At last, the final report has been released! See www.ortomarine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ortomarine-Narrowboat-Trial-Final-Report.pdf

Canal boats seem like a great idea for solar electric. They don't need to go fast. They don't need to go far. They have plenty of surface area for panels and plenty of space for batteries which can even act as ballast. And if moorings have power outlets then you could even top up if you had to, or just moor and charge from the sun.

Electric propulsion seems to actually be very well suited to narrowboating in principle. Weight isn't really a concern so the battery can be quite large if need be. Lots of roof surface area for solar, a steady slow pace throughout with little sudden peaks of powers needed, and a constant vicinity to infrastructure in the rare case of running out of power.

as an electrical engineer considering buying and living on a narrowboat, I found this video incredibly interesting. It's also making me consider 'steering' my career in the direction of canal boat and EV propulsion installation. Thank you!

I would GLADLY pay a premium for the quiet and zero fumes you get from an electric boat.

It just dawned on me why narrowboats are, at least for me, so much more beautiful than caravans or sailboats. It's the speed. Just puttering along at a few miles an hour, relaxing, taking in the sights and senses. Heck if I could drive a convertible camper at 3 miles an hour across the U.S. on a special scenic, meandering road... well I'd be totally down for that.

This video is a perfect example of why we can't let David quit vlogging cold turkey. I mean, who else is going to bring this much-needed attention to the huffing and puffing of displaced swans (not to mention the rowers)? And how can you not view sneaking up on ducklings and fishermen as a plus? "Shhhhh, see that duck up there? We're going to sneak up on it and blow the horn real loud. That never gets old." Seriously, it really does seem like a diesel-electric hybrid is the smartest solution out there (especially if you're running said diesel on used cooking oil). Maybe one day the tech will be available where you could continuously cruise on solar power alone, but if you have to sit and charge for days after cruising for only a few hours that day isn't likely to be anytime soon.

I went on a canal boat holiday once, the only thing to spoil it was the noise of the engine, which, after a while, began to reverberate in my skull. Electric seems the way to go.

It's the perfect application for hybrids! I expect that most boats spend more days parked than moving, so lots of time to charge the batteries. And when docked for long periods, no gas purchases.

I know you said this was not a "scientific" survey but this looked like a very comprehensive comparison of the different propulsion systems. A terrific effort by all concerned.

If I had a narrowboat I would prefer the electric route for the pure pleasure of silence and listening to nature sounds and to sneak up on the Piano Boat whilst piano is being played.

Delightful. Electric propulsion was perfect for something already a wonderful way to travel, made for these wonderful boats.

As an American, it's so interesting to see these narrow "canals" and manual hand operated locks. I'd love to visit the UK one day ^_^

What a breathe of fresh air this video is

Perfect for narrowboats, enjoying nature in silence, listening to the birds and the wind in the trees :o) Lovely.

im not a fan of electric motors in general but this... the whole cruising on the canal in complete silence apart from what's around in nature would legit be one of the best things ever

For myself, if I cruise for 3hrs in a day I’ve had quite a long days travel. I may then haul up for 2 weeks. The greatest benefit of electric then kicks in because I would then have a massive battery and electrical generation capability. Travelling is probably less important to me than most with living off grid being the most important part of narrow boating.

Very interesting here in Germany on the resivior Edersee you can only use electric motors. Have a lovely evening.

I can well imagine that cruising through a narrow tunnel and not being choked by diesel fumes would be a definite plus.

Without doubt the most interesting canal boat video I've seen. I must compliment David John on this, a beautifully composed and edited piece of work. If I have a boat built it will most definitely be mainly solar electric with a small diesel backup. Cruising quietly must be delightful

A family member works for BP's electric charging arm. I asked if there would be any interest from BP to install charging points on canals, where there was easy access to high voltage supplies. My thinking being that a lot of canal runs alongside railways. His answer was "not a chance". His reason being, there was no money in it. You can only make money from charging of it's "attached" to a retail outlet that will help you spend money while you wait!

I always did think that if I were to go "narrow boating" that the engine noise would drive me crazier than I already am. Loved the video.

"Episode 245 - Shopping for electric narrowboats" 😂

It's wild to think that these 'modern' versions are using the same setup that German u boats in WWII at the turn of last century were using.

The ambient sounds of birds chirping and waves lapping against the shore while you navigate the canal is quite the experience.

Nice. Very interesting. If you're ever in the Berchtesgaden area, take a trip on the Königsee out to the monastery at Skt Bartholomae. The fleet of water buses is all electric. Superbly quiet even with 40 odd passengers on board. Afik these are all traditional, lead acid charged overnight from the mains, just like the old milk floats. So you're preaching to the converted here.

I’ve been rewatching/listening a lot of your old videos waiting for your new video to drop. Stay safe buddy

I run my 5m launch on electric. Everything a narrowboat isn't - deep V hull with concrete ballast (for rough water), never fitted out the cabin. Strictly day trips. Lives on a trailer and is charged off domestic mains at the end of the day. However many passengers comment that it's quiet - you hear the sound of the water slapping against the hull instead of the roar of an engine. No fumes. One thing I notice is the fumes when someone with a 2 stroke outboard comes near. On my boat, I don't get any extra speed putting more than about 2.8kw into the motor. I just draw more power making bigger waves. I converted the boat when the 2 cylinder, 2 stoke engine was unrepairable after years of storage at my father's place. Wasn't the Broads Authority pushing electric boating quite hard for several years? - providing charging facilities at mooring places ?. How's that working in practice?. One thing I remember from our 4-day hire on the Broads was the smell of diesel through the boat. I would have lept at an electric option, but they didn't offer such things back then.

We are building an electric boat currently will be showcasing it at crick this year

here on the Burgundy Canal, they used an electric tug boat to clear a very long tunnel. it entered service in... 1893. Yes, the century is correct. it got its energy from an hydroelectric station. so electric boats are not that new. quite the contrary, in fact : )

I was just rewatching your videos and wondering “when will a new video be posted” when lo and behold a new crusing the cut video! My day just got much better!

Awesome episode David - more like this please :)

Instead of the news I really enjoy waking up with one of your videos. Relaxing and joyful. Thank you.

Wow.. it was the tunnel section in the video that really shows ow quiet they can be.

I would love it of someone with a hybrid would film a very long video of a trip up the canals with all the sights and sounds....and no music..just the sounds of water rushing into the locks, the wash from the boat, birds singing, swans demanding, perhaps a hello from a passer-by .

Great video. We have 8 panels on our house providing 2.2 kilowatts and they cover about half our electric use. Most of the boats have around 12 panels.

"Barely a burble" from the generator. Excellent! That's what I needed to know.

The electric boats will get to move on BOTH sunny days in English summer.

Hi David, back safe and sound from having your jaunt on the Wash. I loved the video of the Steinway grand piano on the wide beam in London. My boat is a hybrid. Beta 43 Diesel engine with an electric engine, all expertly put together by Hybrid Marine. I have 17 hours of battery power to use as “Go Juice”, so if my Diesel engine fails I can navigate to a safe haven. Well, that’s the theory. My boat was built in 2014. People can’t hear me coming when I use the electric (and most of them say the Diesel engine is ultra quiet and difficult to hear). Stay Safe!

I bought mine fully converted by a fantastic team in the Bristol area. The instant power you get makes 62 foot narrow boat feel like a 35 footer.

David, I live vicariously through you. Brining in in the USA, makes It even more so . If I could be there would make my life better. Your videos are making my life better. Thank you for all that you do.

Another stellar piece of reportage (to say nothing of post production)! Thanks very much.

Love that the intro is quiet rather than the putt-putt of the engine because, well, electric motor. Nice touch.

Excellent vlog David, very interesting. I like the idea of quiet cruising, this is definitely the future 👍

Thank you, David. As we move to electric propulsion for vehicles running on land, it's natural that watercraft also make the change. The canal system was built to take advantage of the efficiency of watercraft (large loads moved by one horse) so electric boats are a natural evolution. It's interesting the boats moved by oars were far noisier - not only splashing but grunting and shouting - than the electric narrowboats.

Well done David! I said it before but I will say it again, the new format you are using to create content is wonderful. Granted I would watch you sort sunflower seeds from smallest to largest but I appreciate the truly interesting content.

I have just found this video. Electric combined with solar is a brilliant idea. I’m sure it will be the way to go for most narrow boats in the not too distant future. I think that the sound of quiet cruising would be pure magic.

You are right David the cruising vlogs has been done to death and these little docuvlogs are excellent and so varied. I’ve watched all yours since beginning and when I fancy a cruising blog I just jump back a year or five to you back catalogue 👍 keep it up 👍

The energy consumed was the big tell. Electric is 90% more efficient That's a big difference. Don't get me wrong you'd need either a MASSIVE battery system or a small genset. I'd be curious what something like the honda inverter 2kw genset would do. Pipe it in similar to the hybrid system and it would be nearly silent, and would consume a lot less fuel. As always, fantastic video!

David, Thank you for creating this video. It is a good bit of history on what is to come and what will be.

Just a quick observation before I watch the episode ... you are absolutely flying! Grand pianos ... scooping the TV it seems. And now on that research cruise! Well done you!

I really enjoyed this video and the insights on alternative fuels and boat propulsion systems. I'm throughly enjoying your new vlog formatting. It is worth the wait.

Ok I must say really good documentary styled videography and narration. I felt i was watching a David Attenborough styled picturisation and narration.

I'm following your, and other narrowboaters, vlogs a few years now. Of course I've seen everything! But you make me wrong again! This was an absolute new angel of the narrowboating. Whats next? I'll wait and see.

Hi David, it was me who saw at Rugby boat sales the other day. ( Tiger Lilly) Shame Bumble wasn't about ( James' little dog). However on with the task in hand. I have admired hybrid boats, and for a new boat would be the way to go. What would be very useful is an easily retro fitted setup. For those who have a serviceable engine. It would allow more older boats to go greener, space could be found for a lithium battery pack to supplement electrical capacity. Surely there's a market for such a system.

I love videos like this. Thank you for that David. Please more of it! I could look at such test reports every day. This new technology is extremely interesting. Great work!

Very well done, David. Informative with relevant interviews, visually appealing, attention to detail (especially focus upon sound), and great pacing from scene to scene. Really enjoyed it. -DC

As someone who is designing two electric narrowboats this video is GOLDEN. My own independant assesment seems bang on with the serial hybrids both in generator and battery sizes. Having a small battery bank shows its shortcomings in Perseverance and the need to have huge capacity where you can only us 50% of the storarge in lead acid tech. Ours will have 48v 400Ah Lifepo4 in one boat with basic systems and 800 in one with a high volume of AC services. It is also comforting in seeing a 10kW motor is enough for most scenarios. One suprise was the small amout of solar on (relatively) low power flexible panels. On a river with less than 2kW installed solar, floating the driving load, even on the sunniest of days, on a river,seems extremely optimistic. On the day you could see the drain on your control panel shot. Again, David has shown his vidoeo journolistic chops. Well thought out and well produced.

It's amazing! I have never thought of your boat being necessarily loud, David, but being able to hear every note of the passing birdsong is remarkable and a reminder of just how much noise we produce doing seemingly innocuous events. Have you put in an order?

Beautiful !!! Narrow boats seem the perfect match for solar power. Speed is not needed and from what I've seen, undesirable in light of the leisurely pace of the life style. Noise is a distraction from the beauty of the trip. I've never understood why the narrow boats do not use "water-cooled" exhaust systems, which produces a pleasant burbling sound at the rear of the boat, as is common on quality boats in the USA. Instead most narrow boats sound like junky old farm tractors putting away as they go along. With solar coming into usage, advocating water-cooled exhausts seems a moot point now. Peace and quiet at last. Now narrow boating can truly be a pastoral experience like it should be.

Congratulations, what a well prepared benchmark between all those configurations come together with that tasty insights of the landscape 👌

Wonderful episode. ElectrifyingTheCut is indeed the future with maximized solar, and a large battery bank as they become cheaper. What really surprised me is the energy efficiency of the serial hybrids compared to the diesels, 1/10th! I love this style of content. And then there is the benefit of no diesel pong. Thank you!

The beauty of these vessels is a bit of the noise. !!!!!

when I started driving my electric car, I would get halfway to work when I realized I forgot to turn on the music and I was enjoying the silence! I bet the ducks are the loudest thing in the canal

Loving the mini documentary style, keep up the good work, been watching your progress since beginning and your content has come along way excellent content😎👍

Following the propulsion progression of the canals and canal boats, it has been horses and mules, steam engines, diesel and gas engines, now electric motors. From the audio on the video, it reminded me of a sailboat under sail and the noise was the bow cutting through the water. I have been on a sternwheel steamboat that the spent steam was directed through a condenser to reuse most of the water boiled in the boiler and the noise was mostly the paddles striking the water and the slight vibration of the paddles striking the water unless the whistle or calliope was being played.

I've worked for a seller of small electrical sloops. You never know how annoying the constant thrum of an internal combustion engine is when just calmly cruising along and trying to have a conversation over the constant background noise of the engine. The ability to just have a chat without raising ones voice was something I always pointed out after taking people out and no-one ever notices until you point it out, at which point they can't NOT notice it any more. While cruising in a diesel sloop I'd often have a sore throat at the end of the day from having to speak with a bit of force to be heard well. That just didn't happen on the electrical boats. You could whisper to one another and be heard. I do however think at this point in time, pure battery electrical propulsion for boats isn't QUITE up to the level of being suitable for boats that do lots of cruising day after day or cover long distances without knowing where the next stop will be. It's perfect for day trips ending in the same marina it started or leisurely cruises from one place to the next where you can rely on power being available. Solar panels THEORETICALLY should provide enough power, but in practice you'll be draining you batteries throughout the day, which means that by the time you need the power for lights and such, there's not enough left and they're flat by morning. At which point you need to wait all day to get a bit of partial charge back. And charge cycles like that are detrimental to battery life on top of that. I'm sure battery electric with solar charging will work for some but it has drawbacks one needs to be well aware of before choosing for such a system. Serial hybrid power solves almost all of the issues. With proper installation a generator like those used for a serial hybrid drive can run at their most efficient speed, and the exhaust can be optimized to be as silent as possible at that speed, which means they're very very quiet (as demonstrated in the video), unlike the diesels used for direct propulsion, as they have to be much more slow running and optimized more for torque at low RPM. Which makes them more noisy. Parallel hybrid works well, but has some drawbacks (always driving at least part of a gearbox, up to the clutch, takes some energy and overall the system is usually less space efficient as everything has to be at the back of the boat in the engine room. The generator part of a hybrid system doesn't have to run all the time. Some days, when you know you have plenty of battery power and/or plenty of time to recharge at the end of he day, it can be fine to run on battery power alone and leave the internal combustion engine turned off.

I really enjoyed your commentary in this vid David. It was most informative and I could see that you throughly enjoyed the trip.

Very interesting and informative, lovely scenery and a joy to watch thank you Nicola

Oh man, i love the silence. Surely the lack of noise increases the relaxation factor of narrowboating? edit: i posted before watching the entire video. :P

Brilliant! Its been a long time coming but what a fantastic step forward. Peaceful, no smell low cost.

David, once again incredibly educational and greatly appreciated. Kudos to your new vlog direction, so unique and informative.

I was just thinking yesterday (whilst nipping in and out of my polytunnel) how glad you must be at deciding not to continue with your regular boating vlogs. This heat, and the solo handling of the lock gates would have been a killer. Carry on being careful David.

Solar panels seem like a good idea, but I'm surprised nobody seems to have thought of mounting panels on the sides, or indeed covering the full length of the roof. There's also the possibility of having a flexible array (imagine a long but narrow awning) that could be erected alongside a moored boat, a bit like the awnings you see on camper vans. The solar panels fitted to the electric boats in the video look like they're only using a fraction of the potential available space, so, with more work, the gap between solar power produced, and solar power used, could be eliminated, even on a dull day. And of course, with solar panels becoming both cheaper and more efficient, this has to be the future.

Brilliant vlog. An interesting comparison. The quiet of electric is a huge selling point, never mind the other environmental aspects, like less use of fossil fuels. Thanks!

I fully understand the electric idea, but there's something about the noise of a diesel engine whilst going along that I love. Providing the boat isn't rattling along with it :) Great video.

Thank you David. This was very interesting to watch and enjoy the semi-silent cruising.

13:35 The joy of being a passenger 13:37 is that you don’t have to do any of the hard work operating the locks. Yes, that are the most wanted passengers on board.

This is quality stuff. It's a relatively small thing when compared to the pollution from heavy industry and whatnot, but any and all movements to green energy is worth the trouble. Hell, even if this doesn't shave off a bit of the global pollution problem, the fact you can have a nearly silent boat that doesn't need to fill up (and potentially spill) fuel and doesn't stink up the place is great for enjoyers of wildlife

Thank you for a brilliant vog David. Just loved the peace and quiet from not having a diesel motor, nice to be able to float along listening to natures sounds. lovely just lovely

This is a lovely lifestyle and the electric motors only enhances the experience by allowing you to hear everything in nature and not the engine. I have a deep respect and appreciation for European engineering. But what they’ve created hear out of it historical means of transportation is one of the most beautiful experiences you could get without having to buy a 30 million Dollar yacht.

Fascinating and very informative, battery technology is most certainly moving faster than the average speed of a canal boat whatever it's form of propulsion.

I would like a boat like the Perseverance. Imagine the fun of sneaking up on unsuspecting boaters or the pranks you could play on your friends who won’t hear you coming. Ah well, just a thought even if an unrealistic mischievous one.

They absolutely are the future of canal craft. The CRT needs to make plans about laying cables for charging points ASAP. Electric motors and heavy batteries are ridiculous in cars, but ideally suited for big, slow boats. The fact that you can have a roof covered in panels to charge them is a considerable bonus. To return to the days of silent cruising would be a wonderful benefit- although the odd classic Diesel engine putting around would be a nice sight.

As always you posted great content. Interesting stuff. Thanks and safe travels.

I really like the direction you have chosen since the beginning of the year. impactful and very interesting videos

This video is relaxing as well as informative. Well done.

I love this kind of content. I have an off-grid solar system and its so reliable so seeing this feature makes watching better than any film out there. Bloody bravo from me.

It's a GREAT idea to put a electrical engine in boats like this. Especially with the lowering of the batterie and solar panel prices. And if someone is a good handyman... easy to diy. And with a silent generator as backup... it's a perfect solution. 👌 BTW... I'm missing your cruising vlogs. But thanks for this one. 🙏

And, talking of diesels, my inner-nerd always pops out when people talk of diesels running on "other" fuels. The diesel engine is named after its inventor, not the fuel. It was designed to run on almost any fuel - that was the whole point of it, it wasn't dependent on highly refined oil. After its invention, the fuel manufacturers developed a fuel designed specifically for the diesel (and called it 'diesel' fuel). So no one should be surprised that a 'diesel' can run on, for instance, waste cooking oil. The real question is why don't we do this a lot more? Why do we waste valuable fossil fuel, and create all that CO2, when we don't have to??

Informative, entertaining and much appreciated. You're at your best when out on the rivers and canals, commenting on all and sundry going on about you. Really like the idea of hybrid electrics using a diesel generator in concert with solar. Allows the boats to cruise electrically while still taking advantage of the diesel fueling infrastructure already in place throughout the canal and river network, assuring motive (and other) power will be available whenever and wherever needed. Glad to have you back, if only for a bit.

That Perseverance was amazing. Well done piloting David…

I love that SeaDek matting, It looks so sharp.

I imagine this be of tremendous advantage in such tunnels as Harecastle.

Excellent video, I loved your last sentence "you could hear how quiet the electric motors were".

We are surely enjoying these videos, thanks for sharing.

"The joy of being a passenger is that you don't have to do any of the hard work operating the locks". How mean !! :)

David I noticed 'Old Nick' had a length of rope which presumably serves as a painter draped across several of the solar panels. Nikki and Jason Wynn of Cruising Sail Channel 'Gone With the Wynn's' performed some experiments with solar panels which revealed that almost any shadow across one or more panels can essentially cause them to cease producing energy!

Fascinating vlog again! Totally amazing to listen to the sounds of nature instead of a diesel engine. It enhances the experience, for sure. I totally love your vlogs.

Love these new ‘newsy’ videos David, you really are in your element here with the interviews. So exciting, what more can you find for us 😀. You really have a series suitable for channel TV. Better than aged celebs taking a boat out !!!😄👏👏👏🌟. Joan