ELECTRIC DAY LAUNCHES

They say the next big thing is here... that the revolution’s near. But to Landamores Boatyard, it seems quite clear... that it’s all just a little bit of history repeating

- STEFFAN MEYRIC HUGHES

Looking into the future can elicit feelings of dread. Mass extinction, climate change and cultured meat are, to most, the stuff of nightmares. But what about electric power? Electrically powered boats are much older than you might imagine. In late Victorian times, they numbered in their hundreds on the Upper Thames, powered by an extensive network of charging points. Nevertheless, getting behind the wheel of Landamore’s newest boat, the Mayfly 21, it was instantly obvious that electric power is, still, the future. Already, in small vessels designed for day-to-day use on inland waterways in the developed world, electric power is a no-brainer: Rob Marriott, of the Broads builder Landamores, says they have not sold a single diesel-powered Mayfly. Even in their second coming, electric boats have been around for at least three decades,