Electric Powered Boats - BIG!

[forresterace]

This may seem a little off base - or maybe offbeat.....

Today I was reading my treasured monthly copy of Wooden Boat magazine. In it is an article about the history of the Elco Boat Company, 1892 - 1949. Large motoryachts were its specialty and its biggest claim to fame was being the builder of two thirds of the Navy's PT boats in WW II ( 399 boats).

During the period from 1892 to 1900, Elco built more than 200 launches, many of which were 32' to 47' long ELECTRIC POWERED ones. In 1896, they built the 72' launch UTOPIA for Col. John Jacob Astor IV (the world's richest man) and it too was ELECTRIC POWERED.

One of these days I must do some searching on the internet to find out more information about these incredible early examples of electric-powered boats.

 

[hydromaddicted]

Electriclaunch.com still makin boats today.

Later James

 

[forresterace]

Actually James, I think the new Elco company is a ressurrection in name only. I'm sure the new owners bought the rights to the old company name around 1995.

But they do build interesting electric launches.

The original company went bankrupt in 1949 and all its assets were sold off.

http://www.electriclaunch.com/

 

[Turbosun]

http://www.leeislandcoast.com/everything_t..._do/edison.php3

This company made the electric launch used by Thomas Edison at his winter estate in Ft Myers. Now, replicas of "The Reliance" are operational today. I have property across the water from the Edison/Ford estates..(Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone were good friends and had estates next to each other..Now it is a museum....)

Nice to see those launches glide by without noise )

 

[drobie]

You want big? Here's my offshore boat shortly after I missed a buoy.

 

[Propjockey]

Doug -- put some ride pads under that thing! They'll keep it from diggin' in the corners! ;D

 

[Dan Proulx]

Doug,

Who are you kidding? You hit that buoy squarely!

 

[drobie]

Doug,

Who are you kidding? You hit that buoy squarely!

Dan, that's a conditioned response from you. I just hit most the them, but not all. ;D ;D Besides, it's still there. If I had hit it, you wouldn't see it anymore.