Classec Boat

[Turnoar]

Been thinking about going electric on four wheels and notice that old milk floats are selling for £10k, or nearer 15 with new batteries, and Enfield 8000’s are rarer than hens gold fillings. I’m not aware of any boats designed purely as electric but am wondering if such things exist, or even a hybrid car/boat such as an ampicar?

[JennyMorgan]

An interesting question. As far as the Broads are concerned I understand that several launches were built. I do know of one, 1930's, built at Lowestoft (Brooks) for an Oulton Broad owner. The charging gear & switchboard still exists within a boatshed besides the Broad.  This picture shows other electric boats at Lowestoft, they worked for over thirty years before being replaced and subsequently destroyed.

[johnb]

I love these old pictures! Reminds me of my childhood. Is the crew of the boat in the foreground a rag and stick crew on holiday or perhaps one way systems weren't yet invented?

[JennyMorgan]

2 hours ago, johnb said:

I love these old pictures! Reminds me of my childhood.

It's post marked 1935!

[Turnoar]

There’s an idea JM, fit ecletric cars with pantographs and simply put electricity lines over the entire road network, it works for the railways, well some of the time I suppose. I’ve decided I’m going to go for an older electricPetrol combo, say a jap of 90s vintage and operate purely in ⛽️ mode but only get stung for the £20 road fund lolicence!

[JennyMorgan]

8 minutes ago, Turnoar said:

There’s an idea JM, fit ecletric cars with pantographs and simply put electricity lines over the entire road network.

Why not for boats too? Chicken wire slung across the river, as used for dodgem cars but in this case boats, would be highly suitable especially at Horning & Wroxham. Might cause a problem with carbon fibre masts though!

[johnb]

Well 1935 is a bit before my time, although with a cold I’m feeling 85 today! I do remember my older sons playing on the pedal cars on Great Yarmouth sea front in the nineteen seventies. Think they were near the site of the sea life centre? I wonder when the electric boats stopped. There are of course battery equivalents today but they don’t have the character of the older ones in my opinion. 

[RS2021]

54 minutes ago, Turnoar said:

There’s an idea JM, fit ecletric cars with pantographs and simply put electricity lines over the entire road network, it

I've heard it suggested for HGVs. Electrify certain stretches of motorways. Lorries can then charge their batteries as they go along and have enough charge to reach an off motorway destination. The extension to the Midland metro works on this basis. The extension up Broad Street in Birmingham has no overhead wires. Trams are expected to charge batteries on the rest of the line.

[grendel]

I believe that you can get trams that have big flywheels they get their power from, when at stops they connect up to the electric and spin the flywheels up to speed, this then keeps them going to the next stop.

[RS2021]

2 hours ago, grendel said:

I believe that you can get trams that have big flywheels they get their power from, when at stops they connect up to the electric and spin the flywheels up to speed, this then keeps them going to the next stop.

I believe the Parry People Moved used to connect Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town uses this technology, although from a small motor rather than electric.

[webntweb]

16 hours ago, johnb said:

Well 1935 is a bit before my time, although with a cold I’m feeling 85 today! I do remember my older sons playing on the pedal cars on Great Yarmouth sea front in the nineteen seventies. Think they were near the site of the sea life centre?

Do you mean one of these? August 83.

[webntweb]

12 hours ago, RS2021 said:

I believe the Parry People Moved used to connect Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town uses this technology, although from a small motor rather than electric.

A Parry People Mover.

Picture is probably subject to copyright.

[JennyMorgan]

Several wherry yachts had leccy motors but subsequently reverted to diesel auxiliary power, probably because the charging points were always hogged by folk with trouser presses, hair straighteners or curlers, shoe polishers, microwaves. kettles and heavy duty mains powered Ann Summers products!

[johnb]

One of those cars certainly. They were obviously popular for a number of years! 

[Vaughan]

1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said:

and heavy duty mains powered Ann Summers products!

Surely they are battery powered. Aren't they?    

[MauriceMynah]

We bow to your greater experience Vaughan. :-)

[JennyMorgan]

5 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Surely they are battery powered. Aren't they?    

Flaccid batteries can be extremely frustrating.