A couple of weeks ago I sent out the Plugboats 2025 Electric Boat and Boating Year in Review Part 1, covering January to June. If you did not see it in your mailbox, you can »» READ IT ONLINE HERE.
Here is the rest of the year - July to December. Thanks for your support of Plugboats, I hope you enjoy this Review and I hope, like me, you are looking forward to an even more exciting year for electric propulsion in 2026.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Jeff Butler,
Editor / Publisher
Plugboats.com
The 12th annual MEBC – Monaco Energy Boat Challenge – took place July 2 – 6 and was another shining success in showcasing the rapid advance of non fossil-fuel propulsion – where it is at now and what lies ahead for the future.
The MEBC is unique in that it brings together university students, commercial electric boat manufacturers and the larger yachting industry with races, demonstrations, technical presentations, a job fair, mentoring program and round table discussions. In the university segment alone over 1,000 students participated, coming from 42 institutions in 20 countries.
Other July stories
Uma, the 36 foot hero of one of YouTube’s most popular sailing channels, is having a second Oceanvolt ServoProp electric saildrive installed by owners Dan Deckert and Kika Mevs as they make the boat totally fossil-fuel-free (FFF).
The Sailing Uma channel has 433,000 subscribers who avidly follow the couple’s adventures sailing, living aboard and maintaining / refitting the 1972 Pearson 36 they bought in 2014 because they ‘craved experiences over possessions, freedom over convention’. They wanted to live minimally and travel indefinitely and chose to write their own story and live aboard a sailboat.
Other August stories
Sponsored Content
Winner of a 2025 Multihull of the Year Award in April and a Cannes Yachting Festical Innovation Route Award in September – and a Gussies Award in November – the MODX70 electric catamaran is being praised as a handsome luxury yacht that can sail literally forever without emitting a single molecule of carbon dioxide or any other pollutant.
The yacht, from French shipyard Océan Développement, is a fusion of performance racing engineering, a clean, minimalist design aesthetic and a propulsion system that evolved from Tûranor PlanetSolar, the first solar electric vehicle ever to circumnavigate the globe.
Other September stories
German performance boatbuilder Stern Yachts is going electric – working with Vision Marine Technologies on an optimized version of their Sterk 31 that will be powered by a dual E-Motion 180E electric powertrain system.
This marks the first dual application of Vision Marine’s system and is the result of a joint effort by the engineering teams of both companies. The Sterk 31e was revealed in-water at the Bahia Mar G Dock of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) in November.
Other October stories
After voting by more than 5,000 members of the public and an International Judging Panel of 35 electric boat experts, these are the boats who have taken First Place in their respective categories as best representatives of ‘excellence in electric boats and boating’.
A huge thank you to our presenting sponsors – EPTechnologies and Nautical Ventures – two leaders in electric boats and boating who help make these awards possible:
EPTechnologies is a complete marine propulsion provider for electric and hybrid vessels from small boats to luxury superyachts. Experienced sailors and boat owners themselves, they guide customers and clients through the process of turning dreams into real electric and hybrid vessels, offering the highest quality solutions that make economic sense.
Nautical Ventures is one of the most prominent electric marine retailers in North America, with nine locations across Florida and an award-winning dealership network recognized for its scale full suite of after-sales support, service, and consumer activations. An expanding lineup includes water toys and watersports products, reinforcing its reputation as a go-to destination for everything on the water.
Other November stories
The new owners of a Silent Yachts 62 Tri-Deck solar electric catamaran – which they named ‘100%‘ – are sailing their new purchase across the Atlantic and you can track her progress, monitor the solar system and ask questions of the crew as they make the 3,200 nautical mile journey from Gibraltar to Antigua.
Other December stories
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the newsletter
As always, if you have any suggestions about what you would like to see covered in Plugboats, or have a lead on an interesting story, drop me a line! (hit 'Reply' or click on the email icon below.)
