WaVeS #22 electric boat and boating news
Plugboats WAVES (Watts, Amps, Volts, Electrons) is an occasional collection of electric boats and boating news items that we have written about before and are updating, or items we are going to write about but are waiting for more information / developments – or items that are just tidbits you might find interesting.
Here is WaVeS #22, with electric boat and boating news about:
- Candela delivers 40th C-8, wins gold German Design Awards
- Magonis electric boats to participate in Barcelona America’s Cup support fleet
- RAD Propulsion closes £4.27m ($5.42m / €5.05m) funding round
- ZeroJet electric jet motors adding outboard to its line-up
- Delft University team crossing North Sea in hydrogen boat
- Sanlorenzo, Rossinavi, Feadship superyachts taking steps toward greener future
Candela wins German Design Awards, delivers 40th C-8
Two good reasons for celebrating at the Candela factory. First is that 40 Candela C-8s have now been delivered to their happy new owners, and second, the boat was awarded the Gold Medal in the Prestigious German Design Awards (GDA).
“We’re honoured to see our efforts to redefine the boating experience being recognized by the German Design Council” said Niklas Nordin, Head of Products at Candela. “The C-8 is a testament to functional design, its minimalist aesthetics stemming from the need for lightness and aerodynamics. The C-8’s efficiency is the key to making a truly sustainable boat. Just like gliders with their smooth, graceful lines, it is designed to be as ‘slippery’ as possible. There are no gimmicks in this boat; every detail serves a purpose, and we believe this philosophy makes the C-8 a timeless piece of design.”
From the German Design Awards website:
Description
Thanks to foils, underwater wings, Candela C-8 uses 80% less energy than conventional boats at high speeds. This gives 2-3 longer range than conventional electric boats at high speed. At cruising speeds of 22 knots, it’s totally quiet and smooth in waves, thanks to an active control system that compensates for waves and wind. The C-8 is 95% cheaper than conventional diesel boats to run and doesn’t create harmful wakes. A better experience at sea.
Statement of the jury
The elegant ‘Candela C-8’ E motorboat has hydrofoils, which allow the hull to lift gently out of the water at higher speeds. This not only results in a smoother glide, but also saves so much energy that the range is more than doubled.
Magonis to participate in America’s Cup
It has just been announced that Spanish electric boatyard Magonis will be participating in the 37th America’s Cup being held in Barcelona this September. Magonis will be participating with two of their Wave e-550 boats being used in support vessel roles.
The America’s Cup is placing significant focus on decarbonization for this edition. A key initiative is the construction of six electric boats by four shipyards for use during the event. Supported by the Barcelona Nautical Capital Foundation, this project aims to highlight Catalonia’s technological advancements and drive the decarbonization of the nautical sector.
Catalonia has a head start in this process, as it is already a leader in decarbonization and recharging systems for the automotive sector. To leverage this, the plan seeks to explore how technologies from the automotive field can be adapted for use in the marine industry.
Magonis website Magonis in Plugboats Magonis boats for sale in Plugboats Marketplace
RAD Propulsion closes £4.27m funding round
Electric outboard and marine technology company, RAD Propulsion has successfully closed a £4.27m ($5.42m / €5.05m) funding round led by One Planet Capital, Ocean Infinity, The FSE Group and High Growth Robotics, supported by Blake Morgan LLP, FAIR Advisers Ltd and existing investors. The raise, comfortably exceeding the initial target of £2.5m (3.17m / €2.96m), will ramp up the company’s operational scale up as its RAD 40 electric propulsion drive goes into mass production.
RAD CEO Dan Hook said: “We are hugely grateful to our investors affording us rapid expansion to get our products out to international customers and fast-track our new product development, setting us up for a profitable future.”
Southampton based RAD creates control systems, electric drives and provides support to help boat builders and operators deliver cleaner, safer and smarter boats. Their RAD 40 is a 40kW (≈60hp equivalent) electric drive system with a rotating lower leg for easy steering and docking.
Current RAD customers span the globe, with operating boats in Norway, Finland, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, UK and and US. One of their recent clients is Stephens Waring who selected the RAD40 for a classic 50s-style lake runabout in Maine.
RAD Propulsion website RAD Propulsion in Plugboats RAD40 in Plugboats Marketplace
Zerojet adding outboard to electric propulsion line-up
ZeroJet, developers and manufacturers of electric jet motors available on OC Tenders and Highfield RIBs, have now adapted their technology for an electric outboard with power rating of 20 kW (≈25hp).
The company says the new outboard packs the highest power-to-weight ratio of any existing alternative on the market. The system weighs only 38kg and runs on a 48V architecture, making it safe for all marine enthusiasts.
Interested customers can place a refundable deposit to reserve one of 300 early bird pricing spots in the first production run. The early bird pre-order total price is $11,990 USD (includes a 6kWh battery pack), with motors expected to be delivered beginning mid-2025. Future pricing will be $17,990 USD.
Delft University of Technology team crossing North Sea in hydrogen-powered foiling boat
The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) Hydro Motion team is the most accomplished, and certainly the most ambitious of all the student teams that participate in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. The team started in 2018 and makes advancements on their boat and propulsion designs every year, which culminated in Hydro Motion conquering the Open Sea Class of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge by becoming World Champions in 2023.
This year the 23 person team has designed and built a boat to sail between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom with the goal of becoming the first fully hydrogen-powered boat to cross the North Sea. The team is supported in part by Dometic, who are providing their EA 3300 electronic steering system for the boat. It is 55 percent lighter than a hydraulic steering system and conserves 85 percent of electrical power.
Crossing the 400 km (≈250 mi) span of the North Sea is no easy feat for any boat. To ensure that the boat can navigate through the rough waters of the North Sea, the Delft team decided it was time to scale up the size of their previous boats. The 2024 model is 8-meter-longs and 2.65-meter-wide, with the long struts underneath the boat. The hydrofoiling system enables them to fly above the waves of the Sea with a planned cruising speed of 40 km/h to ensure that the distance can be covered within one day.
Good Luck to all 23 member of the TU Delft team, Dometic and and all sponsors!
TU Delft Hydro Motion Team website
Superyachts taking steps toward greener future
In the past few weeks there have been a few superyachts announced that are exploring ways to reduce dependence on fossil fuel and the carbon and other emissions that go along with them.
Below we provide some top line information about three of them, from Italian yards Sanlorenzo and Rossanavi and Dutch yard Feadship. Almost all major superyacht builders and designers know that something needs to be done to reduce the huge amounts of fuel burned. These are some of the beginnings of what will be a growing trend.
- Sanlorenzo has launched a new 164-foot steel superyacht with an innovative green methanol fuel cell system. The inaugural 50Steel, christened Almax, will be the first yacht in the world to use methanol fuel cells to produce emissions-free power for the hotel load, according to Sanlorenzo.Developed in partnership with Siemens Energy, the modular reformer fuel cell system first transforms biomethanol, a.k.a. green methanol, into hydrogen and then into clean electrical energy, meaning no hydrogen needs to be stored on board.The setup can generate up to 100kW with the engines and diesel generators turned off. Sanlorenzo estimates the system will cover about 90 percent of the typical usage time of a superyacht with zero emissions. The first 50Steel will be delivered this July
Sanlorenzo
- Rossinavi has announced the launch of the Seawolf X, a 42.75-metre hybrid-electric multihull vessel. It is the newest model in the company’s Sea Cat series, which was first revealed in 2022 as a hybrid-electric catamaran with solar panels.It carries the shipyard’s ‘BluE’ label, meaning its design prioritizes environmental impact. The Fulvio De Simoni Yacht Design team integrated solar panels into and developed lightweight hull construction solutions.The boat has three travelling modes: ‘one-day trips’ where it can cruise in all-electric mode for 100 percent of the time, ‘multi-day trips’ with electric mode 90 percent of the time; and ‘transatlantic trips’ which enable her to cruise the Atlantic for 80 percent of the time in electric mode.An artificial intelligence system onboard, Rossinavi AI, optimizes the efficiency by analyzing and then reacting to operations, speeds and conditions. When not travelling, Seawolf X uses ‘hibernation mode’ to reduce consumption to a minimum and return generated energy to the marina/quay or to a private property.
Rossinavi - Feadship
Dutch yard Feadship has launched a 59.5-metre superyacht, Project 713, that will harness solar energy and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The yacht is part of Feadship’s roadmap to net-zero yacht building by 2030 which began with the HVO-powered Obsidian, Project 821 fitted with fuel-cells and Project 1012 with hybrid-electric propulsion. All new Feadships can run on HVO, with Project 713 being the first in the series to carry solar cells for auxiliary power generation. These were custom-made in the Netherlands and can produce up to 24 MWh annually. Diesel-electric energy systems allow both the propulsion and the hotel load to be powered by four generators and a 400 kWh battery. There is a rating system from the Water Revolution Foundation called YETI – Yacht Environmental Transparency Index – and Project 713 scores in the top 35 per cent.
Feadship Water Revolution Foundation YETI
