Sailors embrace green tech with electric motors and solar power

In November, Amsterdam will be the port of call for sailing enthusiasts looking to fit out their boats with the latest gadgets and technologies.

From life jackets to high tech yacht management software, the annual Metstrade exhibition in Amsterdam highlights innovations for superyachts to more modest sailboats. Sailing might seem set in its ways, but new technologies are making boats more efficient and more environmentally friendly. 

When the wind dies, sailing boats typically rely on diesel engines, which are noisy and polluting. Now, just as electric motors are taking over the auto industry, electric motors are winning over sailors, too.

Two years ago, the Metstrade exhibition design winner was Oceanvolt, a Helsinki-based electric motor manufacturer. The company is one of the few in the world that sells a completely electric propulsion system — which combines solar panels on deck with batteries to generate electricity.

The Oceanvolt propulsion system is also innovative in its use of hydrogeneration. When a sailboat is enjoying good wind and is moving without a motor, the Oceanvolt propellers can generate electricity as the water flows past them. Oceanvolt says its system can generate up to five kilowatts of power to charge equipment and batteries, depending on how fast the boat is going.

Going fully electric on a sailboat can be unnerving for people accustomed to diesel, who might be worried about being stuck at sea without a fuel source that experience has taught them they can rely on. To cater to this, Oceanvolt also offers a hybrid system that combines electric motors with a diesel backup generator. This system can still be more fuel-efficient than standard diesel propulsion, Oceanvolt says.

But the company has won over some sailors who have ditched diesel altogether.

Dan Deckert and Kika Mevs have carved out a niche online as sailing influencers who have gone completely electric. The couple, both in their mid-thirties, have gained hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and YouTube after ditching their careers for life on the water. As they became more experienced sailors, they jettisoned diesel for an Oceanvolt system.

In an interview from Italy, Deckert and Mevs say they started with a used forklift motor and batteries from Walmart. This limited electricity supply meant they could not rely on a motor as a backup, so they had to improve their sailing skills quickly.

They are currently renovating their boat to add two Oceanvolt hydrogenerators. The vessel will also generate about 3kW of solar power, and they are adding two battery banks.

The all-electric system does come with drawbacks, however, they say. When there is not enough sun or the wind is low, for example, the boat might get stuck if it cannot charge its batteries.

“If someone is on a schedule, then it makes it more challenging,” Mevs says. At the same time, there is no noisy motor to cause distractions from the natural surroundings. “When the waves hit the hull, you feel it. I think that is a giant positive.”

The all-electric sailing system works well for two kinds of sailors: those travelling long distances who have plenty of time to charge and day sailors who return to the same marina every night, Deckert says. If you need to be home by a certain time, “and there is not enough sun to charge your battery backup, you are kind of screwed”, he says.

The duo have used solar panels on an arch over the stern of their boat. Mevs says they are working with a company to add solar panels to the deck that can be walked on. “They are semi-flexible panels that you can have on deck, but they have some grip, so we don’t have to worry about slipping,” she says. “Most of our deck is going to be covered in solar panels.”

From an aesthetic perspective, the all-electric vessel looks like a normal sailboat. “It is not like you are looking at a [Tesla] Cybertruck,” Mevs says.

One of the biggest differences, Deckert says, is that “we can communicate without a headset between the bow and cockpit” (their boat is nearly 11 metres long). Typically, sailors rely on a “marriage saver” headset so you are not yelling at a spouse, he says. “Because there is no noise when we anchor, we can carry on a normal conversation.”