Yamaha Rightwaters and Davidson College Collaborate on Student-Led Solar Pontoon Project
Yamaha Rightwaters™ has partnered with Davidson College to support a student-led sustainable marine project focused on repowering a traditional gas-powered pontoon boat into a fully solar-powered vessel. The initiative, driven by engineering and environmental stewardship, aligns with Yamaha Rightwaters’ mission to foster innovative, low-impact marine technologies and academic research.
As part of this collaboration, Davidson College students converted the vessel using a Torqeedo® Cruise 6.0 R electric outboard motor and integrated a solar charging system to create a closed-loop, zero-emission boating solution. The project exemplifies the use of renewable energy and electric propulsion in marine applications, significantly minimizing environmental impact.
“This project was a natural fit for Yamaha Rightwaters and a perfect use-case for Torqeedo and electric boating,” said Joshua Grier, Sustainability Manager, Yamaha Rightwaters. “It highlights the importance of exploring a range of technologies to reduce our impact on the water. Supporting students who apply engineering and sustainability to real-world challenges is essential to shaping the future of boating.”
Under the guidance of Associate Professor John Yukich, the project was conducted as a physics independent study led by students Henry Russell and Phillip Mann, both pursuing Bachelor of Science degrees in physics with a pre-engineering focus. Starting with just a pontoon hull, the students rebuilt the boat’s structure using renewable materials and outfitted it with:
- Two Torqeedo Power 48-5000 batteries connected in parallel to the motor
- Three solar panels for propulsion system charging
- One solar panel charging a 12-volt battery for onboard electronics such as lights, speakers, and a horn
The students spent nearly a year designing and building the vessel, which achieved a top speed of approximately nine miles per hour with a single occupant during field testing. Their design emphasized safety, energy efficiency, and user-friendly operation.
“Partnering with Yamaha Rightwaters made this project possible,” said Russell. “Their support and the Torqeedo electric outboard were critical to our success. This experience deepened my understanding of sustainable engineering and confirmed my passion for innovative marine design.”
“What’s most impressive is that this was completely student driven,” added Yukich. “Henry and Phillip took this on purely out of passion and curiosity, and in doing so, tackled real-world environmental issues with creative solutions.”
Davidson College, located in Davidson, North Carolina, is a top-tier liberal arts institution with a 17% acceptance rate. It was recently ranked No. 10 among liberal arts colleges and No. 48 overall in the 2025 Forbes rankings of U.S. colleges.
Yamaha Rightwaters is Yamaha Marine’s nationwide sustainability program, which encompasses conservation, water quality, habitat restoration, marine debris reduction, invasive species mitigation, and environmental education. The initiative reflects Yamaha’s long-standing commitment to responsible marine resource management and sustainable recreational boating.
Yamaha’s U.S. Marine Business Unit, headquartered in Kennesaw, Georgia, oversees the sales, marketing, and distribution of marine products including Yamaha Outboards, WaveRunners®, Boats, G3®, and Skeeter®. Yamaha supports over 2,400 dealers and boat builders nationwide and is recognized as an industry leader in reliability, performance, and customer service.