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Electric narrowboat

ditchcrawler

By ditchcrawler
in Boat Building & Maintenance

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cereal tiller Veteran

cereal tiller

Posted
Posted

I saw this advertised in the front cover of Waterways World and I am wondering if the boat actually exists or is it just a bit of art work. I can see the cats in Australia working.

 

http://mothershipmarine.com/narrowboat/

Designed for Mothers?2 KW is a decent solar array but not for serious propulsion.

 

Adequate for NBTA members though

CT

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Geo Rising Star

Geo

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Posted (edited)

Friend of mine had one, that did move frequently. 60 footer

 

IIRC a minimum of 1.8kW of solar is required to be defined as a solar powered boat.

Edited by Geo
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Phil Ambrose Veteran II

Phil Ambrose

Posted
Posted

I am sure there is a 100% electric boat somewhere

Depends on what you mean by 100% electric. On the Broads there is a 100% solar powered trip boat Ra by name , works on Barton Broad, there is another trip boat that works Ranworth Broad, that one relys on a battery bank recharged at the end of the day Lady of Ranworth by name. there is a 60' x 15' trading wherry that is converted to holiday hire (comes with a skipper) it sails but when wind and tide are wrong it uses battery bank topped up by a on-demand diesel genny.

There are many electric day boats too, powered by battery banks and each year there is a electric boat show, so the short answer is yes there are electric boats.

Phil

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ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawler

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My question was really do you think the Narrowboat in the advertisement exists or is it a graphic. The BA boat is a very light cat with the top covered with solar pannles called Ra http://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/Norwich-Ra-Boat-Trip/details/?dms=3&feature=1034&venue=0223003

and most electric day boats are charged overnight

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Phil Ambrose Veteran II

Phil Ambrose

Posted
Posted

My question was really do you think the Narrowboat in the advertisement exists or is it a graphic. The BA boat is a very light cat with the top covered with solar pannles called Ra http://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/Norwich-Ra-Boat-Trip/details/?dms=3&feature=1034&venue=0223003

and most electric day boats are charged overnight

Given the above posts I see no reason to suppose that the boat doesn't exist, it would take a brave person to advertise without at least having produced a prototype (that works)

I now recall reading of a 100% electric powered boat that someone reviewed for some magazine, maybe Canal World?

Phil

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Top cat Rising Star

Top cat

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Having looked at the site I don't think it exists and this is an attempt to get some rich sucker to fund the prototype. I can see lots of practical issues arising with the gull wing doors and really don't think 2KW is enough, and given that some of the panels will be facing down sun you ain't going to get anything near that.

 

 

Top Cat

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

Posted
Posted (edited)

I am sure there is a 100% electric boat somewhere

 

Are you thinking of the "NB Ampere"

 

We have passed it a few times on the T&M

 

ETA :

WHARF HOUSE NARROWBOATS, AMPERE, 57.5FT TRAD, Circa £200,000

 

The name, Ampere, gives away the key feature of this boat – it’s electrically powered.

The propeller is driven by an electric motor by TEMA, a Croatian company, while the electric power comes from a big battery bank. Charging is via an 8kVA Fischer Panda generator located under the tug deck. So you can cruise on electric power alone, or have the generator running. Whichever way you do it, your cruising will be virtually silent. As an alternative charge, the roof carries four 100W solar panels. As a by-product, the generator heats a calorifier, which runs underfloor heating throughout the boat.

 

 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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MtB Veteran II

MtB

Posted
Posted

It's an Aussie outfit! What would they know about UK canals!

 

 

Quite. Cruising with side fenders down. Obviously they know NOTHING about proper boating!

 

 

Narrowboat-1000x448-1.jpg

 

 

My assessment is the picture is a photo with the real NB chopped out, and a photoshopped NB inserted back into the space.

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mross Influencer

mross

Posted
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There are electric hire boats on Mon and Brec. But presumably the hire company has built some charging stations along the cut.


Seems pointless to have hybrid if you need to run a diesel to charge the batteries; cruise in silence and then make noise moored up.

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Dalslandia Rising Star

Dalslandia

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Posted

 

 

Quite. Cruising with side fenders down. Obviously they know NOTHING about proper boating!

 

 

Narrowboat-1000x448-1.jpg

 

 

My assessment is the picture is a photo with the real NB chopped out, and a photoshopped NB inserted back into the space.

it is a good one, but an animation. or 3D render.

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Jess-- Rising Star

Jess--

Posted
Posted

 

 

Quite. Cruising with side fenders down. Obviously they know NOTHING about proper boating!

 

 

Narrowboat-1000x448-1.jpg

 

 

My assessment is the picture is a photo with the real NB chopped out, and a photoshopped NB inserted back into the space.

I would say that the hull in the picture is real but anything above the gunwales is fake

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BilgePump Rising Star

BilgePump

Posted
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They definitely made the houseboat as the 2014 demo boat is up for nearly AU$600k

 

http://www.boatsales.com.au/boats-for-sale/dealer/demo/OAG-AD-2148190/2014-HOUSEBOAT-MOTHERSHIP

 

No detailed pics of the NB though, just that one and design software created ones so doesn't appear to have actually made it onto the water yet. Gull wing sides seem an even worse idea than sliding roof for leak potential and any cyclist passing a moored boat would come to a painful halt.

 

I do think that there is a future for electric, solar, hybrid etc, but designs will probably be best from those builders already catering to specific types of craft and location. Volume builders could follow carmakers and offer an electric propulsion option in the future. And of course there will always be the enthusiasts who come up with their own diy versions.

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peterboat Veteran II

peterboat

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Posted

I think we had better get used to them, car wise all makers are planning electric vehicles, and a couple of makers will be dropping diesels from the range shortly [emissions], so I think the tide is changing for diesels on land so why not water?

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Jerra Veteran II

Jerra

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Posted

My question was really do you think the Narrowboat in the advertisement exists or is it a graphic.

Unless my eyes are deceiving me there is nowhere to fasten stern lines. Also there doesn't appear to be any roof ventilators and no index number. The later isn't unusual I know, however I lean towards a picture that has been subject to a lot of photoshopping.

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