman who used twin electric motors to power the paddlewheels on a small boat he used to cruise the Seine through Paris in the late 1800s. His ideas not only resulted in an electric outboard motor, but a much larger electric powerboat that wound up in the China Sea chasing opium smugglers. Electric powered boats were pioneered in the U.S. by the Electric Launch Co, which built 55 36-footers that carried more than a million passengers around the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Elco also built luxurious electric launches for the likes of Thomas Edison, Admiral Dewey, and the Grand Duke Alexander of Russia.

But as the internal combustion engine became more reliable and more powerful, electric powered boats became a rarity. Not only did gas engines offer more speed, but those early batteries were heavy and decidedly low-tech. Electric motors remained the primary power source for submarines until the nuclear age arrived, but that was only because they ran quietly and didn't require oxygen.

Today, however, batteries have become far more sophisticated and even the traditional car-style battery, called a flooded cell battery, is on the verge of becoming passe. Absorbed glass mat batteries were designed for high performance military aircraft and, in addition to allowing both immersion and inverted use, require no maintenance unlike the so-called "maintenance-free" batteries. Gel technology batteries also require no maintenance, and both types have long cycle life as well as ample power.

The next generation of batteries, however, are the nickel-metal-hydride batteries that double the range of a conventional lead-acid battery as well as triple the life expectancy. But a battery is only one way to run an electric boat. Take, for example, the "fuel cell vehicle" that General Motors debuted as an operational concept car in 1998, which uses electrical energy created by a hydrogen/oxygen chemical reaction inside a fuel cell. The idea is so workable that GM expects to offer such an electric car as early as 2004.

So why aren't all of our boats powered by electric motors? Quiet, clean and efficient, electric boats still have two major drawbacks: speed and range. Because of the relatively low power of the motors available, don't plan on waterskiing behind an electric boat. And, though a battery costs only pennies to operate, it does require recharging. Many of the modern boats can easily operate a full day at cruising speed without a recharge but, when your battery begins to run low, it will take several hours to bring it to full strength even with today's fast chargers. So it's not nearly as simple as stopping at the fuel dock for a tank of gas.

For those reasons, the boats seen on these pages fall mostly into the "harbor cruiser" category, and they're perfect for an afternoon with family and friends on a lake, river, or other protected waterways. Let's take a look at what's available today.

Duffy

Arguably the father of modern electric boats, Marshall "Duffy" Duffield launched the Duffy Electric Boat in 1970 almost by chance. As a 16-year-old, he had a reputation for squiring dates around Newport Harbor in his father's gas-powered bay launch, but the unreliable gas engine finally gave up the ghost. A friend suggested he repair it with the electric motor from a golf cart, which could easily cruise around a golf course day after day without breaking down. A $300 advance from his father got the launch running with silent power, but it was a chance encounter that led to his now-booming business. Several years later, his boat was spotted by Ray Godber, the late president of Trojan Battery Co., who was so impressed not just by Duffy's creation but by the potential market for battery sales, that he gave Duffy the start-up capital to redesign the prototype. Today, Duffy builds one boat a day and more than 3000 of his electric boats are on the waterways worldwide, with 1000 on Newport Harbor alone.

All Duffy boats are powered by a simple five-horsepower electric motor built specifically for marine use by Advanced DC Motors, with one moving part and a thrust of 130 pounds which pushes the boats at speeds up to 6.5 mph. Powered by six, eight or twelve deep-cycle batteries with a built-in charger, the Duffy fleet includes seven boats from 14 feet to 21 feet. While the 16-, 18- and 21-foot models have the classic bay launch styling with canopy tops and wrap-around seating, Duffy also offers a pair of 18-foot deckboat catamarans and a runabout-like 17-footer.

The standard cruising time is about eight hours at a speed of around 4 mph but, with the additional of an optional 220 amp/hour battery pack, that range can be doubled. Options include refrigerator, table, Plexiglas all-weather enclosure, and CD stereo.

Refining the concept over the years, Duffy electric boats now have stainless-steel propshafts that are belt driven, so there is no direct connection between the batteries and the water to cause corrosion. A non-corrosive propeller and rudders also eliminate any worries about electrolysis.

A missionary for electric power, Duffield not only drives a General Motors EVI electric car, but also built the Duffy Voyager to prove electric power has both speed and range.

Gatsby

Built to meet the needs of homeowners on the growing number of electric-power-only residential lakes nationwide, the Gatsby is a perky 18-footer with a surrey top and wrap-around seating.

Built by a major waterski boat manufacturer with more than 30 years of boatbuilding experience, it's powered by six 6-volt 220 amp batteries, with a double battery pack optional. The top speed is about five knots, and the cruising time on a single charge is about eight hours, with full recharging overnight by the built-in charger.

With a total weight of 1800 pounds and a beam of 7 feet 6 inches, the Gatsby can easily be trailered or, since it has a stainless-steel propshaft with non-corrosive propeller, it can be left in saltwater year ?round.

Hallett

A newcomer to the electric boating market, this is certainly the slowest Hallett boat ever built, and probably by more than 60 miles per hour! A legendary builder of high performance sportboats, Hallett answered the call for an environmentally compatible cruiser for lakes, rivers and harbors with the Player.

At just over 20 feet, the Player has a pair of bench seats to port and starboard, another behind the helm, and a surrey top with an acrylic windshield. A wet bar with icebox underneath is to port, a fiberglass table is amidships, and drink holders abound.

Power for the Player comes from a 36-volt or 48-volt high output electric motor with 6-, 8- or 12- 6 volt batteries. With a weight of 1840 pounds and a beam of 7 feet 10 inches, the Player is easily trailered.

Elco

Echoing the styling of Elcos built at the turn of the century, the modern Elco electric launches evoke the elegance of another era. The classic lines and original fantail design combine with modern technology to create a yacht that will turn heads on any waterway.

The hull is handlaid fiberglass but, ensconced comfortably in a gracious wicker chair in the cockpit, you'd never know it because you're surrounded by flawlessly finished woods. The deck is a work of art with ruddy Honduras Mahogany seamed in white, while oak and mahogany finish off the cockpit.

Elco builds four sizes (14, 19, 24 and 30 feet) of launches and buyers have a choice of an open cockpit with ample space for wicker chairs or built-in bench seating. The canopy is supported by varnished wood frames, and all the hardware is bronze for a classic look. The power plant is either a 4 or 5 horsepower electric motor, with six or eight deep-cycle batteries and the proprietary Elco electronic speed controller.

Each Elco is delivered completely equipped from the etched glass control panel doors to the wicker picnic basket with china, and there's even a bottle of champagne for the christening.

Electric Marine

This Canadian builder has taken an unusual tack with their E-Boat, a 15-foot-6-inch launch that has classic styling in a compact package. While other builders rely on inboard electric motors that drive the propeller via a conventional through-hull shaft, the E-Boat uses an electric trolling motor adapted from bass boats in an enclosed well near the stern.

Not only does this simplify the system, but it also allows the motor to "kick up" for beaching the E-Boat without concerns about damaging the propeller. And, if the engine ever needs service or replacing, it can quickly be removed from the boat even in the water.

Beneath the vintage exterior, the E-Boat makes full use of modern technology. The hull is cored fiberglass but the deck and cockpit are finished with mahogany which has been encapsulated in an epoxy sandwich so that it is virtually maintenance-free. The result is the appearance of a wood launch that has fooled many people into thinking it is a genuine classic.

The fringed canopy top is supported on stainless steel poles that can be quickly removed so that the top lowers to become a cockpit cover when the boat is stored or trailered. Weighing just 650 pounds, the E-Boat can easily be trailered and, with fore and aft flotation tanks, it also has a built-in safety factor. Using two 12-volt batteries, the E-Boat can cruise for up to 10 hours and has a top speed of 6.5 mph.

Beckmann

This builder specializes in antique reproductions using a wide variety of propulsion systems (including steam), but their fiberglass 21-foot and 25-foot launches are ideally suited for electric power since they are long, lean, and easily driven. Each is finished with oak or mahogany coamings, with built-in bench seating and canopy tops.

Badsey

Designed to be the Rolls-Royce of the electric boat market, the Stealth 205 from the Badsey Industrial Group is a thoroughly modern electric boat that has every possible amenity. With Euro-swoopy lines and a reversed swim platform transom derived from runabouts, the styling of the Stealth has more in common with sport boats than it does with classic launches.

The fiberglass canopy raises and lowers electrically, providing a weatherproof cockpit cover when fully lowered. Twin tinted panels in the top slide open to admit the sun or to allow operation of the Stealth with the canopy lowered. High-backed Ultra-Leather seating surrounds a central table while a private head compartment is forward under the foredeck, with a privacy screen and pop-up hatch for ample room.

Among the standard equipment on the Stealth are a color TV/VCR, pressure water, refrigerator, food warmer, and a Trace inverter for onboard 110VAC power. Two less expensive versions of the same boat are also available so buyers can customize their equipment to meet their needs.

So that's a look at the world of electric boats. With the steady growth of electric boating and the continuing improvements in motors and batteries, it shouldn't come as a surprise if one of your future boats goes "whirr" instead of "varoom".