Like mustard and hot dogs, Steve Potts, president of Scout Boats, has brought together two great ideas and produced something better than the sum of its parts.

The Scout Boats 145 Hybrid is a unique new vessel that can operate using either a standard, gas-powered outboard or a pair of electronic motors mounted at its stern. The motors are controlled by a joystick and will cruise at 8 knots for eight hours, according to the company.

SCOUT BOATSScout Boats 145 Hybrid Running at High Speed.

The result is a 14 footer that is designed to be fuel efficient and highly maneuverable, and that costs less than $20,000. Within its limitations, the Scout Boats 145 Hybrid just might be the perfect creek cruiser or flats fishing boat.

HOW IT WORKS

Scout developed the 145 in conjunction with Lenco Marine, of trim tab fame, using that company's 36–volt, Dual Digital Drives. These are saltwater–rated electric drives, capable of 360–degree steering with infinitely variable speed control. They also have built–in motor retractor switches to lift the drives out of the water when it's time to fire up the standard Yamaha 20 HP four–stroke outboard and zip back across the bay to home port.

The 145 has a three–bank, 30–amp battery charger to supply the three deep–cycle batteries that power the electric drives. The joystick is a true multifunction control, more in line with an F–16 airplane control than the simple units supplied with IPS and Zeus pod drive units.

SCOUT BOATSScout Boats 145 Hybrid Joystick.

The Lenco joystick uses LED lights to display battery voltage, along with motor position. It has a cruise control that can lock in any speed or direction of thrust. It is completely waterproof (submersible to three feet), and the LED lights have an ambient light sensor that the company says will provide optimum viewing in all light conditions. Alas, the 20 HP Yamaha nestled on the transom between the electric drives is not connected to the joystick system, but is controlled through a standard tiller.

If the idea of being able to run all day on an environmentally friendly — and quiet — electric motor system is appealing, you will be interested in how the hull is built.

According to Alan Lang, Scout Boats vice president of marketing, Potts has had a decades–long commitment to green philosophies of boat–building. "Steve has always spent more money on environmentally–friendly materials and processes, even though it cost him more," Lang said. For example, Scout uses low–VOC resins in all its boats, a process that has only recently become common – often because some states require it.

Scout hulls also have a reputation for strength and light weight. Each model has a dedicated hull design intended to customize the ride and performance for the anticipated use of the boat. Lang says Scout is way ahead of competitors in efficiency and economy.

"People are going to have to get rid of the wood, go to high–density foams, get rid of the (fiberglass) chopper guns, and go to higher–cost glass schedules," Lang says. These are the techniques that Scout, and some others, use to build especially lightweight hulls.

BULLETPROOF DRIVES

The 145 Hybrid has an overall length of 14 feet 5 inches, with a beam of 6 feet 6 inches. It has a dry weight of 730 pounds and draws approximately 8 inches of water with its 11–degree deadrise hull. There are two bench seats on thwarts, and the joystick is mounted on a console to starboard in front of the aft bench. The boat comes with a standard bilge pump and can be ordered with a colored hull, seat cushions, a Bimini top, and bow and side rails.

SCOUT BOATS145 Hybrid Electric Drives and Outboard Motor.

The suggested retail price of the 145 Hybrid is $17,121, which includes the 20 HP Yamaha outboard. The optional "Sport Package" — a windshield, side rails and bench cushions — would make this boat more comfortable and safer at high speeds when powered by the Yamaha. When it is powered by the dual Lenco drives, you can relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of electric thrust, perhaps sneaking up on bonefish in the flats or stripers in the back bay.

More of this type of electric–drive hybrid may be coming. Scout Boats hints others may be in development, and Lenco sells the drives separately. While the life expectancy of these drives remains to be seen, they are built with typically bulletproof Lenco materials and standards. Lenco says a special "TGIC" polyester topcoat protects the unit from dings and scratches, while the lower unit coating process includes 99 percent pure Alumiplate coatings under a zinc–free epoxy powder primer.

Lenco sells the drives in both 24–volt and 36–volt configurations, equating roughly to 2 HP and 3 HP, respectively. It also offers a simple, non–joystick control system that uses toggle switches.

Potential uses of the 145 Hybrid? Flats fishing boat, creek and river cruiser, wildlife photography vessel, trawler tender – virtually anything that can take advantage of a slow, stable and silent platform.