Quietly leaving the dock
Although electrically-powered boats are becoming more and more popular, the experience is still a little disconcerting, given how accustomed we are to combustion engines on our pleasure craft. After the usual presentations of the Prim 5.50 with the Bagou Boats shipyard teams, we left the quay in Lorient's downtown harbor without a sound. We had to watch the pontoon pull away to see that our test model's two 6 kW ePropulsion electric outboard motors were switched on.
The boat's very flat stern and lack of a pronounced keel don't give it much grip, but this is compensated for by the torque of the electric motors and the dual drive system, which make steering easy. We make our way easily to the exit.
Cruising the channel without consuming fuel
We accelerate slightly to follow the channel into the harbor. The weather is relatively overcast, with the sun not yet very high. But it's enough to produce electricity thanks to our solar panels. Reading the instantaneous consumption, we can see that we're cruising at around 4 knots on solar power alone, without consuming anything from the 12 kWh battery pack tucked under the floorboards in the center of the boat.
Comfortable cruising speed
Once out of the channels, we can lengthen our stride and test the Prim 5.50's hull, developed by the shipyard for electric use, with an eye to fuel consumption. Slim, it is designed to consume very little fuel at low speeds.
With only 3 adults on board and a total of just 400 W, we're already making 4.1 knots. The Prim 5.50 quickly reaches a cruising speed of around 7 knots, with a power consumption of around 4kW. At maximum power, i.e. 12 kW, the boat reaches around 10.5 knots.
On the day of our test, the harbor was not very rough. However, a few wakes enabled us to see that the Prim 5.50 passed the chop without any major problems, and stayed dry, with its high bulwark. The hull is fairly flat, making it easy to tack flat. The boat's moderate speed does not, however, allow for very short turns.
A boat that's easy to handle
As with all boats, especially electric ones, it's not all about sailing at maximum power. Pleasant and easy to handle, the Prim 5.50 is perfectly suited to family cruising. In fact, it will be offered with a lower power rating than our test model, a single-engine 6 kW, or even 4 kW for use without a license. A 12 kW single-engine version is also in the catalog.
