The sun is back
The sea is waiting for you
After a few months of forced rest, your boat deserves a careful recommissioning. What if this season, you really started it differently — with the silent power of electric ?
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and something irresistible is happening in the minds of all sailors and professionals: the desire to return to the sea. After long months of wintering, the boating season is reclaiming its rights with the return of spring — and this year, it promises to be marked by a silent revolution: that of electric propulsion.
Whether sailing on the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean, on the Great Lakes or along the French waterways, the scenario is the same: cover removed, checklist in hand, and the impatience to return to the water. But before casting off, there are steps to follow. What if this year, spring maintenance was also the opportunity to rethink your propulsion system for good?
Did you know? According to industry data, a third of sea rescues are caused by a propulsion failure. The vast majority of these breakdowns occur in spring, after a hasty recommissioning. A thorough de-winterising is not a formality: it is a matter of safety.
DE-WINTERISING
Putting your boat back in the water:
the 6 essential steps
🔍 GENERAL HULL INSPECTION
Start with a thorough examination of the hull on dry land. Identify the chips in the gelcoat, scratches, and any signs of osmosis. Check the through-hulls, the rudder and its fittings. This is the ideal time to redo the antifouling: a fresh coat protects the hull for the entire season. Also replace the zinc anodes, sacrificed by galvanic corrosion, to protect the submerged metal parts.
⚙️ COMPLETE PROPULSION SERVICE
For an internal combustion engine, the list is long: oil change, replacement of fuel and oil filters, checking the spark plugs, inspecting the water pump turbine, checking the propeller. For a Weenav electric motor, the procedure is radically different — and infinitely simpler. We'll come back to that later.
🔋 CHECKING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Check the condition of the service batteries with a multimeter: voltage, density, condition of the terminals. Inspect all wiring for signs of corrosion or wear. Protect the connections with a waterproof spray. Test the main circuit breaker, fuses, shore charger, and ensure that the navigation system is up to date on mapping.
🛠️ RIGGING, MANEUVERS & SAILS
Lubricate all moving parts: winches, cleats, clutch blocks, rudder shafts. On a sailing boat, check the mast, spreaders, rigging cables and their tension. Check the condition of the sails and their luff. Inspect the halyards and sheets for wear. A rinse with fresh water followed by drying remains the simplest action to extend the lifespan of the ropes.
🧭 ON-BOARD ELECTRONICS
Reinstall the instruments removed for winter (sonar, log, wind sensors). Test the VHF and make a test call. Check that the GPS is working correctly and update the charts. Recalibrate the autopilot compass once the boat is in the water. Also check the condition of the navigation lights and antenna cables.
🦺 SAFETY EQUIPMENT
This is the step that is often postponed. Check the expiry dates of the distress flares, the condition of the life jackets and their automatic inflators, the distress beacon EPIRB, and the first aid kit. Check the fire extinguisher. French regulations require specific equipment according to the category of navigation: this is a non-negotiable point before any outing at sea.
Ideally plan this de-winterising two to three weeks before your first outing. Shipyards are very busy in spring, especially for launching cranes: anticipate making an appointment. And once afloat, stay alert in the first few days — the first hours of navigation after wintering are statistically when technical problems arise.
THE ELECTRICAL DIFFERENCE
What if you no longer spent
these hours at the yard?
With a thermal engine, the spring restart represents several half-days of work, litres of used oil to dispose of, filters to change, spark plugs to check. With a Weenav electric engine, the logic is completely reversed. Where thermal preparation can stretch over nearly two weeks between revisions, site appointments and adjustments, electric propulsion allows for a return to service in less than a day. Overnight, you can decide to resume the season with a simple system check.
Almost non-existent maintenance
The ARION and KRONOS engines have about 100 times fewer parts than a thermal equivalent. First maintenance recommended after 5,000 hours of navigation.
Absolute silence
No engine noise, no vibrations. Navigation returns to its essence: the wind, the water, the horizon. Ideal for fishing, marine wildlife observation and restricted access protected areas.
Zero hydrocarbon pollution
No oil, fuel, or exhaust discharge into the water. Total preservation of marine ecosystems and access to areas where thermal engines are prohibited or regulated.
Savings from the first season
Charging costs up to 80% lower than fuel. The maintenance cost of an electric engine is close to 0 per year — compared to hundreds of euros every spring for a thermal engine.
Immediate torque & manoeuvrability
Maximum torque is available from the first turn. Maneuvering in the port, quick accelerations, response to commands: everything is more precise, smoother and more intuitive.
Ultra-simplified wintering
No draining, no antifreeze treatment, no fuel stabilisation. The end of the following season will be as simple as the beginning. Plug in, unplug, protect: that's all.
With a Weenav electric motor, the system's lifespan is at least 3 times greater than its thermal equivalent — and the spring de-winterisation boils down to a software check.
WEENAV RANGE
ARION & KRONOS
Two motors, all navigations
Designed and assembled in France, the Weenav motors cover all the needs of leisure boating and professional boating — from high-performance outboard to high-power inboard motor.
OUTBOARD
KRONOS
100% ELECTRIC
The KRONOS is Weenav's 100% electric outboard motor. Powerful, versatile and designed for performance, it caters to both demanding leisure boaters and maritime transport professionals. Its base, specially designed to absorb the high torque of an electric motor, provides remarkable sea handling.
POWER 80 hp (59 kW) – 300 hp (220 kW) continuous
PROPULSION TORQUE 780 Nm
- Architecture 400–800 V, motor efficiency at 97 %
- Recharge up to 2C (from 10% to 90% in 30 minutes)
- Power: up to 22 kW (three-phase 32A)
- Combo CCS (up to 200 kW)
- Integrated touch interface on Garmin
- Sealing: Marine certified IP67
- Retrofit possible on any compatible outboard boat
INBOARD
ARION
ELECTRIC & HYBRID
The ARION inboard engine is the solution. Compact, lightweight, and completely discreet in the bilge, it integrates without altering the structure of the vessel. Compatible with all boats originally equipped with an inboard engine, it is available in a 100% electric or series hybrid version — a valuable flexibility for sailors who wish for a gradual transition.
POWER 50 hp (37 kW) – 500 hp (375 kW) continuous
MAINTENANCE First recommended service at 10,000 hours
- Primarily software maintenance
- Integrated Garmin touchscreen
- Power: Up to 22 kW (three-phase 32A),
- Combo CCS (up to 200 kW)
- Recharge up to 2C (from 10% to 90% in 30 minutes)
- IP67 components
- Retrofit compatible without structural modification
CONCLUSION
This season, sail differently
The spring launch is not just a mechanical constraint: it is a ritual, a promise of sailing, the moment when one reclaims their boat after winter. For thousands of leisure sailors and professionals, it is also an opportunity to ask a question that was not considered just five years ago: is it really necessary to keep a petrol engine?
Les moteurs KRONOS et ARION de Weenav provide a concrete response. They are now tested and proven at the largest French boat shows. Their performance far exceeds the scope of simple coastal cruising.
The regulatory framework supports this transition. The areas where thermal engines are prohibited or heavily regulated are multiplying — Mediterranean, lakes, estuaries. Anticipating this evolution with a electric or hybrid motorisation, also ensures sustainable access to all bodies of water.
So, whether you are at your first tarpaulin roll or already have the checklist in hand, take the time this season to think about your motorisation. Weenav supports each project from A to Z — study, installation via partner shipyards, financing, grants available according to your sector of activity.
The sea is here. The sun is returning. And the electric is ready.
Ready to electrify your season?
Configure your motorisation, discover the available financing or try our engines at sea.
Published on: 18/03/2026
Editor: Sophie Castelain