Finest handcrafted wooden electric boats by Budsin

Boats / Budsin Electric Boats

For over 35 years, Budsin has been building
some of the finest electric boats available.

We have built the largest number of wooden electric boats in the world.

People buy our boats because of how they look, but they use them because of what they are…quiet, precise, passionate.

They are social boats, designed for those who simply want to enjoy being out on the water and enjoying nature. Each is built to order especially for its owner and are currently being used in thirty US states as well as in Canada, Mexico and in Europe.

Our boats are crafted one at a time by people who love their job. They range in size from fifteen to twenty-two feet and in price from $29,000 to $135,000. Their virtually silent operation provides hours running time with top speeds of five to seven knots. “Refueling” is as simple as plugging in a cord.

The aim of our labors is to create beautifully simple,well-made vessels
that provide our customers with the perfect way to unwind on the water.

Budsin Boats Available For Order

15′ Lightning Bug
The 15’ Lightning Bug has been considered the jewel of electric boats ever since we started making them in 1987. Elegance is reflected not only in the lines of the boat, but also in its simplicity and practicality. Its unique cockpit, which comfortably seats four adults, is designed for conversation. A single lever controls the speed and the direction of the boat, making operation extremely easy. Unplug the onboard charger, turn the key and you are ready to go. Full running lights make evening and night operation pleasurable.

Find out more about The Lightning Bug

19′ Trouvé
The Trouvé model name fittingly honors Gustav Trouvé, the French inventor who built the first electric powered boat in 1881. These boats were originally designed to be IMG_4861quiet and pollution-free water taxis (as the photos of the green boat with the canopy show) but for more conventional pleasure boat use we incorporated a horseshoe shaped forward seat into the cockpit and implemented the same very practical side-mount tiller steering used on our other models. The Trouvé comfortably seats up to eight adults on Subrella® marine fabric cushions. The optional canopy features retractable boarding hatches to make entry and exit a breeze.

Find out more about The Trouvé

The 22′ Phantom
The 22’ Phantom is the crown jewel of electric boats and elegance exudes from every minute detail, both visually and mechanically, and mechanical. The boat features a sleek and efficient hull combined with exquisitely finished mahogany decks reminiscent of the long deck launches of the early 1900’s. Its unique boxed keel holds the main battery bank and motor, keeping the weight centered and down low in the boat.

Find out more about The Phantom

15’ Black River Guide
Budsin Electric Boats is proud to introduce their new Black River Guide electric powered pirogue. We hope to have these in semi-production soon. Please contact us for more details (pricing is $5,000 to $7,000 range).

Designed to seat one adult with an optional removable seat perfect for a child, it can silently cruise all day without need for a paddle, leaving hands free for a fishing pole, camera or binoculars. The Guide is powered by a permanently attached 24 volt trolling type motor and two deep cycle batteries, one located behind the driver’s seat and one under the fore deck.

Find out more about The Black River Guide

Telescope Cabin Launch
The Telescope was designed for a customer who wanted an enclosed cabin and a larger boat than our 22’ Phantom. When I designed this boat I took inspiration for the hull from the torpedo stern launches popular in the US in the early 1900’s while the cabin design was heavily influenced by the Thames River launches from that same era. Like our Phantom and Trouvé launches, the hull incorporates a 25 inch wide boxed keel, which places its large battery bank as far down in the hull as possible and allows the boat to sit upright if grounded or beached. The main body of the hull is constructed with four 1/8” layers of white cedar veneer, vacuum molded over male hull form, and then covered with layer of aircraft grade fiberglass and epoxy. The sheer planks and decks are built out of solid South American mahogany.

Find out more about The Telescope

Yacht Tender & Commercial Uses
Budsin electric boats are suited perfectly for use as quiet, environmentally friendly water taxis and yacht tenders.