Fast charging

What it means

Fast charging means feeding the battery directly with direct current at high power, bypassing the onboard charger that limits ordinary shore-power charging. On cars this is routine. On boats it is unusual, and where it exists it is usually a bespoke installation rather than a standard fitting.

Why it is rare on the water

Marinas are wired for lighting and small appliances, not for the tens of kilowatts a fast charge needs. Providing it means new cabling, sometimes a new supply to the marina itself, and someone has to pay for it. A boat capable of fast charging is therefore not the same as a boat you can fast charge, and the gap is usually in the berth, not the vessel.

Why it matters

If your use depends on turning the boat around within an hour — a charter operation, a shuttle, a busy summer weekend — this is the specification the whole plan rests on. Fewer builders publish a fast-charge figure than publish any other charging number, so treat its absence as a question rather than an answer.