I learned many years ago never to untie a boat’s dock lines until the engine is running, so I was surprised when Patrick Hopkins of Annapolis Yacht Sales asked me to go forward and untie the Greenline 40’s bow lines. There wasn’t a sound coming from the engine room. He gently pushed the throttles forward and off we went, stealthily maneuvering through the moored boats and out through the channel at 5 ½ knots leading to the Chesapeake Bay.

We were running under electric power, and it reminded me of that sensation sailors get when they catch the first wind and they can turn off their engine. The only sound I heard was the water quietly rushing by our hull. There was no other noise, no vibration and not even a hint of exhaust fumes. Once past the speed limit of the harbor, Patrick put the throttles in neutral, turned one switch at the helm to “diesel power” and then fired up the twin VW engines. We were soon off and running at 12 knots, now with the reassuring sound of diesels below the cabin sole. The Greenline 40—a diesel/electric hybrid—can be considered the best of both worlds…

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