One of Stephens, Waring & White's most exciting yacht design projects in recent years closes the distance between social responsibility and yachting.
Zogo will be a boat for the new reality of powerboating. Her design has been driven by our clients’ concern for treading lightly on their environment. Longtime summer residents of Stonington, Maine, her owners have enjoyed years of low-impact kayaking and rowing around the pristine and spectacular islands of Merchants Row, and when they decided to make the move to a powerboat, they sought a way to limit its environmental impact. Of particular concern were the vessel’s carbon footprint and its noise pollution.
Electric power seemed the natural solution, but the lack of facilities for recharging and practical limits of range and speed ruled out an all-electric installation. A conventional AC generator and motor was bulky and relatively inefficient, and also meant that silent operation under battery power would be difficult, if not impossible to achieve.
We have based the design of this 29’ launch around an alternative, based on cutting edge hybrid technology—an integrated diesel/electric propulsion engine from Europe. We became aware of this promising system while still under development in 2006, and the Zogo project appeared at just the moment that the system reached the production stage. The motor, manufactured by Steyr Diesel of Austria, incorporates a 7kW generator/motor between the bell housing and the marine reduction gear. A clutch allows the diesel engine to drive the boat directly while charging the battery bank, or the electric motor to decouple from the diesel and propel the boat with power drawn from the battery bank. Steyr offers the system in several different diesel power levels; for this project we selected the smallest, at 75 hp.
Zogo will be a boat for the new reality of powerboating. Her design has been driven by our clients’ concern for treading lightly on their environment. Longtime summer residents of Stonington, Maine, her owners have enjoyed years of low-impact kayaking and rowing around the pristine and spectacular islands of Merchants Row, and when they decided to make the move to a powerboat, they sought a way to limit its environmental impact. Of particular concern were the vessel’s carbon footprint and its noise pollution.
Electric power seemed the natural solution, but the lack of facilities for recharging and practical limits of range and speed ruled out an all-electric installation. A conventional AC generator and motor was bulky and relatively inefficient, and also meant that silent operation under battery power would be difficult, if not impossible to achieve.
We have based the design of this 29’ launch around an alternative, based on cutting edge hybrid technology—an integrated diesel/electric propulsion engine from Europe. We became aware of this promising system while still under development in 2006, and the Zogo project appeared at just the moment that the system reached the production stage. The motor, manufactured by Steyr Diesel of Austria, incorporates a 7kW generator/motor between the bell housing and the marine reduction gear. A clutch allows the diesel engine to drive the boat directly while charging the battery bank, or the electric motor to decouple from the diesel and propel the boat with power drawn from the battery bank. Steyr offers the system in several different diesel power levels; for this project we selected the smallest, at 75 hp.
This integrated system has tremendous possibilities for the recreational marine market, and not just for propulsion purposes. It’s equally exciting for the mid-sized cruising sailboat, where electrical demands call for an onboard generator, but space and weight restrictions prohibit it. The unit is extremely compact, adding only a few inches of length and less than 100 pounds to the engine. In Zogo, this compactness allows considerable flexibility in the layout of the cockpit.
To maximize performance while minimizing power consumption, we paid particular attention to shaping a lightweight, low-resistance hull. Her narrow beam and light displacement mean that the relatively small diesel engine will push her to about 14 knots maximum speed. At cruising speed of 10-1/2 knots, she will burn about 1-1/2 gallons per hour. Under electric power, she will draw 48 volt DC current from eight batteries, for a maximum speed of about 7 knots, in virtually silent operation. A lightweight carbon fiber canopy shelters the cockpit from sun and rain, and provides a mounting platform for a sizeable array of solar panels to help recharge the battery bank.
To maximize performance while minimizing power consumption, we paid particular attention to shaping a lightweight, low-resistance hull. Her narrow beam and light displacement mean that the relatively small diesel engine will push her to about 14 knots maximum speed. At cruising speed of 10-1/2 knots, she will burn about 1-1/2 gallons per hour. Under electric power, she will draw 48 volt DC current from eight batteries, for a maximum speed of about 7 knots, in virtually silent operation. A lightweight carbon fiber canopy shelters the cockpit from sun and rain, and provides a mounting platform for a sizeable array of solar panels to help recharge the battery bank.
Appearance played a key role also. It was important to the clients that the boat convey their sense of excitement and respect for the waters around Stonington, and thus we decided that she would combine classic proportions and grace with a more swoopy, modern aesthetic. The success of this look depends heavily on superb execution of deceptively simple details, and we are thrilled to be working with the craftsmen at French and Webb of Belfast, Maine (http://www.frenchwebb.com/); we have every confidence that they can put our concepts into reality in wood and carbon fiber. French and Webb expect a midsummer 2009 launch, and we are looking forward to our first silent, solar-powered lap around the harbor.
We believe this boat is just the tip of the iceberg in high-efficiency, low-impact powerboating. The technology has wide application, in both pleasure-boating and commercial watercraft, and we are looking forward to continuing to play a leadership role in the development and promotion of greener watercraft.
We believe this boat is just the tip of the iceberg in high-efficiency, low-impact powerboating. The technology has wide application, in both pleasure-boating and commercial watercraft, and we are looking forward to continuing to play a leadership role in the development and promotion of greener watercraft.
The 'Green' movement has already influenced major industries including vessel designing and manufacturing. I really like this Hybrid yacht. Like most modern ocean yachts for sale, it is fuel efficient and sleek.
ReplyDeleteI exceptionally like the innovation with the engine. It is the kind of technology that is usually seen in import boats from Europe. I'm glad that this eco-friendly yacht is already available in the US.
Very informative post. Thanks for sharing.