As often, this boat story begins with the search for the ideal boat... which finally doesn't exist! The specifications are simple: take the time to sail, in a gentle and peaceful way, enjoy strolling while discovering nature and without disturbing it. And since this boat is not commercialized, Elizabeth takes her pencil and draws it.
On the basis of a Venetian taxi
She doesn't say she invented the moon, just she arranged a Venetian taxi for her hobby. By planing the front deck a little bit to save living space, without forcing too much on the headroom not to spoil the line and by keeping large windows to sleep in the middle of nature.
And on the motorization side, the electric motor solution is the obvious choice. It allows you to move like a sailboat, without noise, without polluting, without leaving an imprint of your passage.
Planned for a short cruise
And Blue Pearl was born. It is a canoe built of epoxy plywood with a deck and a deckhouse made of varnished mahogany slats. Its 6.98 m long and 2.30 m wide make it easily transportable. On board, the rear of the cabin is transformed into a double bed 140 wide, while a single bed 70 cm wide is also provided at the front. During the day, the beds are folded up and the traffic is done through the middle of the boat. A mini toilet on the port side faces a small kitchen.
The boat is ideal for 3 people on a weekend or 5 people on a day. The pilot keeps his eye on the bow from the forward cockpit. Passengers can quietly dream in the aft cockpit.
An electric propulsion system
In terms of performance, Bleu Pearl is limited to sailing between 5 and 7 km/h (10 km/h maxi). It is equipped with a Torqeedo 10.0 R (20 hp) powered by 4 batteries Power 26-104. At these low speeds, the 4 batteries offer a battery life of more than 2 days. The question of electrical autonomy arises on a boat that is not autonomous on this side (no solar panels for example so as not to risk ruining the overall silhouette). You have to stop at the port or lock to connect. But with "fast" chargers, even a short break for a cup of tea or an aperitif is enough to boost the battery park.
But don't think that the Blue Pearl is limited to inland navigation. Approved in category C for 6 people, it can be used at sea. This is what his crew did for him during the summer of 2018 while sailing off Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat.
Towards future commercialization?
Elegant, transportable, silent, clean... there is not much missing for the curious to stop at the passage of the Blue Pearl and ask about the possibility of buying his little brother. As a result, the initial adventure, which was limited to a one off event, is likely to turn into a commercial adventure. Today, the owners are looking for a yard capable of producing this boat in plywood and hope to be able to give a selling price as early as January 2019.
