Rising Tide Research Foundation is a not-for-profit society established to conduct open-source research on electric boat design and to raise public awareness and understanding of clean-marine technologies.

• Vessel Reference Designs

  open-source reference designs for new vessels

  1. 

     Solander 38

     June 8, 2026

     Solander 38 is our first vessel design. It is a self-sufficient, solar-electric, coastal cruising power catamaran. Our external site documents and shares designs, processes, and research from Catalyst, the first Solander 38.

  2. 

     SWATH

     June 16, 2026

     We are in the early design stages of an electric SWATH passenger vessel, providing a high-comfort platform in year-round coastal conditions for tourism and commuter routes.

• Systems

  cross-platform components and technologies

  1. 

     Battery Design

     In progress

     We are developing affordable, certified, and modular high-voltage battery units for marine systems that balance safety, serviceability, and flexibility. We are focusing on contained multi-cell units that can be easily handled, interconnected, and cooled, while preventing the spread of thermal events between cells.

  2. 

     Vessel Control Unit

     In progress

     We are developing components of a marine Vessel Control Unit to coordinate onboard systems, telemetry, and real-time vessel behaviour. Current research includes multi-network CAN integration and wave-aware heading control using low-RPM differential thrust.

• Design Tools

  custom tools supporting marine design

  1. 

     Computer-Aided Vessel Engineering

     June 15, 2026

     We are developing a marine-specific CAD system that allows designers to explore families of related boat designs while maintaining constraints on geometry, physical properties, and manufacturability.

• Data and Results

  collected research, analysis, and insights

  1. 

     AIS Data

     In progress

     We are analyzing AIS data across coastal British Columbia - including northern Washington and southern Alaska - to better understand how different classes of vessels actually operate. By examining speed and usage patterns, we aim to identify which segments are immediately viable for electric propulsion and where future design development should focus.

Our Directory