Propelled by fond memories of childhood voyages aboard Elco electric launches on Lake George, Chuck Houghton in 1996 led a group of investors to buy the resurgent boat maker and relocate it to a historic industrial space along the Hudson River in the Village of Athens. After a 50-year hiatus since World War II, Elco has revived this unique trade in the Hudson Valley and is an active participant in a rebounding riverfront. Senior Editor/Writer Kerri Karvetski interviewed Mr. Houghton in his Greene County boat works.
SO, HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN ELECTRIC BOATS?
My great-grandfather went to the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, put down 25 cents for a ride on an Elco electric launch, and liked it so much that he bought one. We still have that boat in the family.
THERE'S A HISTORY THERE. WHAT MAKES THEM SO APPEALING?
One, the elegant nature of the boats - the quiet, the canopy, being out of the sun. Secondly, I think there is a growing environmental consciousness, but it is based more on noise than gas pollution. People love the silence of our boats. You can hear the water lapping at the hull. |
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WHAT MOTIVATES YOU AS AN ENVIRONMENTALIST?
I grew up on Lake George in the summers and watched the lake water quality degrade, almost disintegrate. Overcrowding, inadequate sewer systems. It's a very serious problem. I was chairman of the Lindbegh Foundation, and its goals are to bring a balance between the environment and technology. My wife also has really raised my consciousness on environmental issues.
HOW SO?
Seeing the destruction on Lake George. Seeing what could be done if we just applied ourselves.
AND HOW IS THE ELECTRIC BOAT BUSINESS THESE DAYS?
I tell people that this is a 111-year-old start-up. People had forgotten that electric boats existed, but they are making an incredible comeback. Seven years ago when I bought Elco, there were 10 electric boat companies in the world. There are now 61. |
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THAT IS SOME GROWTH RATE.
I think the electric boating industry is like the early days of the car industry. What is the hottest car going right now? The hybrids. The public is demanding it. The enormous number of places where they are banning gasoline boats is a big market for us. One third of all of the oil and gas that goes into the front of an outboard comes out the back end unburned and unused.
VERY POLLUTING MACHINES.
You get 10,000 boats on Lake George on a weekend. If two-thirds of them are outboards, just think of what that is doing to the lake. Some of those lakes only get used a few months a year, so the lake has time to restore itself. But in other parts of the country, boating is starting to be all year round - these waterways can't recover. You're going to have to go to electric boats.
LAST YEAR YOU MOVED ELCO TO ATHENS. WHY?
Scenic Hudson had heard about this property in Athens and connected us to the village. We wanted to be on the waterfront in a place where we wouldn't spoil the environment. They have been building boats here for almost 300 years. In World War II the Imperial Life Boat Company built thousands of lifeboats here. We build old fashioned boats, and we wanted to be in an old-fashioned space. |
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WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE ATHENS WATERFRONT?
The trustees have a very clear plan for the village. The first priority is to develop the waterfront. We were part of an anchor of that - to get this place saved. The second piece is the riverfront park to center the town back to the river. Think about it, this is one of the few places on the Hudson River where there are no railroad tracks. We have waterfront access.
DO YOU THINK THAT THE VALLEY'S WATERFRONT RENAISSANCE WILL CONTINUE?
I'm a great believer in balance. I think you can have business on the river, but not that adversely affects it. But the more beautiful we make it, the greater pressure we are going to put on it. I think education - being aware, getting out - is important. I can't tell you how many people I gave a ride to in an electric boat last summer who had never been on the river. |
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| Chuck Houghton, pictured top right, with Elco staff members in the company's new Atehens boat works. |
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DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PLACE ON THE RIVER?
There are so many special places on the river, but boating around Esopus Island off Norrie Point and down to the Roosevelt house and the Vanderbilt house - you feel like you are a million miles from civilization. What I love most about the Hudson River is that it's constantly changing, depending on the light, the clouds, the shadows, the time of day. And the wonderful thing about electric boats is that you go slow enough to experience it. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world. |
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Photos of Chuck Houghton and Elco staff by Peter Finger
Photo of electric boat courtesy of Elco |
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