TRY GOING HYBRID

At the end of the fascinating article on an all-electric boat (“All Electric Pros and Cons” November), Tim Murphy mentions that Magellan’s fleet made a circumnavigation under just sail. But of the original five vessels, only Victoria ever returned, with her two-dozen surviving crew more dead than alive. Many years passed before another global expedition was attempted. Rather than an all-electric vessel as described by Murphy, the combination of diesel generator, electric motor, solar cells and lithium batteries is far more likely. That combination is far less expensive and easier to fit than conventional diesel engines. And it’s being installed now with good results.

Peter I. Berman Norwalk, Connecticut