Tradition Merges with Modern

Fischer Panda Electric Drive on Historic Wooden Boat

The Nestor Nilsson is a nautical rarity, almost 100 years old and was completely restored in 2021, retaining its original shape and traditional character. This historic boat now runs purely on electricity with an electric motor from Fischer Panda.

It is a so-called Snipa, a Swedish motorboat built in 1927 and named after the designer Nestor Nilsson, who built the boat in Strömstad.

A pointed bow and a pointed, slightly rounded stern (pointed gate) are characteristic for this type of boat.

With a draught of one metre, a length of 8 metres and a width of 2 metres, it was made of Nordic pine on oak frames.

The Scandinavian Snipa has its origin in the clink-ered longships and boats used by the Vikings. It is common along the coasts from the Baltic to the North Sea, including the coasts of Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Nowadays, the Snipa is a popular means of transport, whether for a trip to the archi-pelagos or for recreational fishing.

With growing environmental awareness, the use of electric propulsion has made its way especially into historic boats and yachts, which means no more exhaust fumes, rumbling and vibration on board.

When the company Die Bootswerft Marcus Rogozinski started their restoration work, it was the ideal time to dismantle the old shaft and to connect it with a Fischer Panda electric motor.

Currently, the Nestor Nilsson is in winter storage. In spring, she will be back on the water and run purely electric.

The Snipa now has a 10 kW/48 V shaft motor (600 rpm) from Fischer Panda, which has been fixed on the existing propeller shaft. The power is transmit-ted via the shaft, the propeller is mounted in a protected position between the keel and the rudder blade. The motor has a double-walled, water-cooled aluminium housing with integrated thrust bearing. The brushless electric motor does not require a gearbox. Therefore, operation is very quite with little wear.

The motor features permanent magnet technology and has an efficiency of up to 96%. Maximum torque is available throughout the entire speed range, making manoeuvring in the harbour child's play.

The so-called EasyBox from Fischer Panda is the heart of the system. It is water-cooled and contains the motor control, a DC-DC converter (48V to 24V) and all fuses and connections. The EasyBox is connected to the throttle and the display via plug connections.

The operation of the electric drive is easy. The motor is started at the push of a button. The boat speed can be easily regulated with a stepless power control. It is possible to switch between forward and reverse without shifting gears.

The energy is stored in very powerful lithium-ion battery banks from the Dutch manufacturer MG Energy Systems. Additional power electronics and a touch screen display have been supplied from Dutch manufacturer Victron.

The batteries can be easily charged with shore power at any mooring point in the harbour.