Design of the Happy Day Boat - The electric-hybrid pleasure boat of the shipbuilder Pinball Boat

« Our project was to present a boat especially made for daily rental without needing skippers for professional rental agents, a boat that is easy to set up, fast to clean and that remains attractive in mid season, a robust and reliable boat. »

Pascal Duclos - Pinball Boat's Chief Executive

Challenges

Experience design, user interface design and ergonomic optimization of the living space

Pinball Boat Happy Day Boat Bateau De Plaisance Électrique Hybride

 

Pinball Boat’s goal was to extend access to recreational boating.

The company wanted to design a boat especially made for rental professionals to daily rental without needing skippers. They wanted a boat with an ergonomic design, easy to use and to clean, that remains attractive even in mid season: a boat that is robust and reliable over time. It was thus crucial for us to optimize the space to gain as much usable space as possible while keeping in mind the logistical challenges inherent to the boat’s operating conditions.

Challenges

An intuitive and ergonomic solution meeting the users' needs as best as possible

Pinball Boat’s Happy Day Boat is a 9m by 3m bi-mode electric/hybrid catamaran combining the performances of the patented electric propulsion system and the power of the inboard diesel engine.

 

Pinball Boat Happy Day Boat Aménagement Intérieur Optimisé 2

 

The boat designed by Pinball Boat is :

  • ● Easy to handle
    • ○ The UI is simple and doesn’t allow uninitiated users to disrupt the operation fo the boat
    • ○ No unnecessary command: a steering wheel, a throttle handle, a switch for each propulsion mode and a 10″ screen allowing a clear user interface with an intuitive design for an easier reading. 
  • Able to enter protected areas thanks to its innovative electric and hybrid navigation system
    • The electric mode allows the boat to navigate even in near-shore waters, cleanly and silently: a simple and ecological navigation
  • ● Compatible with swimming activities in complete safety
    • ○  In electric mode, the propellers aren’t in use, thus making swimming activities and navigation in shallow water safe
  • ● Stable
    • ○ The catamaran hull is ideal for electric navigation because it records lower aerodynamic drag. Furthermore, offshore, this type of hull will split waves instead of jumping them, allowing the boat to navigate in a stable way even on high speed. 
  • ● Easy to dock
    • ○ The boat can accost even on sand
  • Spacious to house comfort equipments and a large number of passengers: space optimization and logistics made simple thanks to Blanc Tailleur’s expertise in usage design.
    • ○ It can accomodate up to 15 passengers
    • ○ 20m² of usable space
    • ○ Very comfortable with a plancha, toilets, shower, fridge, microwave, Nespresso coffee machine and a table that seats up to 10 people
    • ○ Bedding area for 2 people
    • ○ Onboard entertainment platform (2 kayaks and 3 paddles with a tiltable launch pad to easily get the equipment in the water)
  • ● Easy to maintain to put the boat back in service quickly
    • ○ It was designed to unload and clean quickly
    • ○ Unloadable ready to use trays
  • ● With a good range
    • ○ The electric battery has can last up to 1h and is directly rechargeable in hybrid mode
    • ○ The hybrid mode allows the boat to cover great distances on high speed (25 knots, 45km/h)

 

Pinball Boat Happy Day Boat Aménagement Intérieur Optimisé

 

The usage, ergonomy and style challenges were co-defined by Pinball Boat and Blanc Tailleur. The project delivered a solution that makes sense and that is functional thanks to Pinball Boat and Blanc Tailleur’s complementary skills.

Methodology

User experience taken into consideration from the start

Pinball Boat Happy Day Boat Interface Utilisateur

 

The shipbuilder Pinball Boat (specialized in naval architecture) designed the submerged part of the boat (the hull) and did the technical development while Blanc Tailleur was in charge of the exterior and interior style of the boat, the experience design and the cockpit’s interface design.

 

Pinball Boat Happy Day Boat Poste De Conduite Ergonomique

 

Blanc Tailleur’s approach

  • ● Usage design and experience design
    • ○ Perform a usage analysis on the boat while offshore to understand and model users’ needs and expectations. 
    • ○ Design the architecture and ergonomy of the interior and exterior living spaces
  • Interface design
    • ○ Design an intuitive user interface for the cockpit to maximize user experience and to optimize the boat’s handling
  • ● Visual identity
    • ○ Creation of the boat’s interior and exterior style consistent with the brand
  • ● Counselling for the construction of the full-scale model
    • ○ User testing was done to design the layout and to make the technical and stylistic trade-offs. The tests were done on a full-scale prototype on land.

Qui est Pinball Boat ?

Pinball Boat is an innovative shipbuilder created by :

  • Pascal DUCLOS, electrical engineer, was the founder and CEO of Goupil Industry (european leader in eletric service vehicles)
  • Stéphane CHAURIAL, naval architect, 15 years of experience in motor boat design on the Ocqueteau shipyard (shipyard on the Île d’Oléron)

The SME was created in 2015, the first prototypes were made on the Ocqueteau shipyard and it is worth noting that Pascal DUCLOS took over the shipyard in April 2020 following its liquidation in November 2019, thus allowing the shipyard to resume operations while continuing to develop the Pinball Boat.

Pinball Boat’s research office is at La Teste de Buch on the Arcachon Bay and the shipyard is on the Île d’Oléron.

Check out Pinball Boat’s website to know more.

Logo Pinball Boat

« Our project was to present a boat especially made for daily renting without needing skippers for professional rental agents, a boat that is easy to set up, fast to clean and that remains attractive in mid season, a robust and reliable boat. »

Pascal Duclos - Pinball Boat's Chief Executive