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March April 2019 Marina World

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The magazine for the marina industry

DRY-STACK STORAGE

DRY-STACK STORAGE MACHINERY Fast and compact semi-automated stacking system Designed and manufactured in-house Engineering support for optimum drystack operation WORLDWIDE PROJECTS Ask for dealer contact in your country info@domingocapria.com www.domingocapria.com

ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS & INITIATIVES Electric boats set to impact marinas and yards by Iaian Archibald In a recent far-ranging roundtable discussion with marina operators and service providers at an industry conference it became apparent that electric boats will have a huge impact on the future of marinas and waterfronts. Whether it was an operator who used electric tender boats in the Middle East with great results, an operator in Lake Tahoe talking about engine restrictions due to environmental concerns, or discussing the payback period for fuel dock infrastructure investment, electric boats found their way into almost every topic covered. These days most major boat shows feature a busy booth showing off the latest in electric powered boats and electric outboard engines. In the recent past most electric propulsion systems have been small electric outboards used in fishing or inboard electric systems on sailboats. Boats powered primarily with electric propulsion have been around for a while but their limited range and high price made them only suitable for jobs like a tender at a marina or resort. That’s starting to change with advancements in battery technology and lessons learned from electric car companies like Tesla. Full-package inboard electric boat companies like Ocean Volt, Xshore, CEBC, among others, are leading the charge. For electric outboards suitable for real powerboating we’re starting to see companies like Torqeedo, Aqua Watt, and Elco bring options to the market. We can expect traditional outboard manufacturers like Honda, Evinrude and Mercury to be fast followers once mass adoption starts either by buying the previous mentioned companies, or through their own product development. It’s hard to say if the mass adoption of electric boats is five, ten or 20 years away, but we can say it’s coming. Here are five ways that electric boats will impact marina operations in the future: 1. Service yards will be dramatically impacted by electric boats. One of the main promises of electric engines is that they’re self contained units that don’t need traditional engine maintenance. A lot of a business in northern yards is winterising and then getting boats ready to go in the spring, which is why so many marinas in cold climates have a service yard. Keeping engines working properly in salt water environments and general engine maintenance are a big part of any yard’s business. We probably will not need as many marine service yards, yards will need more expensive diagnostic and software updating equipment, and the technicians working these yards will need new education and certification to work with these new systems. 2. Marinas will need to change some of the infrastructure on the dock, in drystacks and cut back on fuel infrastructure. The good news is that most docks have electrical and overnight low amp charging and this will be fine for the vast majority of use cases. Marinas will be able to set up quick charging berths using the same charging technologies being developed for land vehicles, and might provide these heavier duty charging pedestals for a premium to bigger boats or customers who don’t mind paying a bit more. Dry stack operations might need an electrical upgrade as well, but shouldn’t need a complete redesign. Marinas might start reducing the number of fuel pumps in new infrastructure, and even eliminate fuel docks altogether. 3. They’re environmentally friendly. Lake Tahoe is an example of one ecologically sensitive area that has restricted engine types due to pollution concerns, and there are a lot of watersheds in the world off bounds to combustion engines due to concerns about water quality. As www.marinaworld.com - March/April 2019 29

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