e-Qruiser 600

The Dutch sloop, done in aluminium

This is a classic Dutch canal and lake boat: an open sloop with seating around the cockpit, 10 kW of motor and no pretension towards speed. The aluminium hull is the differentiator. At 1,450 kg the e-Qruiser 600 is heavier than a comparable GRP sloop, which costs you a little efficiency, but aluminium buys durability against pontoon rash and lock walls, and holds resale value in a market where hire and club boats take a beating.

What the numbers imply

Ten kilowatts on a six-metre displacement hull is ample for canal work, where speed limits typically bind long before the motor does. The battery capacity is not in our record, and Qrafter states endurance in hours rather than kilowatt-hours or nautical miles — useful for a canal buyer thinking in afternoons, less useful for comparing against a boat quoted in kWh. Ask for the pack size in kWh alongside the hours figure.

Price caution

€43,900 is the figure we hold, but Qrafter's site has also shown a higher ready-to-sail price, and the builder does not state VAT status. Get a written, itemised quotation specifying VAT, the battery included, the charger, and what "ready to sail" covers. For a Dutch or Belgian canal owner wanting something robust rather than fast, the proposition is sound.