The EBAA certainly exists in spirit, but depending on what `active organization' means it fails to coordinate any regular activities except the annual (10 years now) `Wye Island Challenge' 24 mile race held early October in St. Michaels MD. The trouble has primarily been that its 'core membership' are involved in aspects of building, converting, and selling electric boats and/or components as their primary livelihood, and time is at a premium. Since time is money, we focus on the actual business demands first and all of the issues related to ramping up the EBAA get set aside for when time allows.
Tom Hesselink from Budsin Woodcraft has been paying for the hosting and other expenses for some time, and I have also contributed both money and time to the cause. Additionally with the help of Nancy and Jeff from Endeavour we have registered a Florida nonprofit called EBAF originally thought to provide a more local organization and hoping that these would spring up all over the country as the masses rush to electric propulsion (still waiting!) Wouldn't it be great if there were electric boat races twice a year in each state, and then a big annual national race once a year! Talk about moving the needle! These things take planning and commitment and are very difficult to get any support for.
Some of the product manufacturers are interested in sponsoring such an organization, and some are not. The only way I see it working is to have a `business sponsor' level of membership that would allow advertising and product information to be posted, and also have an `individual' level for the users, enthusiasts, or other interested parties. That is the concept, but getting it started or advancing it from where it is right now is the hard work that takes (once again) time and money.
Never before has there been this many quality choices for electric propulsion products in the marketplace, both inboard and outboard. There are knowledgeable and qualified professionals out there working hard to produce sensible products and build a business around them. What we are really doing is creating a market that doesn't even have a label yet (percentage-wise electric propulsion doesn't even register in industry sales reports, in the US it's not even counted).
So where does that leave the EBAA? I don't know, but I'll see you all next year at Wye Island! (defending my 2010 win!)
Captain Todd Sims
Owner of Epower Marine
Sales and Service of Solar, Electric, and Hybrid Boats + Motors
ABYC Marine Electrical Certified
www.epowermarine.com
todd@epowermarine.com
(v) 561-613-2737 (f) 857-401-3011
We don't also do 'electric boats'; All we do are electric boats!
Sales Nationwide, Service in South Florida
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, GNHBus@... wrote:
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>
> I think you answered your own question, go for it, full e-propulsion ahead !
>
>
> What do you think, is this something that we need?
>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Paramore <watertoyz@...>
> To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Mon, Jan 31, 2011 2:37 pm
> Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Electric boating association in the US?
>
>
>
>
>
> I'd say the site's flying on autopilot. It has lists that note recent
> EBA events and lists a near future upcoming marathon, but the site
> seems a bare-bones operation at best.
>
> The parent-Organization http://www.electric-boat-association.org.uk/
> by comparison is a cascade of information and links, but no longer
> links to EBAA.
>
> In the early '90s after Ken Matthews started EBAA I was on the board.
> The initial website was simple and pretty plain because the talent
> and toys to set up a site were missing and a mystery then. The
> current site's much tighter in layout and production value, but it
> looks to me like a beacon of sorts aimed at testing membership
> potential.
>
> The listed email address is a commercial ISP, so if it's no longer
> valid you should be getting a bounce message. Not getting a response
> could mean anything from indifferent check-ins to demise of the
> owner. I'd try leaving a message on the contact phone number.
>
> John
>
> On Jan 31, 2011, at 3:24 AM, ffmagellan02 wrote:
>
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > I just went electric with my Bristol 32 sailboat and it was the
> > best thing I ever did. Without a doubt, installing an Asmo Marine
> > Thoosa 9000 system on my boat, Intrepid, improved everything about
> > my sailing experience. I am now a true believer that electric is
> > definitely the way to go on the water- especially for auxiliary
> > power on a sailboat. I'm sure we all agree, and that's why we
> > joined, right?
> >
> > I'm just wondering, if anyone knows please tell me, is there an
> > active Electric Boating Association of America? The EBAA website
> > doesn't look like it is updated. I tried to contact them through
> > the email on the website, to join but never got a response. It
> > would seem that the EBAA, as a registered nonprofit would be in the
> > best position to be our industry/ community's advocate and host
> > things like a news blog for electric boating related news, have a
> > collection of resources and a dedicated forum that anyone can join.
> > What do you think, is this something that we need?
> >
> > I've been thinking lately that as wonderful as electric power is
> > for boats, we really need to get the word out. Electric power for
> > boats still hasn't gone totally mainstream and taken over
> > combustion yet, but maybe with the way the world is now, and how
> > practical we're showing it to be... maybe it's time?
>
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