A Kelowna man with years of sea experience is being honoured for his involvement in designing and constructing electric boats.
Having spent 20 years at sea as a professional yacht captain, and a further 20 years operating an international yacht training company that has 300 nautical schools in 58 different countries, Mark Fry is being honoured by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce’s Top 40 Over 40 program.
Bringing his nautical expertise to Kelowna in 2008, Fry started The Templar Marine Group in 2017.
The go-green initiative has catapulted the business models of multiple industries globally and the boating industry is no exception, according to the chamber in a news release.
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The Templar Marine Group has come up with a unique concept of electric boat building and manufacturing. The boats are designed and built here in Kelowna for the national and international market.
There are currently two models available, the Templar 26-foot Cruiser and the Templar 26-foot Water Taxi with a further three models under development which are the Templar 26-foot Light Cargo, Templar 26-foot Sedan and Templar 26-foot Ambulatory Care.
All five boats are built using the same hull but with different cockpits and layouts, the release said.
The boats are eight metres, can be fully enclosed for the winter, seating for 12, a swim platform and swim ladder, refrigerator, stereo and easy stern access.
The propulsion system is completely electric and costs just 10-15 cents an hour to operate. The boats can be used year-round and do not require winterising as the motor is completely electric.
They are almost completely silent when running and are exceptionally easy to operate as each boat comes with a bow thruster as standard equipment, the release said.
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Fry has been a superyacht captain and entrepreneur for 20 years, a “Master of Yachts” instructor and examiner, marine surveyor and a boat designer. He is also the founder and managing director of International Yacht Training Worldwide Inc.
The company has its world headquarters in Kettle Valley and moved from Florida to Kelowna 10 years ago. IYT is the global leader in Superyacht marine certification.
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