Written by Jeff Butler
A year ago Canadian luxe outdoors company Beau Lake set out to totally reinvent the paddle boat. And man, did they ever! Their gorgeous Beau Lake Runabout has been called ‘The World’s Most Expensive Pedal Boat’ that ‘taps the swinging 60s style’ and is ‘inspired by mid-20th Century wooden boats’.
While it is sumptuously chic, Beau Lake is also committed to design that respects and preserves the environment, so it might be the only paddleboat ever that has been covered by both Treehugger and the Robb Report.
Now they are introducing an equally gorgeous electric runabout named, appropriately enough ‘The Beau Lake Electric Runabout’.
As with the paddleboat, the self-draining electric boat consists of three primary construction components; the hull, cockpit liner and deck surface. The deck itself is classic wooden boat mahogany encased in epoxy and fibreglass.
This boat is meant for lounging around, and is fact almost exactly the same as the paddleboat, but allows you to sip champagne and nibble on chilled strawberries without the physical labour.
Hence, there is no steering wheel. Instead, there is an ergonomically designed hand carved wooden tiller set between the seats of the two passenger craft to be nudged by either person’s forearm.
The 14′ craft is propelled by a Cruise 2.0FP and 24-104 Lithium smart battery from German company Torqeedo.
The natural elegance and design can be customized when ordering on the Beau Lake website with accoutrements such as a Bluetooth audio system under glow LED lighting, upholstered dashboard and swim ladder. (Base price is $38,000)
It is easy – and soothing – to imagine a crimson sun setting on a pristine lake as one lazes in the runabout’s one inch leather seats, reaching back into the built-in cooler for a splash of bubbly, a crisp chardonnay or end-of-day martini as the electric motor silently pushes you through the still waters. Ahh, this is the life!
The Beau Lake Electric Runabout is making its first major debut at the Miami International Boat Show, February 14-18.
It should turn more than a few heads
BEAU LAKE ELECTRIC RUNABOUT SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 14′
Beam: 5′
Hull Draft: 5″
Propeller Draft: 16″
Overall Weight: 400 lb
Hull: Fiberglass tunnel hull
Deck: Honeycomb core fiberglass with infused real wood
Cockpit: Fiberglass
Bilge: Self-bilging
Propulsion: Torqeedo Cruise 2.0FP
Speed: Cruise: 4 knots, Top speed: 6 knots
Battery: Torqeedo 24-104 Lithium
Cooler: Integrated hatch, self-bailing. Aft of cockpit.
Seating: Hard fibreglass, self-draining.
Windscreen: Smoked acrylic
Wood: Real mahogany deck. Wood is encased in epoxy and fibreglass for zero maintenance.