23 October 2026
Tim Knox, Managing Director of Torkmar makes the case for solar electric boating.
You know that 'On top of the World' smile you get on your face when you're flying along in your sailboat. The telltales are pointing just right and there's a textbook draft in your mainsail. Add a little schadenfreude when your friend capsizes. This is speed and serenity. No question.
Another scenario to ponder. You've just had your diesel motors serviced on your motor cruiser and they're purring away, which goes some way to alleviating the distress caused by paying the mechanic's bill. You open up the throttle and the boat starts to fly. A smile develops, then you realise how much it's actually costing you to create the massive and destructive wake behind you. Speed, not a lot of serenity, but at least you can go from A to B in a straight line.
One more. Gently does it. Your fully charged solar electric boat is ready for a day out. But it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. The motor starts at the turn of a key and you're off. There's no motor noise, there are no fumes. They have been replaced by the sounds of nature, and it's a tonic. Lots of serenity, not much speed; you chat with your companions aboard.
Fuel that falls from the sky
Sailing is best, but it's not always convenient, and we aren't all lucky enough to have a wife who likes it too. But if you're a water person, an electric motor with a solar charging capability could work for you.
Solar is an important component in the electric boat scenario because we can't, and probably never will, be able to rely on recharging at convenient places and reasonable prices. Like the sailor, you get your fuel for free. It's a nice feeling.
Torkmar specialises in motors that go slow on boats that go slow, and in solar systems. All components have been designed to be 'understressed'. It passes on to the owners.
Open a Sunday paper and you'll read how we need to be more centred and calm and enjoy nature more; we might even live longer. What utter tosh, suggests the man at the motor cruising club, standing at the bar with an 'overstressed' belt and pink polo shirt, who boasts about his latest bill for motor repairs. He was a great guy, according to his obituary.
The propeller comes first
The Torkmar philosophy is about efficiency and working well within the laws of physics. The high-torque motors are able to turn large propellers and move equally large amounts of water efficiently. Efficiently, firstly, because very little energy is lost by fast-moving and turbulent propellers. And secondly, because the motors are designed to be worked 'understressed', they generate very little heat. Heat is a byproduct of inefficiency.
It's not complicated; in fact it's very simple, but it goes against what we do as a matter of course with diesel motors. Diesel motors were slow-moving like their predecessor, the steam engine, but because they have evolved to be more fuel efficient and less polluting, they need to run faster and hotter. This has meant that the propeller, the bit of the propulsion system that actually interfaces with the water, has become quite small. The propeller has in fact been designed by the motor. With Torkmar motors, the propeller comes first and the motor is designed to suit.
Arrive relaxed, not first
So which will it be? If you've been nodding along, and perhaps glancing guiltily at your own belt, it might be time to try a different way of being on the water. Torkmar motors are made for people who would rather arrive relaxed than arrive first, and who like the idea of their fuel falling free from the sky.
Get in touch and tell us about your boat. We'll start where we always start, with the propeller, and design the drive to suit. Better still, come and try one. Take the helm of a Torkmar-powered boat, turn the key, and listen to what you've been missing. You may find the serenity is worth more than the speed. Your mechanic won't thank us, but your heart might.
