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Motorboats are fun, but some might say the nautical industry has been too traditional by failing to provide more options for electric boats. Electric cars are becoming more and more popular every year, so where are all of the electric motors for boats? As people become more concerned about greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency, expect electric motors to play a bigger part in the boating industry in the near future.

The electrical-powered Fantail 217 is inspired by the graceful fantail launches that have been navigating on the Thames, the Hudson River and wild Canadian lakes for more than a century. A truly remarkable craft. Fantail 217 can accommodate up to ten guests and will surely attract attention wherever you dock. The Fantail is silent, non-polluting, easy to handle, low maintenance and inexpensive to operate. Go picnic on the lake with a snack and a bottle of wine, sit around the retractable table and relax! it’s a fabulous new way to take your family and friends out on the water

Enter, Ian Bruce. World renowned boat builder, recreational craft pioneer, co-creator of the iconic LASER sailboat, Olympian, Member Order of Canada, and hi-performance boat visionary. Now add to his C.V. developer of the Bruce 22 – a retro-styled, 5-passenger, 41 mph electric speedboat modeled after the iconic boat designs of the Italian Riviera. 

I had the pleasure of motoring the Canadian Electric Boat Company’s Torqeedo electric motor powered Fantail to the Fort Lauderdale Jazz Brunch in December. It was my first experience captaining an electric boat for an extended cruise and a very enjoyable experience it was!  My journey started early morning in Dania motoring west on the Dania Cut-off canal taking the scenic route to the South Fork of the New River. Cruising in silence on a cool morning with a warm sun on my back, sipping a hot coffee made a great start to the day. 

Today we’re in Starnberg. Germany where Torqeedo, a manufacturer of marine electric power, is making tremendous advance in performance, torque and battery life. 

In part two of our four-part blog on this subject, our quest to find environmentally friendly boat lines and products take us to Demark, where a remarkable young visionary has built a remarkable electric boat out of recycled windmill blades. 

In the quest for clean energy products and environmentally friendly personal transportation, the automotive industry is out front with Tesla leading the pack. The push for similar advances in green power and construction has been going on in the marine industry for quite some time, with varying degrees of accomplishment depending on the product. 

Back in the day, buying a yacht tender was easy. It was more of a utilitarian item designed to fit in a specific place on the boat, used for crew and passenger transport between the ship and the shore. To a yacht, it was a commodity, traded in every few years for a new model. These days, tenders have evolved to offer many innovative features into many varying designs. New technologies have redefined the tender and what it means to the modern yacht owner. 

With the fast pace of modern life, when are you free to unwind? Like nothing else, boating allows you to let go. That feeling you get from the blowing wind and open air, the sounds of waves lapping against the vessel. But owning a boat for most people remains a dream. A dream limited by costs, by time, and for some a sense of responsibility for the environment. Rand boats exist to break these limits through affordably priced and user friendly boats that are easy to maintain with minimal environmental impact.

What is sustainable boating? The impact of boating on the environment and waterways has long been a controversial topic. The reality is, some of the most eco-conscience people you’ll ever meet are boaters. Their very survival depends on understanding and cooperating with mother nature. As a result, the boating industry pairs their design and manufacturing efforts to meet the demands and expectations of their owners.

RAND Boats is more than a boat builder – they are also a technology and design company focusing on energy development. Their department of research and development is collaborating with innovative partners in electric batteries and renewable energy to make a sustainable evolution at sea.