FREYA is a 1907 Fay & Bowen torpedo-stern launch, originally used on a lake in New York. She was acquired to provide access to the the Classic Boat Collective‘s fleet in Bucks Harbor, Maine, and they brought her to us for conversion to electric propulsion. The project also included a new cockpit with additional seating and sturdy boarding rails and steps.

Although remarkably well preserved for a boat of her age, FREYA required substantial structural work, including new steam-bent frames and partial replacement of the keel. Those repairs gave us an opportunity to remove the propeller shaft and rudder, both of which had reached the end of their useful lives. In their place, we installed an electrically steered pod from Rim Drive Technology. The pod rotates through more than 180 degrees, provides exceptional low-speed maneuverability, and occupies very little space inside the boat.

The new bench seats conceal four Victron LFP batteries, the battery management system, motor controller, and associated equipment. That arrangement leaves useful storage beneath the benches and foredeck, while a 30-amp shore-power connection makes charging straightforward.