About This Project
Monterey Bay Eco Tours and Left Coast Composites are building a 58- foot, hybrid-electric catamaran to run year-round whale-watching tours out of Moss Landing Harbor. The boat will operate under electric power near wildlife, making the vessel completely silent when watching whales, dolphins, sea lions and all of the diverse wildlife that inhabits Monterey Bay. This will be a completely unique experience, allowing guests to connect to the wildlife through sight and sound. This boat is currently being built by Left Coast Composites in Moss Landing, and will be the first of its kind on the West Coast!
CABIN INSTALLED
Pictured is the main cabin after being glued onto the deck. The cabin interior will have booth style benches and tables for passenger enjoyment, and plenty of space along the rail for passengers to view the wildlife.
LAYING FIBERGLASS
Builders Evan and Mark are preparing the mold to fabricate a hull using the closed mold infusion technique. Left Coast Composites is one of the few companies that have mastered this technique of boat building. After the dry material is laid up in the mold, it is bagged in preparation for the infusion process.
BAGGED HULL
Once the dry materials are prepared and bagged, a vacuum is used to pull epoxy through the material to bind it all together. This technique is incredibly efficient and there is little waste created during the process. Additionally, this technique reduces VOC’s that would be emitted during the curing process.
BOW
Pictured is the bow of the vessel. This 58-foot catamaran is incredibly light and efficient thanks to the use of carbon fiber in its fabrication and the canoe-style hulls. This efficient hull design creates minimal wetted space, allowing for and incredibly hydrodynamic vessel that can support the use of hybrid-electric propulsion systems.
This Project is sponsored by the
Monterey Bay Air Resources District
California Climate Investments
Building Monterey Bay’s First Hybrid-Electric Whale-Watching Vessel Project is part of California Climate Investments.
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Cap-and-Invest Initiative
A statewide initiative putting billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars to work
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Reducing Emissions
Strengthening the economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
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Community Benefits
Improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.
- Estimated annual fuel savings of 31,000 gallons, that’s 738 barrels of oil!
- Estimated annual emission reduction of 390 metric tons of CO2
- Reduced noise pollution around wildlife
Follow our Journey!
Find us on social media to see updates on the build, launch date and when we will begin running public whale-watching tours in Spring of 2027!
All Tours
Sunset Tours on the Elkhorn Slough
Sunset Tours on the Elkhorn Slough
Join us on a one-of-a-kind, electric-powered catamaran ride for a wildlife tour along one of California’s largest tidal waterways at sunset.
Private Charter
Private Charter
Enjoy a narrated cruise along the Elkhorn Slough, a vibrant and lively wetland located on Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Monterey in Moss Landing.
Elkhorn Slough Tour
Elkhorn Slough Tour
Join us on a one-of-a-kind, electric-powered catamaran ride for a wildlife tour along one of California’s largest tidal waterways. Enjoy a narrated cruise along the Elkhorn Slough.