Vessev's VS-9 hydrofoil ferry lifts off so smoothly that its passenger missed the moment

"When will we start flying?" a TechCrunch reporter asked Vessev co-founder and chief executive Eric Laakmann as the VS-9 pulled away from a Brooklyn marina. "We already are," Laakmann said ^[1]. The reporter admitted to being a bit disappointed. The run out toward Governors Island did not feel like flying, the reporter wrote, but it was a bit like riding in a sports car ^[2].

For a ferry, that disappointment is the result to want. Hydrofoils get sold on the lift. A commuter wants a crossing with nothing in it to notice, and a passenger who could not find the moment of takeoff is the best user evidence in this account.

Boats of about 30 feet, the VS-9's length, start to bounce and slap the water as they speed up, TechCrunch reported ^[3]. The VS-9 is a catamaran with two wing-like foils under the hull. Computer-controlled underwater flaps keep the ride stable ^[4]. The front foil does most of the lifting and the rear about 20% ^[5]. With the hull clear of the water the boat runs more efficiently, and on a battery boat every kilowatt-hour counts ^[14].

The ride has a ceiling. The VS-9 stays smooth in waves up to about 2.5 feet, or 0.75 meters. Bigger waves hit the hull, ending the smooth ride and costing efficiency ^[9]. TechCrunch put lakes, rivers and bays in range and the open ocean out of it ^[10].

Vessev makes its own electric motor and mounts it on the rear foil. It buys only the batteries ^[6]. "Those have been commoditized," Laakmann said ^[7]. He said building in-house early keeps costs in line ^[8].

The commercial case also rests on Laakmann. Vessev raised a $19 million Series A in August and is going after transit operations first ^[11]. Laakmann thinks electric propulsion and foils can cut the cost of running smaller vessels and make them comfortable enough to supplement urban mass transit ^[15]. TechCrunch suggested New York could use them to carry people to Brooklyn or Queens without building much new infrastructure ^[16]. The account does not include operating costs, fares, a service record, or evidence that a rough ride is what has kept small electric boats off commuter schedules. Only one VS-9 exists, though Vessev plans more ^[13]. Hotels and tour operators are early targets too, and Laakmann said demo rides have drawn wealthy individuals looking for another toy ^[12].

Two facts sort the decision for an operator weighing a pilot. The first is how often the water on the route, at the hours the boat would run, tops 2.5 feet ^[9]. The second is who pays when a sailing is cancelled: a commuter with a shift to make, or a hotel guest with a free afternoon. Sheltered water with discretionary riders is the case closest to what TechCrunch saw. Sheltered water with commuters puts the ride within reach, but a timetable needs more than one boat ^[13]. On exposed water, for either kind of rider, the waves reach the hull, the smooth ride ends and efficiency drops ^[9].