The colder months may have put many of us on dry land for now, but as grand summer visions dance in your head over the next several months, make sure you have a boat when it comes time to hit the water again. And if only the best will do, you might want to consider the Hinckley Dasher, the latest arrival from the storied New England boatbuilder responsible for some of the finest seafaring vessels created over the last 90 years.
At first sight, its sleek, modern lines may distract you from the engineering feats inside, as this is the world’s first fully electric luxury yacht. That means it produces zero emissions and is impossibly light. In fact, it’s so light that the Hinckley team spent two years re-engineering every vital piece of machinery and detailing to accommodate the electric motor while retaining speed. The boat, which is 28 feet long and has a cruising range of 40 miles, includes the brand’s signature teak paneling, which was swapped for a teak-finished composite material, as well as the brushed metal controls, which are crafted from 3-D printed titanium.
“The idea came from an innovation meeting we had at our corporate headquarters about two years ago, where we determined the future of boating was electric—like the auto industry did years ago,” Hinckley’s director of new product development Scott Bryant told us as we sat aboard the Dasher, controlling its movements with a small joystick. “We talked to a lot of our customers, and we found that the boat sets the stage, but being on the water is more about connecting with family and friends, and that's the idea we wrapped this boat around.”
With this in mind, the Dasher doesn’t lack any of the bells and whistles needed for entertaining. Hidden cupholders slide out with a light tap, the captain’s windshield can be concealed with the touch of a button, and, perhaps best of all, the motor, which sends the boat sailing at a top speed of nearly 30 mph, is entirely silent, setting the scene for maximum socialization.
