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the shift from clattering old two-stroke outboards to modern four strokes. It is a total game changer in my opinion. We cruised quickly on diesels, they were nice and quiet and the thought of doing a whole weekend���s boating on 55 litres of diesel as Richard had done the previous weekend, does indeed appeal to me. That was good, but it was the simplicity, smoke and noisefree motoring with the electrics that I was truly impressed with. Examples: We came across a pod of Orca somewhere out there, you guys who know the Hauraki Gulf may know where the hell we were but I had no flamin��� idea. I think I recognised Rangitoto somewhere to one side but I���m stuffed if I know any more than that. Dropping into electric drive, slowing to around four knots, we soon had the pod come in hard into the stern of the boat as we slipped along. The whales were just sitting in the pressure wave, we were looking right down on their backs below the transom, they would drop back to come up for the odd breath, then pop up to hold in the hull���s pressure wave. Without the burbling roar of the diesels banging away in their eardrums they were absolutely happy and comfortable with being so close to us. Richard related that a month or two previously a bull had sat right under the corner of the transom so steadily that his young daughter was able to sit on the cockpit corner seat holding on to the orca���s dorsal. Pretty cool stuff; one orca taking a breath and about to rejoin its mate directly under our feet under the transom. Awesome! This was cool, but as a fisho I had to wonder how it worked on fish. Richard says that kingfish tend to do exactly the same thing, and so when he needs a feed of kingi he sets a couple of Rapala-type lures 15ft from the corners, and they just watch the kingies come in and nail them. Be interesting to see how a trolled live bait for marlin would work. I suspect it would be incredible, and hugely spectacular to watch! Handling while fishing is a breeze on the electrics too. Setting the longlines we just idled along while they were run out. ���In gear���, a quiet hum, and we���d move ahead, ���hold it���, hum stopped, ���forward���, humm, no thumps and rattles of diesels clanking into and out of gear, no fumes, no noise. God it was nice. Then when we tried our hands at some soft baiting we could drift across our area (thank you Auckland for your lovely breeze), it was a waste of time trying to fish really when drifting at damn near trolling speed! Sheeshhh! Frickin freezing too, AND raining! Sheeshhh... But when we wanted to motor back over to our start lines again, on the electrics, it was just a quiet hum and we moved off and yes, we caught fish. Admittedly on the long line. Good set-up there Richard! No diesel fumes, no kicking big motors into life, no shagging around, no need to yell over the noise. Richard Wardenburg at the helm If you get the impression that I am somewhat pleased and impressed with this electric propulsion in the Greenline boats, you are almost right. But you are actually massively underestimating, just how totally impressed I am. THIS IS THE WAY PLEASURE BOATING SHOULD GO!!! Honestly, it is such a game-breaker, I can see why the huge international moorings company has ordered over 500 of these boats. They are just totally awesome to spend time on. Anyone who huffs and puffs about how they look odd (looks fine to me I must say), or that they may be tricky some time in the future (not a lot to go wrong with an electric motor, from my experience with farm motors etc anyhow), or that six knots is too slow or nerdy or geeky or sissy or whatever, simply have not tried it. Just like those who grump about how four stroke outboards are too heavy or are too complicated, or not powerful enough on the take-off etc, and that two strokes are the best for outboards, are probably those who have never used them. Those who poo-poo the idea of this solar-powered electric drive and life aboard ship, are now equally outdated in my view. No, this is not a speedboat. No, you will not win any races in a shotgun start in some game tourno somewhere, but these are not the things a Greenline owner would be worried about I suspect. The fact that you can motor around the coastline, watching life go past in a glorious calm peacefulness, with marine life being totally unphased by your passage, I think would outweigh by a ton, the pleasure of diesel fumes sucking back into the cabin of the boat, the roar of diesels pounding your eardrums, the regular morning servicing/oil checking routine you need to do every morning... Nah, stuff that. Try that Greenline, take a walk on the civilised side. Stuff the wild side! Welcome to my world, a paradise called ZIPOLO HABU RESORT for fishing, diving, surfing or just relaxing in the sun, visit ZIPOLO HABU RESORT Munda,Western Province, Solomon Islands. Visit our website at www.zipolohabu.com.sb Email zipolo@solomon.com.sb ��� Ph 00677-62178 or contact Captain Asparagus Email StuCawkerCapt.Asp@xtra.co.nz VIP.S79 March/April 2013 Professional Skipper 51