California Cadet Academy shows off new electric boat

VALLEJO – The California Cadet Academy showcased a new all-electric boat on Thursday morning at the Vallejo Yacht Club as part of its new mission to train the teens in marine patrol, building on a program that teaches about careers in public safety.

“You guys know what happened in Alcatraz just a few days ago,” said academy CFO Tony Heuschel, referring to the boat that sank near Alcatraz on Tuesday, leaving two dead and two missing. “So we’re going to do the man overboard drill and practice with the kids, so they have some exposure.” 

The boat, called the Vita Seal, is on loan from ATV Power, a marine technology company founded in the UK but with offices in Sausalito. 

“We lent them this boat because we think it’s a cool thing that [the academy] is doing, and it’s good to get it in front of the next generation,” said Scott Canning, the vice president of business development at ATV Power. “It’s a no-brainer for kids their age. Electric cars have always been a thing for them.” 

ATV Power’s mission is to reduce the impact of boating on the marine environment through the development of all-electric boats. According to the company, a typical day boat with a 126 gallon gas tank will generate over 2,800 pounds of carbon dioxide in a single day — the equivalent to how much one gas car generates in three months. Electric boats, in comparison, don’t emit any carbon dioxide, and they also present no danger of accidental fuel leaks. 

Canning explained that the 23-foot Vita Seal can reach speeds of 30 knots, takes about an hour to charge, and can run for about 10 hours if it's being used for regular port operations. 

Due to their shorter range, electric boats might not be for everybody, Canning acknowledged. “If you want to go 50 miles offshore to go fishing, then electric is not going to work,” he said. But he said it’s perfect for activities like patrolling a harbor. 

“You’re not huffing fumes all day,” Canning said, adding that because the electric engine is so quiet, “you can hear the radio,” a crucial aspect of safety on the water. 

The cadets ran through their drills in the morning before outfitting members of the media with life vests for rides on the Vita Seal. 

Based out of Napa, the California Cadet Academy has been educating teens on what it’s like to work as a firefighter, police officer, or emergency medical technician since 1911. Heuschel explained that their summer training program lasts a week, during which time the cadets stay at Cal Poly Maritime Academy, living in the dorms and learning in the lecture halls. As long as they’re enrolled in high school, cadets can also attend multiple summers. 

“This is not a boot camp. It’s to give kids an opportunity to experience college and what public safety is like, to decide what direction they’re going to go,” Heuschel said. He estimates that around 60% of the teens attend the program on a scholarship. 

“Our little catchphrase is ‘Experience today the careers of tomorrow,’’ Heuschel said. At the end of the program, the cadets receive letters of recommendation or connections to their local law or fire agencies so they can “stay on the right track and repay the community for their experience.” 

Corey Morgan, president of the academy, has been working on recruiting more girls into the program by offering more scholarships. According to one of the cadets, the program currently has six girls and 13 boys. 

“Public safety is kind of a male-dominated industry, so she’s super big on female recruitment,” Heuschel said. He added that they’ve brought in cadets from all over, from Texas, Oklahoma, New York City, and even Spain. 

Annie Young, who works for American Medical Response in Napa, has been the cadets' emergency medical service instructor for three years. “We taught them about CPR, spinal precautions, how to work a gurney, and general first aid,” Young said. “I like that the cadets get a taste of each first responder group.” 

For first-year cadet Lillian Sanders, learning about a wide range of careers, and how she can assist others in the future, was the most impactful part of the program. 

“Since I was younger, I’ve always had this passion to help people,” Sanders said. She said her dream job is to work for Cal Fire and tackle forest fires, and the academy has given her a look at what a career as a firefighter might look like. 

“We definitely learn skills, and we dabble in everything,” she said. “We all work together to help people, and it’s nice to see how everything works … and you see how everyone builds up their discipline and gets better over the week. Everybody grows together and works as a team, and I really like that part.” 

The current class of cadets will graduate this afternoon. 

“It’ll be interactive. So they’ll drive the fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars,” said Heuschel. “They’ll run around and do this super cool scenario to show their parents everything they learned.”