The company eBoats Experience launched on Tuesday at Parc de la Mar its new brand of sustainable and electric boats, Nauta Morgau, in which they combine traditional craftsmanship with innovation in the nautical sector.
“To focus only on repair or maintenance is not something that satisfies a shipwright. We were looking for a way to solve the environmental problems and to meet the demands of the market. We are committed to sustainable shipbuilding, with wood and electric motors, which allows us to keep the waters of the Balearic Islands clean,” said the company’s founder and mestre d’aixa, Marc Balaguer.
The 4.96-metre-long boats are made of wood, leaving aside plastic and fibreglass, materials that are harmful to the environment.
No nails, boards or tow have been used; the hulls are made watertight by gluing the wood together with epoxy resin to form a single body. Powered by electric energy, the ships are equipped with two 6-kilowatt batteries that provide an average autonomy of three hours at a speed of seven or eight knots. All this makes them easy to maintain and operate; no certificate is required to operate them.
The vessels are designed for recreational use and the charter market is where they intend to generate a greater impact: “We would like these companies, whose vessels have a greater impact on the environment, to use this type of vessel and if they can be ours, that’s perfect,” Balaguer said.
With a view to the future, Nauta Morgau plans to manufacture models for professional use, for example, for patrolling harbours or natural parks, “which would be the most logical thing to do, instead of patrolling a protected area with a 50-horsepower outboard motor”.
The presentation of the boats was attended by the president of the Balearic Islands Port Authority, Francesc Antich; the director general of Energy and Climate Change, Pep Malagrava; the director general of Industrial Policy, Antoni Morro; and the councillor for the Environment and Animal Welfare of Palma City Council, Ramon Vicenç Perpinyà.
“It is easy to operate, it is silent, it does not contaminate and it boosts the island’s industry. We must take advantage of tourism to boost our industry, which was very powerful and can be so again”, said Ramon Perpinyà.
Handmade in Portocolom
The design and manufacture of the boats has been carried out at the Nauta Morgau shipyard in Portocolom. The whole process has taken more than three years of trial and error, although the manufacture of the two boats presented yesterday was completed in three months. Now the objective is to look for larger facilities to increase production to 30 or 40 vessels per year.
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What a brilliant idea. Congratulations to all involved. This could, and should have, worldwide appeal.