Vessev VS-9 Electric Hydrofoil Ferry: Ride Review and Specs

What the VS-9 Ride Feels Like

“When will we start flying?” I asked Vessev co-founder and CEO Eric Laakmann, as we pulled away from the Brooklyn marina in the startup’s VS-9 electric ferry. “We already are.”

I’ll admit I was a bit disappointed. I thought the moment when it transitioned from sailing like a regular boat to almost-flying as a surface-skimming hydrofoil would be more … momentous.

I’ve been on my share of boats, including large ferries, small sailboats, and plenty of others in between, but never been on a hydrofoil and I was curious what flying along the water might feel like during the brief ride from the Brooklyn Marina out toward Governors Island on the East River in New York.

It didn’t feel like flying, but it was a bit like a riding in a sports car.

Traditional boats of this size — about 30 feet — start to bounce and slap the water as they gain speed. But on a hydrofoil, that’s when the foils start to do their work. The subtle transition I experienced on the VS-9, from sailing to almost-flying, underlined just how smooth a hydrofoil can be.

How the Hydrofoil Works

On the surface, the VS-9 looks like plenty of other catamarans. But under the hull are two wing-like structures that lift the boat as they slice through the water. Computer-controlled underwater flaps keep the ride smooth and stable. In the VS-9, most of the lifting is done by the front foil, with about 20% handled by the rear.

The rear foil also hosts the electric motor, which Vessev makes in-house. The only thing Vessev doesn’t build are the batteries. “Those have been commoditized,” co-founder and CEO Eric Laakmann said.

By lifting the hull clear of the water, hydrofoils can operate more efficiently than other boats. That’s especially important for electric boats, where every kilowatt-hour counts. Shipbuilders have been experimenting with hydrofoils for well over a century. The design offers several advantages, including lower drag and a smoother ride. The VS-9 can also charge using a typical EV charger.

Specs, Limits, and Range

The VS-9 is about 30 feet long, roughly the size of a traditional boat that would start to bounce and slap the water as it gains speed. But the hydrofoil design changes that equation. The VS-9 can also raise its foils to access docks in shallower waters, a practical touch for real-world marinas.

Hydrofoils aren’t a panacea, though. The design works best in waters the boat can clear when sailing on its foils. For the VS-9, that’s about two and a half feet, or 0.75 meters. If the waves go higher than that, they start hitting the hull, ruining the smooth ride and sapping some efficiency. While they’re not ideal for the open ocean, hydrofoils make sense for other waterways, including lakes, rivers, and bays.

Range is another key figure: the VS-9 can carry a full passenger load up to 40 nautical miles (46 miles or 74 kilometers). That’s enough for the kind of short-hop urban transit Vessev is targeting, and it keeps every kilowatt-hour counting on an electric vessel.

Vessev's Business Plans

Vessev raised a $19 million Series A in August, and the company is targeting transit operations to start. CEO Eric Laakmann thinks the combination of electric propulsion and hydrofoils can bring down the cost of operating smaller vessels and make them comfortable enough that they could augment urban mass transit systems. Somewhere like New York City could use them to zip people to Brooklyn or Queens without needing to build much new infrastructure.

Hotels and tour operators are also an early target market, and public demonstrations like the one I attended have attracted wealthy individuals looking for another toy, Laakmann said.

For now, the VS-9 I rode is one of a kind, but Laakmann said Vessev plans to build more. Eventually, the company might shift to producing electric hydrofoil kits, allowing other boatbuilders to design their own vessels around the technology.