The First All-Electric Fishing Vessel On The UK Register

We love to hear stories from customers about their projects, whether that be a campervan, off-grid home or a marine application and we thought we would share one of our customer's projects with you!

This is EFV Lorna Jane, the first all-electric fishing vessel on the UK register and the boat which was built in 1979 is used for fishing lobsters and crabs off the West Coast of Scotland. The project took Hans Unkles who runs a one man company called Sandisland Workshop Ltd, 9 months to complete with complications on the way.

The electrical system on the boat consists of a 48v battery bank with 45kWh's of storage, 4 x 460W solar panels, an inverter for a kettle and a heater and mains hook-up with a mains battery charger and the vessel is powered by a 20kW motor. A lot of the kit used within the boat was supplied by 12 Volt Planet. 

Hans says on his project: I have always believed that, and this especially applies to fishing, if you are not evolving your methods and practices, you are only hanging on before you go backwards. Regardless of your method of fishing, no matter how you look at the near future, changes we don't have control or a say over are coming. With this boat I am facing some of those changes on my own terms, not terms that will be forced on me when it's too late for me to change. If you are not prepared to change your approach and look at ways to adapt then I think it might be wise to seriously consider selling up now and get out because big changes are on their way regardless! I don't know myself if I am a greenie or just feathering my own nest or more likely both, but I do believe I am trying to do the right thing for me and the future of my trade.

Please click here for a link to their website which has more information on the boat and the story behind the build.

They have also documented the project on video, please click here to view a range of their videos including a full length film which is definitely worth watching and YouTube videos including how the boat works and watching the boat work.