The March/April 2003 issue of Boating Industry featured an article titled Standing Together-Breaking Down Boating’s Environmental Issues through the Eyes of NMMA’s Government Relations Team. This article reveals the rift that exists between the Government and the NMMA over access by boaters to public waters. Unfortunately it revealed something else that was probably not apparent at all to most readers but is well known to us at Ray Electric Outboards: Electric Boats are not in the equation. This is an unfortunate situation because if the boating industry would build electric boats as well as high powered planing boats we could have unobtrusive access where the kinds of boats being fostered on residents, park managers and environmentalists are objectionable.

The reasons electric boats are not being considered are generally two. The NMMA has the electric boating industry classed with environmentalists, the enemy. Secondly, there are not enough real electric boats out there for the correct judgment of their capabilities to be secure in the minds of those that influence access decisions. Ninety percent of electric boats in the U.S. are planing boats powered electrically, or small inboard cocktail boats not designed for efficiency in the use of electric propulsion.

What decision makers, including the NMMA, should realize is that electric boats can just as easily be manufactured as other boats and efficient displacement hulls will permit running continuously at 6 to 7 MPH for 10 to 12 hours, sufficient for a days boating on any waters. Our website is devoted to explaining and proving the true capabilities of electric boats. For an overview, view The Future of Electric Boats. For proof, view the article: Performance Electric Boats.

How the Ray Electric Outboard can improve and increase recreation on public waters without pollution and wake damage or the safety risk due to excessive speed.

1. Permit opening waters to public use that should not be subjected to gasoline power and where trolling motors or manual power would be inadequate.
2. Permit protection of, but continued use of, waters where gasoline motors may be polluting beyond acceptable limits.
3. Greatly improve recreation on waters where decisions have been made to allow no powerboats at all in order to preserve the ecology of these waters.
4. Change decisions to limit gasoline power to 5 or 10 HP the use of electric power only, eliminating pollution without reducing recreation.

Electric Boats are good for recreation, good for the environment and good for America.

Morton Ray
President