Lyman-Morse teams with Silicon Valley startup to build electric powerboat
Courtesy / Navier
Thomaston boatbuilder Lyman-Morse has teamed with a Silicon Valley startup to launch an all-electric boat, shown here in a rendering. The craft is expected to debut next year.
Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, a custom yacht builder headquartered in Thomaston, has teamed with a Silicon Valley startup to build an all-electric vessel.
The Maine company's partner is Navier Boat, a privately held San Francisco developer of technology for electric boats. Navier co-founders Sampriti Bhattacharyya and Reo Baird signed with Lyman-Morse to build an all-electric model called the Navier 27, according to a news release.
Lyman-Morse will build Navier’s “pre-production” or prototype vessels, followed by a limited-production run. The goal is to show the model at the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) International Boat Show next October and to have first-year customer delivery ready by the second quarter of 2023.
The venture comes as consumer demand and technology advancements are spurring new interest in electric boat propulsion. Another company that's joined the trend is Maine Electric Boat Co., of Biddeford.
Zero emissions
Navier’s goal is to build technology designed to increase the efficiency of small powerboats by 90% while ensuring zero emissions and providing a smooth ride.
The company said it partnered with Lyman-Morse because it's one of the few boatyards in the U.S. that has experience working with high-tech, carbon composite boats, according to the release.
“Very few shipyards have the extensive experience, in-house capabilities and deep interest in high-tech projects as Lyman-Morse,” Bhattacharyya said in the release. “Plus, Maine has a long history in boat building, which makes it a special place to build Navier 27.”
Lyman-Morse’s roots date back to 1978. The yard produces custom sailing yachts and motor yachts and frequently collaborates with naval architects and design firms.
Lyman-Morse’s president and owner, Drew Lyman, called the Navier 27 “cutting-edge and certain to be the future of yachting in this type of market.”
The 27-foot-long hull has a “hydrofoil” design. A hydrofoil consists of strategic elements on the underbody that raise the watercraft out of the water as it gains speed.
Long-range
The hydrofoil design may enable the boat to exceed distances of 75 miles without recharging, making it the longest-range electric boat in the world, according to the release.
Navier’s founders hold advanced degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; their areas of expertise include robotics and aerospace engineering, according to their LinkedIn profiles.
In July, they announced that America’s Cup engineer and foiling expert Paul Bieker would lead Navier’s naval architecture and mechanical design by contributing his knowledge in hydrofoil configuration and foil optimization.
Lyman-Morse will tie the technology, mechanics and construction of the boat together.
“Lyman-Morse is outfitted with the best machines, tools, and technologies that will help Navier reach production goals,” said Sampriti.
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