Sweden’s Candela P-8 Voyager made its debut at the Salone Nautico in Venice last week. The Voyager is a boat designed to have zero impact on the environment. It is powered by electricity and glides above the water using computer-guided hydrofoils. The hydrofoils are retractable, making for easy storage and mooring of the vessel. The craft is powered by twin submerged ultra-compact Candela C-POD motors, which drive counter-rotating propellers.
The C-POD can operate for 3,000 hours before any service needed. This makes it a great boat for operators in remote locations where technicians are difficult to find, if at all. The P-8 Voyager is updated OTA and connected to Candela’s 24/7 Service department, which can perform remote troubleshooting. It sounds ideal for a remote research vessel, though its intended use is to carry passengers for commercial operations.
It glides silently over the water, leaving only a 5cm wake, which doesn’t disturb sea dwelling creatures or damage beaches and coral reefs. Four-foot swells won’t slow this boat and passengers can kick back in luxury while enjoying a panoramic view of the scenery. The twenty-eight-foot P-8 Voyager carries six passengers and crew in air-conditioned comfort.
The P-8 Voyager goes faster and further than any other electric boat. It tops out at 30knots and has a range of 50 nautical miles at cruise speed. The P-8 Voyager has been developed to replace smaller combustion driven craft like tenders, taxis, and rigid inflatables. Production of the Candela P-8 Voyager is slated for the fall of 2022. Read more about it on the Candela website.
