In 1865, Frenchman Étienne Lenoir invented the world’s first motor boat by installing an internal combustion engine – his own design – in a barge and setting out to navigate the river Seine. Little did he known how his adventure would revolutionize the shipbuilding industry. In 2017, experts from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimated that roughly 1.9 million liquid fuel-burning ships are navigating the world’s waters. And this number only covers commercial fleets. In the U.S. alone, roughly 12 million boats are registered for recreational use.