Plugboats WAVES (Watts, Amps, Volts, Electrons) is a regular 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 #26, with electric boat and boating news about:

1. 
   
2. Dockmate and Molabo collaborate on remote control system
   
3. Two electric ferries for Spain – Morocco route
   
4. As of April 1, all pleasure craft in Amsterdam must be fossil-fuel-free
   
5. Gussies Winner taking part in Venice e-Regatta and Monaco Energy Boat Challenge
   
6. Germany takes delivery of its first all-electric ferry
   
7. Damen chosen for two electric ferries in Toronto, Canada
   

Dockmate, Molabo collaborate on remote control system

Molabo electric propulsion and Dockmate remote boat control systems are now working together to provide boat owners with full motion control from anywhere onboard a vessel.

Molabo is known for its award-winning touch-safe electric drives of up to 50 kiloWatts (65 hp) that operate on 48 Volts and do not need complex high-voltage safety measures, even at outputs of 50 kW. The company was founded by students at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich in 2016 and now has systems propelling leisure boats, workboats and small ferries all over the world.

Dockmate is a Belgian company founded in 2012, that developed a system to make boat docking easy by incorporating all all manoeuvring systems into a single wireless remote control. Their products are also found in vessels worldwide and they recently launched the Dockmate Positioning System (DPS V2) that extends the capabilities of the remote control to maintain a boat’s position and stability in open waters.

“The flexibility of a modular system is at the heart of our ability to offer inboard and outboard propulsion for a wide variety of vessels,” said Molabo managing director, Adrian Patzak. “Dockmate is plug-and-play compatible with our controllers and throttles, making it the perfect complement to offer intuitive and easy low-speed manoeuvring.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with Molabo to further elevate the onboard experience for customers,” said Dockmate US CEO, Marc Curreri. “We are confident that boaters looking for Molabo’s environmentally friendly and touch-safe sysyems will greatly benefit and appreciate the added capabilities of Dockmate products.”

Molabo  Dockmate

See Molabo motors for sale in Plugboats Marketplace

Two electric ferries for Spain – Morocco route

Two new catamaran ferries have been commissioned for the 17 nautical mile route between Tarifa, Spain and Tangier, Morocco. The public tender was won by Spanish ferry operator Baleària, which has services in the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and the Florida / Caribbean region.

The ships are 7 meters long, 25 meters wide and have the capacity to transport 800 passengers and 225 vehicles. They will be powered by four battery electric thrusters of 4 MegaWatts each for a total of 16MW. A top speed of 26 knots means they will cover the route in about 40 minutes.

Recharging will be done at each end of the journey using 8 MWh batteries that will be connected to the ships through robotic arms. The investment in both ports amounts to 62 million euros.

This is Baleària’s flagship environmental project and heralds the start of developing a ‘green corridor’ for the routes from Spain to Africa and around the Belearic Islands.

“It is a pioneering and technologically advanced public-private project that will allow us to make the entire route for the first time using only electric energy and, therefore, with zero emissions,” said Baleària CEO Adolfo Utor, “an example of mobility, modernity and international sustainability”.

As of April 1, all pleasure craft in Amsterdam must be fossil-fuel-free

As of April 1, 2025, the city centre area of Amsterdam will become a zero-emission zone for pleasure boats. These are defined as vessels used for non-commercial recreation. There is an exception on the main thoroughfares and the rule does not apply to sailing houseboats. Hybrid boats with both electric and fuel engines are allowed, as long as they are running on the electric motor. 

According to a city strategy paper, around 14,000 pleasure craft regularly sail in the city, as well as 600 passenger ships (500 of which are already electrically powered) and 10,500 ships moored in public waters.

This is part of a wider ban on combustion vehicles (announced in 2023) that allows only zero-emission taxis, vans, trucks, scooters, and mopeds to run in large parts of the city. The city itself is also in the process of switching to zero-emission transport to help reduce CO₂ emissions and noise pollution in the city.

Details about the regulations and required permits (vignettes)  can be found at amsterdam.nl

Gussies Winner taking part in Venice e-Regatta and Monaco Energy Boat Challenge

The team behind Vital Spark, the Scottish winner of the Gustave Trouvé Electric Boat Awards in the Retrofitted / Customized / DIY category, has announced that they will be participating in the e-Regatta of the Venice Boat Show (May 29 – June 2)  as well as the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge from July 2 to 4.

Vital Spark is a unique, front-steer, three-point hydrofoil designed for speed, precision, and efficiency. It is designed to reach up to 50 knots, using a 6kW electric motor paired with a small battery and a 5kW integrated fuel cell stack. The hydrogen is stored in a low-pressure, energy-dense solid-state metal hydride canister (Ab5) to ensure safe and efficient energy use.

Read: 2024 Monaco Energy Boat Challenge an electrifying success

The boat is part of a Scottish hydrogen collaboration, powered by pioneering technology developed within the Leith Green Freeport. The project’s core technology, the cutting-edge CMDC4 hydrogen production system, demonstrates Scotland’s leadership in green energy solutions and is made  possible with the support of Hydrogen Scotland, Forth Ports, Targe Towing, TCP, Waterwhelm and PlusZero serving as the project lead.

PlusZero  Salone Nautica Venezia  Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 

Germany takes delivery of its first all-electric ferry

Germany is home to many companies that are leading the transition to electric propulsion (like Molabo, above), so it is surprising that it is only now getting its first electric ferry.

The E-Kat, a 32-meter aluminum catamaran that can carry up to 150 passengers, was delivered on January 15 and has now completed its acceptance trials. It will soon begin carrying passengers between its home port of Norddeich and the island of Norderney on the East Frisian Wadden Sea.

Built at Damen shipyards in Poland and the Netherlands, it will be operated by AG Reederei Norden-Frisia, which manages twelve ferry, passenger, and cargo ships in the Sea.  The E-Kat has a draught of just 1.2 meters for the route’s shallow waters and is powered by twin 600kW electric motors to operate at speeds of up to 12 knots. The trip will take about 30-minutes with 28 minutes allowed at each end for passenger embarking and disembarking.

The service is part of AG Reederei Norden-Frisia’s wider program to achieve zero emissions. Executive Cal-Ulfert Stegmann said “Our long-term goal is to create a closed cycle of electricity production and electricity consumption.” For the 1,800 kW on-shore charging infrastructure they have covered 600 parking spaces in Norddeich with solar panels, as wells as the roofs of suitable buildings on both the mainland and island.

Damen  AG Reederei Norden-Frisia

Damen chosen for two electric ferries in Toronto, Canada

Damen is also busy across the Atlantic, having just signed a contract in Canada with the City of Toronto to the deliver two all-electric ferries. The ferries will replace two of the four diesel units that connect the city with the Toronto Islands, an archipelago of parks and small residential areas that creates the city’s natural harbour.

During summer months ‘The Islands’ (where personal vehicles are banned) are extremely popular both with tourists and the city’s 3 million residents all looking to get away from the heat, noise and pollution of urban life. Last year the city’s fleet carried about 1.4 million passengers. The trip across the bay takes about 8 minutes each way.

The existing ferries are between between 61 to 114 years old, and while there is much complaint about the smell (and occasional service interruptions), their nostalgic look is widely loved. Damen worked with Quebec’s Quebec-Concept Naval to design electric ferries that reflect – but improve on – the design of the old fleet.

One of the new vessels is a passenger and bicycle ferry with an anticipated capacity of 1,300 passengers. It replaces a 310 passenger vessel that takes the majority of the summer passenger pressure.

The other is designed for year-round use and is equipped with ice-crushing capabilities to navigate the usually thin but still significant ice that builds up in the bay. It can carry the commercial vehicles that service the island’s parks and community as well as 650 to 1,300 passengers (depending on the number of vehicles aboard).

The Toronto Ferries will be the 23rd and 24th ferries that Damen has delivered to Canada in the last ten years. Examples include a number of fully electric and hybrid vessels as Damen works towards its goal to become the most sustainable maritime solutions provider.

Damen  City of Toronto Ferries

The post WaVes 26 electric boats and boating news, March 23, 2025 appeared first on Plugboats.