A sunny late afternoon in June I had just finished up touring the Electric
Hybrid Marine Expo, when I got a call from Marijn of Craftmanship Boat
Builders asking if I had the time to come by and film their new 760 Cabin
Tender. I had my drone with me, and was only a 10 minute drive away, and
headed over immediately.
The Craftmanship 760 Cabin Tender, Amstel River, The Netherlands
The boat itself is beautifully constructed aluminum, in the style of a classic dutch
boat called a bakdekker. It features an inclosed bow with a sleeping quarters, and
an open back deck to enjoy the outside.
What is different about this particular one, is that it’s powered by a 22kw electric
motor from Green Marine. The municipality of Amsterdam has mandated that all
boats must be electric by the year 2025, and Craftmanship has produced a
capable boat to meet those standards.
Sustainability
Besides electric power, the 760 Cabin Tender contain several sustainable
features. The deck is lined with with renewable cork. Unlike teak where a tree
must be cut down, cork can be harvested repeatedly from the tree and leave it to
grow for another 200 years.
The upholstery is made from recycled plastic bottles by Sunbrella, and the
exterior and interior tables are made from recycled teak.
Rather than using toxic bottom paint, the anti-fouling is a material called finsulate
which is a material layered onto the hull designed to mimic nature in producing
tiny spines that repels sea life. The aluminum hull is also recyclable, and the sustainability theme is carried throughout the whole vessel.
Exploration
The founders of Craftmanship, Gwen and Marijn, wanted to build a boat that
suited their preferred style of adventure boating. They wanted something they
could enjoy during the day with their friends cruising the canals, but also
something they could take out in the dutch countryside and camp overnight.
The cabin features a galley with a stove top, sink, and refrigerator for cooking.
The table and cushions fold down into a bed, and it also contains a head. It has
everything one would need to enjoy a weekend or multi-day trip on the water.
Amsterdam
We pulled the boat out onto the Amstel River, and eventually turned into the
canals in the Amsterdam city center. It was my first experience driving a boat in
such a place, and while the Amstel river is quite pleasant to cruise along, the
canals are actually a bit of a challenge for someone who isn’t used to piloting a
boat there.
Green Marine throttle and Veetus bow thruster controls, Canals in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The canals themselves are narrow, and some bridges are somewhat circular, and
long tour boats can emerge from within them without warning. A couple of times
I had to take some evasive maneuvers to avoid a canal boat, in which the Veetus
bow thruster came in very handy. The 760 is quite maneuverable with a single
screw and rudder, and the large bow thruster.
Bank suction is a factor there, and if you are traveling too close to the canal
sidewalls, the boat wants to turn in towards the wall, and so a bit of counter
rudder and some additional throttle must be applied when traveling close in. The
aluminum throttle from green marine, and the instant torque from the motor
makes it very easy to apply the exact amount of power you want.
All in all it was a great day on the water on a great new boat and I am sure we will
see many more of them cruising the Amsterdam canals.
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