The couple who saved a 78-foot abandoned superyacht in Alaska is now ripping out brand new engines to go hybrid
Published on Feb 06, 2026 at 6:06 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Feb 05, 2026 at 8:07 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
When Blaine and Janice bought the Tangaroa, an abandoned superyacht, they thought it would be the start of a dream journey, eventually leading to hybrid power.
But it has taken much longer to fulfill than they expected, as they have been working hard to restore the superyacht to its former glory.
The latest step has seen them embark on installing the hybrid power inside the vessel, which was abandoned in Alaska, and it’s meant ripping out the brand new engines inside the boat.
But it is a big step towards modernizing the superyacht and ensuring it is future-proofed.
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Why they’re installing hybrid power in the abandoned superyacht
Under the skin of the Tangaroa, the couple had installed two new Cummins engines.
However, they decided to modernize the luxury vessel further and install hybrid-electric engines.
This had been long-planned, and now it seemed like the right time to do it, after a year and a half with the old engines.
A video from February 4, 2026, shows them lifting out the old engines and emptying the engine bay.
This involves ripping everything out, including batteries, transformers, and smaller generator engines.
Ultimately, the Tangaroa will run silently, allowing for much quieter trips aboard the superyacht.
Plus, being a hybrid, the boat will produce far fewer emissions than with its diesel engines.
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Removing the old engines isn’t easy
As we can see in a video, it’s not a simple task to remove the old engines.
Making it trickier is that the crane they’d organized to come pull the engines out had arrived a day earlier.
Add in the rain, and that meant a rushed prep and a bit of a scramble to get everything ready.
Engine one, named Stella, is slowly lifted through the top hatch and onto dry land.
Engine two, Porsche, is a trickier affair, but it, too, comes out of the boat.
While more items needed to come out, this was a big step.
It took them towards making the hybrid vessel they had always planned.
It will be fascinating to see the formerly abandoned superyacht sail with its new hybrid power.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a leading heritage steam railway in England.
