The Time Trump Gave a Speech Denouncing eBoats
Calls S.C. Builder 'Beautiful,' Mulls Death by Shark Over Electrocution
A version of this story was first published on June 10, 2024.
Ex-President Donald Trump was in Las Vegas yesterday, and he was talking boats. Trump was recounting a conversation he had with an unnamed South Carolina boatbuilder about electric propulsion.
Many readers are probably aware that the Beneteau factory shut down its manufacturing plant in Marion, South Carolina, back in 2020, so that’s not the one. Plus, the content of Trump’s rally speech suggests a maker of center consoles. Even so, guessing which brand aint’ easy. There are so many—more than 30.1
However, thanks to reader Rick Finholt, we learned that Trump spoke at Sportsman Boats of Summerville during a September 2023 visit with his friend Sen. Linsey Graham, R-South Carolina. Sportsman is a state-of-the-art center console manufacturer.
After this story originally appeared 10 months ago, Finholt suggested that Trump’s conversation was with Sportsman CEO Tommy Hancock, who was also president of the firm until December 2023.
Here’s what then-candidate Trump said in Vegas:
So we have a country that’s in trouble. We’re going to end the mandate on electric one day. They want to make all boats too.
I went to a boat company in South Carolina. The boat—“I said how is it?”.
He said, “It’s a problem, sir. They want us to make all-electric boats.”.
These are boats that are from 16 to 35 or so feet. Fishing boats, leisure boats. Beautiful company in South Carolina. Beautiful guys. Been doing it for 50 years.
He sells hundreds of boats every couple of months. I mean, really fantastic guy. And they use the Mercury engines and different engines in the back. No problem.
They want to take that out. They want to make it all electric.
He said “The problem is the boat is so heavy it can’t float.”
I said, “That sounds like a problem.”
He said, “Also, it can’t go fast because of the weight” and they want to now have a 50 mile or a 70 mile radius. You have to go out 70 miles before you can really start the boat up, and you go out at two knots. That’s essentially almost like two miles an hour.
I say, “How long does it take you to get out there?”.
“Many hours. And then you’re allowed to go around for ten minutes, but you have to come back because the batteries only last for a very short period of time.”.
So I said, “Let me ask you a question.”.
And he said, “Nobody ever asked this question.”.
And it must be because of MIT. My relationship to MIT. Very smart. He goes. I say, “What would happen if the boat sank from its weight? And you’re in the boat and you have this tremendously powerful battery, and the battery is now underwater, and there’s a shark that’s approximately ten yards over there.”.
By the way, a lot of shark attacks lately. You notice that? A lot of shark.
I watch some guys justifying it today. “Well, they weren’t really that angry. They bit off the young lady’s leg because of the fact that they were they were not hungry, but they misunderstood what who she was.”.
These people are crazy. He said “There’s no problem with sharks. They just didn’t really understand a young woman swimming,”—no really got decimated and other people too, a lot of shark attacks.
I said, “So there’s a shark ten yards away from the boat, ten yards or here. Do I get electrocuted? If the boat is sinking, water goes over the battery, the boat is sinking. Do I stay on top of the boat and get electrocuted? Or do I jump over by the shark and not get electrocuted?”.
Because I will tell you, he didn’t know the answer. He said, “You know, nobody’s ever asked me that question.”.
I said, “I think it’s a good question. I think there’s a lot of electric current coming through that water.”
But you know what I’d do if there was a shark or you get electrocuted? I’ll take electrocution every single time. I’m not getting near the shark!
The list in no particular order: Sportsman Boats of Summerville, Low Country Boats of Columbia, Pioneer Boats of Walterboro, Sea Fox Boat works of Moncks Corner, Freeman Boatworks of Moncks Corner, Encore Boat Builders of Lexington, Xplor Boatworks of Columbia, Avenger Boats of Walterboro, Sea Pro Boats of Whitmire, Stingray Boats of Hartsville, BullsBay Boatworks of Walterboro, Ulmer Boatworks of Ravenel, Riddle Boatworks of Johns Island, Sea Island Boatworks of Isle of Palms, Chaos Boats of Conway, Nistad Boatworks of Charleston, Falcon Bass Boats of Newberry, Key West Boats of Ridgeville, Gunning Wooden Boats of Summerville, Phenom Yachts of Summerville, Caiman Outdoors of Florence, Scout Boats of Summerville, Nautical Solutions of Charleston, Gambler Bass Boats of Santee, Clark Sound Boats of Charleston, Bentley Pontoons of Lexington, Tidewater Boats of Lexington, Cut Snake Composites of Pawleys Island, Spivey Strip Boats of Claredon, Davidsons Off Grid Houseboats of Simpsonville and Sea Hunt Boats of Columbia
We elected him.
Good reason to fear a shark: Can't BS a shark 🦈