Pretty much all your cruise ships are done that way BCK.

I saw 5 of those pulling a 20 min train on the way to work today...

Train engines are what made me think of it. Seems like a good idea for a boat. I wonder if it doesnt scale down for some reason? Hopefully 1 but if needed 2 diesel engines mated to generator(s) instead of transmissions with electric motors in place of all the gearing associated with normal drives. Lots of low rpm torque and any rpm you want ? Am l off base thinking 1 or 2 engines could provide enough electricity for a performance boat? Ideally it'd be 1 engine / generator powering 2 motors for a pair of drives. But even if you needed 2 engines/ generators it'd still be an improvement.

Actually I agree probably a good thought as trains need sustained speed and huge torque like a boat motor makes but weight and complexity could be a factor. I wonder if Tesla ever considered it. They are making a semi tractor now.

All modern tugs and any almost any dynamically positioned boats are all EMD's (Electro-Motive Diesels)

The popularity and price points of Yamaha sportboats definitely took a bite out of Sea Ray's small runabout (19 to 24 feet) business. People got way too hung up—my opinion at least—on propeller versus jet propulsion. Meanwhile, Yamaha took a cue from the wakeboard boat market and filled its boats with the kinds of bells and whistles that appeal to younger buyers, first-time buyers and longtime boat owners in search of ease of operation.

If I'm not mistaken, Yamaha is moving 5,000 to 7,000 sportboat units a year.

And they still are sold in large volume around the world. This does not mean they aren't selling, it's a way Brunswick can raise some capital and refocus their brands that crossover too much. Plus, the sales numbers aren't disclosed separately right now, so we don't know. I will say their product used to be attractive and appealed to a large number of boaters and now they are some of the worst designs on the water. Sales in boats are really strong right now.

Torqueedo out of Germany is doing it.

Sea Ray is not dead at all, neither is Mercury or MerCruiser. Not even close.

A diesel electric in a planing hull is moronic. Why add the weight of generator and motor when you can hook the engine straight to the prop?