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If you listen to a lot of talk, the diesel engine has already been relegated to the maritime museum. Electric, hybrid, hydrogen, alternative fuels - the transition is underway. But when you cast off for 200 miles, the question changes in tone.
Today, a large number of sailboats and motorboats run on diesel. Autonomy, energy density, refuelling network, controlled maintenance, thermal power remains a solid standard. And when it comes to ocean cruising, reliability always takes precedence over ideology.
Electricity is making headway. On coastal units, day boats and tenders, it has found its place. Quiet at anchor, clean maneuvers in port, reduced maintenance. It all makes sense. But as the distance lengthens, battery weight, recharging time and energy management become trickier issues to manage.
Hybrids provide an intermediate solution. It reduces engine hours, optimizes on-board energy production and smoothes consumption. But it also adds technical complexity and installation costs that are still too high to be marketed on a large scale.
As for alternative fuels - HVO, e-diesel, biofuels - these are a pragmatic way forward. They don't change the architecture of existing boats, and reduce the carbon footprint without revolutionizing the logistics chain. But the supply chain has to keep up, which is far from being the case for our "small" pleasure boats.
But there are some nuances. Some of Windelo's long-distance cruisers have already sailed for very long periods without using fossil fuels. Large-scale solar generation, high-performance hydrogenerators, wind turbines, rigorous energy management and well-calibrated lithium batteries. These units have crossed oceans powered solely by electricity, accepting a relative discipline. Other projects will succeed. It's not the majority of the fleet, but it's a sign that the technical solution exists. There remains the financial hurdle...
So, the end of diesel at sea? In the short term, no. In the medium term, a gradual transformation, yes.
The yachting industry is not changing by decree. It evolves through use. And as is often the case at sea, the transition will be made on a case-by-case basis, program by program, and almost boat by boat.
And perhaps the real question is not when diesel will disappear, but how can we sail more soberly, starting today, with the boat we already have?
