I first heard about the Brutus Boten WB1 on instagram, as I was researching
electric boat builders in Holland since I was attending the Electric Hybrid
Marine Expo in Amsterdam later that month. I reached out to Derk Van Rossem,
the founder of the company, and he agreed to let me test his new electric sloop in
Alkmaar, which is a small town north of Amsterdam. I arrived in the morning with my cousin Marjolein at Witsen Marine, an all inclusive ship yard and brokerage that has the exclusive distribution rights for the WB1.
The Brutus Boten WB1, at Witsen Marine in Alkmaar, The Netherlands
The Arrival
When we arrived, a Witsen representative was trailering the WB1 towards the
travel lift, and we were able to get a good look at the boat out of the water.
This boat somehow presents the opposite of most boats I am used to. Often a
boat will look enormous out of the water on a trailer, and once floating it appears
small. This boat is somehow the opposite; on the trailer it carries a smaller, sleek
appearance, but once in the water it feels much larger than its 7.5 meters.
Perhaps because of the steel build material that gives it the weight of a much
larger vessel, as it doesn’t rock much when you step aboard. I confess to not
having much experience with steel boats except for large ferries in the pacific
northwest, and I didn’t really understand the material choice until we cruised
around in the WB1. The sheer weight of it makes for an extremely stable
platform, and the large open deck space meant that the four of us were quite
comfortable moving around and not having the feeling of getting in each other’s
way, nor ‘rocking the boat’ as we moved around.
The material finish is quite spectacular. The steel itself has been plastered and
sanded to create a lacquer smooth mirror finish in the paint. Beautifully mitered
teak lines the deck and center platform, and there are no bolt on accessories for
cleats, but instead sturdy hand crafted steel chalks and posts designed to hold
ships many times larger. In fact, the inspiration for the WB1 were from the tough
and sturdy commercial tug boats, and this theme can be seen throughout from
the water tight steel compartment at the bow, to the large tow post at the stern.
Electric Propulsion
The city of Amsterdam has mandated that all vessels cruising its canals must be
electric by the year 2025, and so Brutus Boten is one of the Dutch companies
taking on the challenge and building a boat capable of emissions free cruising. It features a 17.5kw electric motor from Green Marine, connected to a single shaft
and propeller system. The 48v motor is powered by 7 Li batteries placed around
the vessel which combine to form 67kwh.
Another great feature, is that the battery management system communicates
through a phone app, which sends data such as how many watt hours it is
currently consuming, and giving a range estimate based on the speed as power
usage. That means you have a very accurate picture of how far the vessel will
travel given its battery state.
One of the most pleasant aspects is what is not there: no vibrations, no noise,
and no oil or diesel smoke smell following us throughout our journey. We set off
from the boat yard towards the old town of Alekmaar, and I took the helm. The
throttle is a small aluminum lever mounted to the side of the steering post, and
responds instantly when you press it forward. I love the big wooden helm wheel,
as it does give you the feeling of piloting a luxury tug boat. For tight turns, the
Veetus bow thruster is more than powerful enough pushed the bow around with
ease. Derk took the helm as well so that I could do some filming, and it is obvious by the relaxed way he grabs the wheel that he has spent a lot of time on boats. He
grew up sailing, and besides cruising up and down the canals in Holland he has
spent a lot of time sailing the mediterranean as well as the Caribbean. When he
and his friends decided to design and manufacture their own boat, it is obvious
that he had a vast amount of experience to draw from.
The result is something very special and unique. Modern yacht design is taking
inspiration from the heavy work and patrol boats with forward slanting pilothouse
windows, and this boat follows the tough workboat inspiration through its heavy
rated towing posts which is actually used as a comfortable helm seat, and tough
bow lines. It feels built to last 100 years, and go through many refits throughout
its time. The WB1 is a wonderful combination of classic styling, incredible Dutch
craftsmanship, and modern electric drive technology. We are certain to see more
of these cruising the canals in the future.
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