Hans’ boat fuels electric dreams
Tayvallich fisherman Hans Unkles is feeling the buzz after “successful” early runs in his newly electric- and solar-powered boat.
Hans’ Signis 21-foot creel boat named the Lorna Jane, built in 1978, has had its diesel engine replaced with an electric motor driven by a 45-kilowatt battery – a first in the UK fishing industry.
It has also had solar panels fitted on a canopy covering the craft’s deck. Immersed with inshore fishing colleagues in a fight against the introduction of proposed Highly Protected Marine Areas in Scottish coastal waters, Hans has directed another portion of his energy into dropping fossil fuels for electric power, which he estimates will save 50 gallons of fuel a day.
Hans, also a boatbuilder at his Sandisland workshop in the village, told the Advertiser: “Converting my boat from diesel to electric makes it easier to manage, especially for the style of fishing I do.
“A full charge and this boat can stay out – steaming at six knots as it did with diesel power – for eight hours, double the time I normally spend out on a trip. The battery charges off a standard 13-amp plug but at a pontoon, owners could charge a boat off a pedestal from a 16-amp plug.
“We had pretty good results from our sea trial and I am convinced it could work on a larger boat.”
Hans said his colleague Dougie Chirnside was part of the inspiration for the switch to electric, having seen the results on the scallop diver’s smaller craft.
Hans continued: “Dougie’s electric-powered 4.5-metre boat with an outboard engine proved the concept and made me think ‘I can do this’. When in the boat, there is less vibration and no noise.
“I recognise that I am perhaps in an advantageous position compared to others in the industry, because I have the boat, the boat-building experience, and the space and desire to do the project. It is the first project of its kind in the UK as the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) do not yet have a coding for a fishing vessel powered in this way.
“For that reason there has been a lot of form-filling.
“The switch to electric might not be competitive at the moment from a boat owner’s point of view but with the hike in fuel prices it could become a more attractive option.
“At the same time, the infrastructure has to be there for it to be a more realistic option for others in the industry.”
The boat’s electric journey has been documented in a soon-to-be-released film called It’ll Never Work, by Knapdalebased director Joe Osborn and Carsaig Films.