Following on from our post a few weeks ago about Mastervolt’s innovative marine e-propulsion system, the Dutch-based manufacturers made a splash at the Southampton Boat Show last week by winning the Practical Boat Owner magazine’s Green Awards. The awards recognise marine businesses who have taken steps to reduce the environmental impact of leisure boating and make the industry greener and more sustainable.

Mastervolt’s revolutionary “PodMaster,” a highly efficient external electric drive and regeneration system, won the Product Category. The device features a powerful electric motor encased in a torpedo-shaped pod attached to the underside of the hull. The pods provide efficient directional thrust, making vessels easier to maneuver. Another big advantage is that with no conventional drive shafts, gearboxes or engine couplings to align, the electrical power source can be located virtually anywhere on board.

The PodMaster is available in a power range from 2kW to 10kW, which can effectively replace a combustion engine from 3hp to 36hp. When supplemented by solar panels and/or a wind generator, and with the recharging efficiency optimised by the MasterBus system, a PodMaster-equipped boat could be virtually self-refuelling.

Motorboats can fit single or twin PodMasters, either fixed before a rudder, or fully directional.  The steerable versions can be linked to the main wheel, or steered independently. When angled at 90 degrees, for example, the PodMaster effectively doubles as a stern thruster. It can also be fitted as an auxiliary drive or trolling motor for a single-engine powerboat.

According to Marc Persoon, Mastervolt’s Marketing Manager, “It opens up so many possibilities for boat builders and boat restorers, freeing up internal space and allowing for silent, fuel-efficient propulsion from affordable and renewable sources.”

www.pbo.co.uk

www.mastervolt.com