The owner of the Steeler Yachts 61S Electric wanted much more interior volume in a similar length overall, and he wanted a steel-hull boat that could be driven by electric propulsion.
Vripack designed an oceangoing house with single-level living. The first thing they did with the design was to remove the side decks. Presttun said he didn’t need them for the way he cruises along the Norwegian coast, and he’d prefer the extra interior living space. He also wanted the aft deck to be like a back porch, a place where he could step aboard easily, remain dry in bad weather, store his bicycle, take off his shoes and then go inside without having to traverse any steps.
Thus, the Steeler 61S Electric is equipped with a 75-kW diesel generator, but it also has a 90-kW electric propulsion motor and can run on shore power. At 5 knots, it can run on batteries alone for 8 hours, with normal energy consumption on board. At 6 knots, the boat has a 2,000-nautical-mile range. Solar panels and windmills on the roof help to feed the 184-kilowatt-hour battery.
📸 Guy Fleury
