Author, journalist and electric boating pioneer, Emrhys Barrell has died at the age of 78.
Emrhys began his marine career studying naval architecture, later qualifing as a merchant ship deck officer and working on bulk carriers across the Atlantic and the Great Lakes.
His career moved ashore when he joined Kelsall Catamarans, builders of innovative multihulls based in Cornwall, UK.
Emrhys moved onto a position as yard manager at Groves and Guttridge in Cowes, Isle of Wight before becoming yard supervisor at the Berthon Boat Company in Lymington, UK.
In 1987, Emrhys co-founded the magazine Motor Boats Monthly, continuing his journalism career as a regular contributor to Practical Boat Owner focusing on electric boating.
The practicalities of getting afloat
He was also the founding editor of Canal Boat magazine and was the author of several books including Getting Afloat in a Sportsboat or Rib and The Inland Waterways Manual, The Inland Waterways Logbook, The Building of a Narrowboat.
His books concentrated on the practicalities of getting afloat including boat handling, whether it’s best to buy or hire and which boat to choose and he became well known as an inland waterways enthusiast and expert.
As publisher Bloomsbury stated: “Emrhys Barrell has spent a lifetime afloat, for pleasure and for work.
“He has managed boatyards, designed boats, and edited boating magazines. But his greatest passion is for the inland waterways of Great Britain and Europe.”
Electric drive systems
In 1991, Emrhys and his wife Linda set up the Thames Electric Launch Company (TELCO), a company which soon became a leading installer of electric drive systems.
Based on the River Thames at Goring, the company dealt solely with electric boating with customers including navigation authorities British Waterways, the Environment Agency, and the Broads Authority along with commercial operators, canal societies and private boat owners.
Over the years, the company has developed and installed a range of electric and hybrid electric propulsion systems into existing private and new boats, from small electric outboards up to electric propulsion packages for the large canal or river boats.
In 1995, the company organised the first all-electric boat show, Electric Experience and regularly exhibited at the London Boat Show at Earl’s Court and other boat shows.
In 2000, Linda and Emrhys were presented with the St David’s Trophy by the Electric Boat Association in recognition of their outstanding contributions to electric boating.
Keen to continue promoting electric boating and advances in electric boat technology, TELCO set a second World Electric Boat Endurance Record of 137 miles in 30 hours, non-stop on one battery charge in 2001.
The record was set on the Thames in Pike, a 100 year old 30ft launch fitted by TELCO with its Delta Drive, using a Low Emissions Core-Engine Technologies (LEMCO) motor from Cedric Lynch.
The batteries chosen were the latest high-performance traction cells from Chloride Motive Power, whose extra capacity enabled the boat to complete the run with power to spare.
Guinness book of records
The record was set over a nine-mile round course on the River Thames between Goring and Wallingford with the boat completing 15 laps at an average speed of 4.5mph.
At the time, the cost of recharging the batteries using off-peak electricity, was less than £1.50 and attracted considerable media publicity.
The record was an improvement on the previous distance also set by TELCO, in 1997, when 116 miles was covered in 24 hours in the 29ft launch Wagtail V and was accepted for approval by the Guinnes Book of Records.
Outside of TELCO, Emrhys was a director and trustee at the River Stour Trust, based in Sudbury, Suffolk, a charity dedicated to the restoration and conservation of the Suffolk and Essex River Stour Navigation for the education and benefit of the public.
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