Electric Abundance
Perhaps the question most frequently asked of me is "which is the right electric boat for me?" Of all the queries people make about my favourite topic, e-boating, this one is the one I put the most thought into and am prepared to work the hardest to help figure out. The fortunate thing is, there are a lot of options available to us today which didn't exist years ago and we are only limited by our imaginations.
One customer came to me back in the fall with that very question, a gentleman who owns and operates a lodge/camp in Algonquin Park, an Ontario provincial park almost as big as some U.S. states. He tried out a solar-assisted Loon pontoon boat and was completely impressed with its performance, but he already had a sizeable solar array at one of his cottages to tap into, so although he wanted to utilize solar energy to power his boat, he didn't need solar panels fixed to the boat itself. In the end, he opted to purchase a new 8-seater conventional pontoon boat (sans stinkpot) and I fitted it with 8 X 6-volt deep-cycle batteries, the venerable Briggs and Stratton 3 hp electric outboard (remote steer, 20" leg), a Delta-Q charger and other componentry to make the boat safely and fully operable. This boat is slated to provide yeoman's service in quietly ferrying guests to and from the landing to the lodge and camp, a distance of about 2 kilometers, all day long, all summer, all-the-while getting 100% of its energy from the sun. This turned out to be an elegant solution to my customer's needs and will fully displace a gas-powered boat in the process. Fait a complis and a happy customer on a budget!
Just about the only e-boats I don't recommend, even as a starter system, are some of the small, inflatable boats with a small 12-volt battery which seem to be spilling out of the large box-store retailers these days. They don't have any safety equipment and could get some people, especially children, into trouble on our waterways. They are not approved in any way by federal authorities in any known country. There are plenty of better choices which take water safety seriously and are readily available from retailers like myself and others. Just ask and we'll gladly explore the options to find the best solution for your electric boating urge.
Monte Gisborne
Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company
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