“Electric power mated to a catamaran is a match made in heaven,” says designer JF Bedard, as he explores the pairing in a 34′ concept catamaran meant mostly for day use.
Dear JF,
The cover of WoodenBoat No. 294 (September/October 2023) heralded the presence of an electric catamaran in that issue. You and I had discussed this idea as a Sketchbook concept, and in a burst of enthusiasm I put it on the issue plan. We ultimately pursued a different boat for that magazine, but that catamaran remained on the original lineup from which the cover lines were written; through a combination of deadline fatigue and continued enthusiasm for the boat, we overlooked the error. By “we,” I mean the editorial “we.” I own that error.
However, the correspondence resulting from that mistake serves as a sort of de facto market study for an electric catamaran: many of our readers wanted to learn about this boat. I also want to learn about this boat and am eager to see the possibilities. Here are the parameters:
- A roughly 28′ dayboat powered either by pod, outboard, or inboard electric motor(s)
- A catamaran, for stability, space, and efficiency
- A range of 100 miles at a cruising speed of 12 to 13 knots.
- Although this is a dayboat, the crew will be spending long days on it, and maybe even camping aboard occasionally. So it needs sheltered space for food storage and preparation—as well as a place to get out of the sun, wind, and rain on long day trips. It also needs sole space for at least two camp mattresses.
- The traits described above could be achieved in a rather bland pontoon boat, but we wooden boat aficionados have a taste for tradition. Could this boat draw inspiration from, say, a purposeful tugboat? Is that too much of a stretch?
Thanks for your consideration. We look forward to delivering on the promise of that cover line.
Matt Murphy
Editor, WoodenBoat