October 2007		Dutch Canal Barge Anna Maria - an exciting new venture! In October Solarboat took delivery of the 22m Tjalk (canal barge) Anna Maria in Holland.  Built about 1914 as a sailing barge she plied the Dutch canal system carrying cargo. Around 1970 she was converted to a motorised canal cruiser. We intend to renovate her and then convert her to hybrid (diesel electric) drive to showcase our drive systems on the inland waterways of Holland, France, Germany and the rest of Europe..
October 2007		Duffy Electric Boats - new range released In October 2007 Duffy released an entirely revised range revolving around their new patented drive system. The range includes some re-vamped old favourites such as the Duffy 21 and some sparkling new designs including the sumptuous 22 Cuddy (with 9ft beam and room for a head!) and the sporty 18 South Coast (pictured at left).  Visit www.duffyboats.com to view the entire range or contact us to purchase!
September 2007		Solarboat 45 passenger electric ferries for Singapore Zoo In September 2007 Solarboat Pty Ltd signed a contract with the Singapore Zoo for four electric ferries to be used on a major drinking water reservoir as part of the Zoo's "people moving" system. Designed for Solarboat by Queensland based AYD the boats are being built in Langkawi, Malaysia. Delivery is expected to be late April 2008 ready for full service from June 2008. Built of aluminium the boats will be epoxy painted to allow them to be "themed" to suit events and displays at this  famous  Zoo.
January 2007		Solarboat delivers 2 Duffy 21 electric boats to Singapore Government In early January 2007 Solarboat Pty Ltd delivered two Duffy 21 Cruisers to the Public Utilities Board of Singapore (the authority responsible for water supply) These boats are used on the Singapore River and old Boat harbour which is due to be dammed off from the sea in 2007 to form a fresh water body extending through the CBD.
March 2006		Dutch customer buys electric boat in Sydney A Duffy 21 demonstrator belonging to Solarboat Pty Ltd has been sold to a customer from Holland. The customer had been staying with a colleague who has a Duffy electric boat on the Gold Coast and fell in love with it. He searched for a similar boat available in Australia and was put in touch with Solarboat. In March 2000 the boat was packed into a container and shipped to Antwerp. It now resides in Amsterdam.
2005		Solarboat in China In 2004 and 2005 Solarboat attended the Shanghai International Boat Show and a smaller show in Qian Dao Hu in China. We have now sold three Duffy electric boats there (a Duffy 16 Classic, a Duffy 16 Cat and a Duffy 21). In China we were interested to see about 200 electric boats operating on famed Xi Hu (West Lake) in the ancient city of Hangzhou. These boats range from 60 passenger tour ferries to 2 person hire and drive boats.
2004		Ferries for Winery Wetland Tours In 2004 the lovely Victorian old winery Tahbilk opened a new restaurant overlooking part of the wetland which winds through the winery. At the same time they set up walking and boat tours of  the wetland. Visitors can tour on the ferry or choose to stretch their legs by walking between the jetties, exploring on the way the ecological changes as they proceed from the waters edge to the paddocks before returning to the restaurant to enjoy a meal and wine!. Visit www.tahbilk.com.au/wetlands  Solarboat provided the electric drive systems for the two twin motor 30 passenger vessels which were designed and built in Victoria.
2003		Malaysian Government buys Duffy 16 Cat electric boats In 2003 four Duffy 16 Cats were bought for operation on a wetland upstream from the lake which runs through Putrajaya, a modern city about half way between Kuala Lumpur and its new airport built to become the "New Capital" of Malaysia. The boats provide access from the Tamin Botani to a nearby picnic island. The boats rapidly proved popular with visitors, as can be seen from the cheery bunch of children in this photo..
2003		Solar Gulf Crossing  In April 2003 our solar charged 19ft boat Geehi became the first solar powered boat to cross St Vincents Gulf between Adelaide and Port Vincent, a distance of over 60km across open water. The crossing took a little over 8 hours at an average speed of over 4 knots. The battery range was about 8 hours but the solar panels contributed enough for a further 2 hours running to provide a margin of safety. Next day Geehi travelled down the coast to participate in the Stansbury Regatta.
2001		We "discover" electric boating In 2001 we started restoring a 1925 classic raised deck gaff rigger, the 28ft Scarab. As the oldest Australian Halvorsen built boat still afloat, this important part of Sydney Harbour deserved the best. However the diesel engine fitted sometime in the 1950s had so befouled the bilges that we decided there had to be a better way! Then we discovered the Lynch electric motor, put two and two together, and here we are.
1890s-1920s		Electric boats have a long history. From the 1890s until the 1920s electric drive was not uncommon, especially in UK and Europe and USA. As with electric cars the limitations of the technology of the time and the inexorable march of the petroleum lobby drove this underwater (where submarines continue to this day to be electric). Improvements in technology especially in motor design and electronics combined with increasing petroleum costs and awareness of the environmental cost has seen a revival in electric boating over recent decades. Pictured, Humble built as an electric launch for the Prince of Wales in 1902.