Salcombe's silent weapon in the Net Zero battle

'We've got an amazing boat'

A new weapon in a Devon council’s battle to hit its net zero target has been launched.

Salcombe harbour staff are using an all-electric boat as part of a nationwide trial to see if clean, quiet battery power can take the place of petrol and diesel in busy waters like those of the Kingsbridge estuary.

And so far the verdict on the whispering workboat is a big thumbs-up. The RS Pulse 63 rigid inflatable is more than pulling its weight when it comes to the daily routine of the bustling harbour.

It can work as a comfortable water taxi, it can manoeuvre in tight spaces as harbour staff check on visiting yachts and it can even tow the recycling bins ashore from the visiting yacht pontoons whenever they need emptying.

And because it is part of a government funded three-year project, it isn’t costing South Hams Council a penny, despite having an asking price that runs into six figures.

“She’s more than capable for what we need to do,” said deputy harbourmaster Marcus McShane (above). “As an end user there's no cost to us, which is fantastic because we get to use this technology and see whether it's something that we want to look into for the future.”

The costs are being met by the government, following a competition to find a suitable project that led to the Zero Emission Network of Workboats.

The aim is to introduce 15 electric workboats with £5.4 million in government funding. The trial’s goals are to reduce carbon emissions and position the UK as a leader in green maritime technology.

Lessons learned in harbours like Salcombe could one day be put to use in thousands of other harbours and marinas around the country.

The University of Plymouth is trialling a boat, as are the harbourmasters at Fowey and Falmouth. An RA Pulse 63 boat like the one at Salcombe was recently used as a quiet, pollution-free chase boat carrying umpires and TV cameras for the university Boat Race on the Thames.

Cllr John McKay (Lib Dem, West Dart) is South Hams Council’s lead executive member for climate change. “It’s an amazing project,” he said. “We’ve got this amazing boat that will demonstrate over a period of three years - at no cost - the efficiency of these boats and how they work within the harbour.

“We're part of a bigger project, and all of that data will be used to help to improve the efficiency of these boats and make them more widely available.”

On a sunny summer morning the new boat provides no engine noise to drown out the sound of seabirds and the gentle lapping of waves against the hulls of yachts moored in the estuary.

“It's a nice boat to be on,” said Mr McShane. “I’m used to working with noisy, clunky diesel engines, so you get that constant rattling noise. On an eight-hour shift when you turn that engine off, you really know it's been running.

“On an electric boat you just don't get that. You get to experience your surroundings.”