Company sees fast market for slow boats

Duffy Electric Boats are good for 10 hours of lake cruising on a recharge that uses less than $1 worth of electricity. But speed boats they are not.

The electric boats run at a leisurely pace of 7 mph. “You don’t have the option of pulling water skiers behind you,” said Pat Hoon, a 30-year boater from Coeur d’Alene.

But you don’t have to shell out $50 to fill up a 20-gallon gas tank, either, he said.

Hoon and two partners recently opened a Duffy Electric Boat franchise in Post Falls. They’re betting that the gasless boats will attract a following in the Inland Northwest.

Hoon, a financial planner, fell in love with a friend’s electric boat in San Diego. It was quiet, eco-friendly, and economic to run.

“It’s like a sail boat ride with no sail, only more stable,” he said.

Electric boats tend to appeal to a narrow slice of boat-buyers – people who are primarily interested in the social aspects of boating, as opposed to speed, said Hoon, who fits into that category.

“Since our kids are gone, we find that we’re no longer pulling water skiers and tubers,” he said. “We’re taking people for a cruise around the shoreline, looking at the multimillion-dollar homes.”

Duffy, whose corporate headquarters is in Newport Beach, Calif., has been making electric boats since 1970.They aren’t hybrids; the battery charge is the only juice. An electric gauge tracks how much of the charge is left, similar to a gas tank gauge. The 16- to 22-foot electric boats start at about $20,000 and cost up to $55,000, depending on the model and amenities.

In addition to Hoon, the other partners in the venture are Scott Williams of Coeur d’Alene and Barry Thomas of San Diego.

With a five-boat inventory, the partners don’t have a showroom yet. But a couple of their crafts will be on display at the Spokane National Boat Show, which runs Jan. 26 to Feb. 3 at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds.