Doug Zurn usually draws the lines of larger, and faster, boats. Known for his Down East designs with slim, slippery lines, Zurn, the head of Zurn Yacht Design in Marblehead, Massachusetts, has designed boats for MJM, Bruckmann, Marlow, Hylas, plus the Shelter Island Runabout and Billy Joel’s 57-foot commuter Vendetta, among many others.
Zurn just announced that he’s working on a new project with Boston BoatWorks – a 30-foot electric launch called the AMC 30 for the Appalachian Mountain Club. It’s in memory of Mark Lindsay, the founder of Boston BoatWorks, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 75.
As it turns out, Lindsay, a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club for 30 years, first thought of the project in 2006. The idea was to replace the club’s existing wooden, gas-powered launch with something that was a bit more environmentally friendly.
The launch is used to ferry member and guests to the club’s Three Mile Camp on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Zurn’s new design combines classic lines with innovative technology that could be used in other new builds as well.
Power for the launch comes from Torqeedo electric propulsion, using a 25kW electric motor and a 400Vdc lithium battery. The launch will be kept at the club’s Three Mile Island Dock House, where the battery can be charged; it will take a maximum of six hours to recharge after a full discharge.
The launch will have a cruising speed of 8.6 knots and can carry 22 passengers and their gear. It has a fine entry, a full-body midsection, and a short keel for stability in a cross wind. It will be named Appy VI, replacing the ancient Appy V.
It will be built by Boston BoatWorks in Charlestown, Massachusetts, to honor Lindsay’s values of respect for nature and his desire for reduced environmental impact. It will have almost silent operation, and will require very little maintenance. Appy VI is scheduled to be ready for the summer of 2023.
“The Appalachian Mountain Club is a very environmentally conscious group and the island is totally self-sufficient,” said Zurn, “and it relies on a solar farm for electricity. They’re really trying to be as close to a zero carbon footprint as possible. Going back and forth to the island with a 40-year-old, deep-keeled wooden boat that put up a three-foot wave sort of rubbed Mark the wrong way.” Read more:
