The road through research and development to eventual prototype realisation can be a twisted one. As such, our boat is officially getting smaller. The unique features of a small, electric craft will make it much easier for us to achieve maximum user-friendliness. The quality of the customer experience of owning or renting one of our Whispas will be absolutely paramount.
Case in point, we recently stumbled across an issue concerning trailer weight. The heavy batteries required means that the trailer is under too much stress, thus the trailer won’t work as it should. If the trailer doesn’t work seamlessly, we’ll have unhappy customers. It’s a bug that we need to work out long before the product is available to the public. As our target price for the boat decreases, so does the likelihood that affordable marina space (for recharging) will be available to our market audience. The ease with which it can be trailered away for recharging will be crucial. While trailers tend to be lightweight, they’re often difficult to handle. Our boat and trailer will be “mated” (meaning they’ll be connected for easy maneuver) making it easier to get the boat on and off the water.
This weight issue has led to several design changes and other unforeseen challenges. Some – like the altering of the length, for example – can make the team feel like we’ve reverted to square one, which can disheartening. But a recent recce undertaken by our design team resulted in the discovery of some amazing new lightweight concepts involving flax, so there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Flax based composites wasn’t even an option when we first started to design the boat just eighteen months ago. With lighter batteries, better trailer control and improved battery management, the project will maintain its cutting edge status and we’ll stay on track. Absorbing the latest techniques in boat-building has always been the main goal underpinning the whole project, so solving these problems is all part of the journey.
Our search for a project lead continues. We need someone who’s up to the task of dealing with the particular needs of a new small craft which will, if successful, be a volume production craft rather then a limited edition piece. Someone who can lead the team with experience and dynamism. Our new business model, which assists with ownership (the regular and mandatory servicing of the craft as well as utility), will we hope contribute to making it a success. The crossover with the automotive industry is extensive and we feel that the boat market is ripe for disruption. We’re confident that we’ll be at the forefront of that disruption.
