When German E-Boats began to run amok in English waters early in the Second World War, the Navy responded with a typically British solution
By the summer of 1940 Britain was under siege. Its army hastily evacuated from Dunkirk, its cities under attack from the Luftwaffe and its navy struggling to keep supply lines open. It seemed only a matter of time before a full scale invasion took place.
Were it not for the skill of the RAF pilots and the technical superiority of the Spitfires they flew during the summer-long Battle of Britain, things could have turned out very differently.
But while the airforce retained its dominance of the skies, all was not well at sea. Cut off from occupied Europe, the convoys on which the country now depended were suffering heavy losses. German E-Boats were running amok in the Channel, creeping up on shipping, unleashing their torpedoes then disappearing into the night like wolves preying on defenceless sheep.
Nothing stops the Motor Boat & Yachting team from testing a boat, not even Christmas! Watch the festive boat tests…
Even when the E-Boats were spotted, conventional Navy craft were too slow to reach the scene before they melted away. What Britain needed was something fast, light and agile — a Spitfire of the seas.
Hubert Scott-Paine, a former powerboat racer and founder of the British Powerboat Company (BPB), was convinced he had the answer in the shape of a 70ft planing gun boat. Built out of wood and powered by triple 1,250hp petrol engines, giving it a top speed of more than 40 knots, it would be able intercept and sink marauding E-Boats far more effectively than cumbersome steel ships.
The Admiralty bought into the idea and in November 1940 put in an initial order for 24 of these Motor Gun Boats (MGB) from BPB in January 1941.
Read the full feature in the February 2019 edition of MBY.
The new Integrel is an automatic electrical power system that generates, stores, converts and distributes electrical power on board and could replace petrol and diesel generators
The days of a noisy, smelly diesel generator disturbing the peace of a tranquil anchorage may soon be numbered.
British company Triskel Marine has come up with a cleaner, quieter alternative that it claims will make conventional gensets redundant. The judges at the recent DAME Awards seem to agree, awarding the new Integrel system both a category win and the Overall Winner’s title.
What is Integrel?
Essentially, it’s a completely automatic electrical power system that generates, stores, converts and distributes electrical power on board wherever and whenever it’s needed. The system is designed to be a direct replacement for a 10kVA generator with sufficient capacity to supply all the electric demands of 40-50ft motor boat for at least 12 hours. Bigger versions will follow later.
It works on much the same principle as a conventional alternator, in that it uses the boat’s main engine(s) to generate electricity, but every part of it is massively faster and smarter. The really clever bit is that it takes advantage of the propeller’s inability to put enough load on the engine to keep it burning fuel as efficiently as possible throughout its rev range.
This wasted potential exists because the optimum power curve of a diesel engine is a different shape to the absorption curve of a propeller. The only point at which the two meet is at wide open throttle. At any other RPM the engine is making more power than the propeller can absorb. The Integrel system takes advantage of this by increasing the loading to the engine’s optimum and using that excess to generate electricity. This is stored in a separate 48V battery bank and either converted directly into 240V AC power or fed back into the 12V domestic batteries in much the same way that a reserve diesel tank feeds into a day tank.
How does it work?
The starting point is a powerful belt-driven generator that links to the main engine’s power take off. Described as an ‘alternator on steroids’ it uses permanent magnet technology to generate up to 9kW from any engine of 75hp or more – a standard alternator musters 1-2kW and then only at certain speeds. The beauty of the Integrel generator is that it can harness much of that power from speeds as low as 800rpm, progressively increasing the loading as revs rise by adjusting the magnetic field in the rotor to scavenge the wasted energy.
In order to minimise charge times and cable thickness a rectifier raises the voltage to 48V before feeding it into the reserve battery bank. This consists of four high capacity 12V lead acid or lithium ion batteries linked in series to create a single 10kWh 48V pack. Extra 10kWh banks can be added to increase the total storage capacity. Power is then fed from here to a 3kW 48V inverter and on to the boat’s 240V AC sockets or via a 48V to 12V battery-to-battery charger to the standard 12V domestic batteries.
The key to the set-up is a sophisticated controller and battery management system that monitors the batteries’ condition, temperature and state of charge 100 times a second and adjusts the generator, rectifier and charger accordingly. This not only minimises charging times and maximises efficiency but also increases the longevity of the battery bank – Triskel expects to get at least seven years from a lead acid bank and longer from a lithium-ion one. Such is the efficiency of this set-up that it can recharge a 10kWh battery bank from 30 per cent to 80 per cent in just one hour, reaching 100 per cent two hours later.
The whole system is completely automated and idiot-proofed to avoid any chance of overloading or damaging the batteries or components. A straightforward 5in touchscreen displays all the relevant information such as state of charge and time remaining, only prompting the user to fire up the engines when battery levels drop too low. This can be done at anchor in standalone generation mode, although this should rarely be necessary in normal cruising use.
What are the benefits?
With sufficient battery capacity it should deliver enough silent, emissions-free power to run all the boat’s electrical needs, including the air-conditioning, overnight. Most of the time this will be generated during normal cruising using minimal extra fuel, with no effect on boat speed and no increase in running hours.
With no need for a separate generator there are no additional servicing costs to worry about either and no need for any through-hull skin fittings. And depending on the number and type of battery banks, it need not take up any more space or weight. The standard lead acid 10kWh bank weighs 260kg, a Li-ion one less than half that (roughly the same as a generator).
What about downsides?
At the moment the Integrel system is limited by the generator’s 9kW maximum output. Triskel is working on an uprated 15kW model for larger boats with more powerful engines but it’s likely to be at least a year until it’s ready. This is the practical limit before either the cables get too big or the voltage becomes too high to be classed as a low voltage system.
As with any battery based system there is a limit to how long you can continuously draw power before needing to recharge the system, while adding extra battery banks will add significant extra weight. Lead acid batteries can only discharge to around 30% without risking damage and however well the system looks after them at some point they will need replacing. For both these reasons Triskel recommends using Li-ion batteries on a planing motor boat, giving increased capacity and longevity for significantly less weight. The only downside is the extra cost.
How does it stack up?
The indicative price for an Integrel system built around a single 10kWh lithium ion battery bank is £18,000. This is sufficient to give around eight hours of silent running with a continuous load of 1kW. Higher loads can be taken with more batteries and a bigger inverter, with each additional 10kWh of Li-ion batteries adding an extra £8,000. This drops to £2,000 for advanced lead acid if you can live with the extra size and weight.
Almost $10m of research and years of testing both in the laboratory and on board boats have given Triskel the confidence to bring Integrel to the market. Now it’s down to owners and manufacturers to decide if they are ready to
go generator free.
This 60-litre duffel bag is an ideal size for a weekend away on the water
I reckon this is close to the perfect weekend bag. Small and soft enough to squeeze into the overhead lockers of most airlines but big enough to swallow several days worth of clothes, it has served me well on countless trips this summer.
The D-shaped opening makes the bag easy to pack and unpack
The PVC-coated fabric is waterproof while the chunky zips are protected by flaps, keeping its contents dry in anything other than a total immersion.
A lockable D-shaped opening ensures it’s easy to pack and unpack without ruining your carefully folded shirts, and there are various internal and external pockets for stowing valuables. Short carry handles and removable backpack straps make it easy to lug around.
The bag is portable and comfortable to wear on your back
However, the white colour scheme shows up scuffs more than the darker ones.
The new Active Corrosion Protection system by Volvo Penta is an electronic anode system that replaces conventional zinc or magnesium sacrificial anodes
Electrolytic action is corrosion that attacks metals. It will always attack the weakest base metal, when those metals are actually connected. So conventional anodes are made of weaker metals (normally zinc or magnesium, depending on whether the boat is in salt or brackish water) that bolt to the expensive bit you want to protect.
But wear rates vary considerably, sometimes within the same marina. Volvo Penta’s new system, which is designed to work with its outdrives, replaces conventional anodes by applying impressed currents through a transom unit, continually measuring and automatically adjusting the electrical output for ideal protection in both brackish and salt water.
Available with new Volvo Penta outdrives, it is fully integrated into the boat’s Electronic Vessel Control (EVC), enabling owners to monitor the protection status from the helm. It is integrated into standard engine displays and can be retrofitted on Volvo Penta engines from 2007 with EVC generation C2-on.
The Sealegs 9.0m Hydrasol allows you to explore the parts that other craft can’t reach, as we discover on a very unusual tour of Poole Harbour
Once upon a time, I broke a world record. The year was 2005 and Sealegs had just launched its first craft, a fairly basic 5.6m aluminium RIB powered by a 90hp outboard engine. It was unexceptional in every way except for one – the three folding wheels that allowed it to crawl in and out of the water under its own steam.
As far as the Guinness Book of Records was concerned this made it eligible to challenge the cross-Channel record for amphibious vehicles, held at the time by Sir Richard Branson in a Gibbs Aquada car.
Sealegs’ founder Maurice Bryham, the then UK importer Nick Fox and I duly drove down the slipway at Dover one still September morning, nipped across the Channel and up the beach at Sangatte 43 minutes later, smashing the record by almost an hour.
It was a very effective piece of PR that brilliantly demonstrated the potential of this innovative little craft, but it also showed up the limitations of that early example. The weight of the petrol generator, wheels and hydraulics affected the RIB’s handling, the hull slammed in any kind of sea and with only two driven wheels it soon got bogged down in soft sand.
In fact, on leaving the beach in France we got stuck on a sand bank, were swamped by the incoming waves and only narrowly avoided disaster by jumping overboard and bailing frantically with a child’s plastic bucket.
Thirteen years later and things have progressed a lot. Sealegs has sold more than 1,300 boats, the range now spans everything from a 6.1m open RIB to an 8.5m alloy cabin boat, and the amphibious technology has been refined to make it more user friendly, more robust and more effective.
The 9.0m Hydrasol RIB I’m testing today isn’t just the latest and largest Sealegs to date, it’s also the most sophisticated. It features a brand new deep-vee hull with a 23˚ deadrise and a 300hp Yamaha engine and all three of the wheels are now driven with a locking differential that should help it find traction in even the slipperiest of conditions.
Read the full feature in the March 2019 edition of MBY…
The clever Marex 360 CC had its premier at the 2019 Düsseldorf Boat Show
We never cease to be amazed by the ingenuity of the team at Marex; every time we think they’ve used every inch of space and eked out every possible idea they come up with something new to surprise us.
The latest 360 CC distills all their previous greatest hits and a fair few new ones into a single floating smörgåsbord of innovation.
The starting point is a brand new 36ft hull featuring substantially bigger windows above and below decks. As usual it’s available with single or twin engines on shafts or sterndrives so owners can choose their preferred mix of performance, efficiency and handling.
The bathing platform features a concealed tender davit system that folds out and swivels to help with launch and recovery but tucks out of harms way when not in use, as well as an aft-facing bench, bathing ladder and lockers pre-rigged with hooks for fenders, lines and shorepower cable.
The cockpit is another gadget-lovers paradise with seating for 10 around a large table, canopies on curtain tracks that slide out from concealed lockers in the hard-top mullions, twin sliding sunroofs and a central galley in-fill that flips up to create the largest worktop area you’ll find on any sub-40ft boat.
What’s so clever is that none of these things feel frivolous, flimsy or complicated; they are as simple as they are effective. The sunroofs, for example, are manual but so well engineered that they slide effortlessly back and forth far more quickly and reliably than electric ones.
A single helm opposite a navigator’s bench means three forward-facing seats while an opening section of the windscreen gives safe and easy access to the foredeck without having to shimmy along the sidedecks.
Putting all the living space up top leaves the lower deck free for two cabins featuring unusually large comfortable double beds and plenty of storage but little or no seating space, plus a single but very generously proportioned bathroom and shower stall.
There is so much going on that you really have to watch the accompanying video to appreciate just how many clever little details there are.
8-metre semi-custom IconCraft 24 may be small but it's capable to carry toys, including Sea-Doo Spark Trixx jetski
One of the joys of larger boats is the ability to carry ‘toys’, be they paddle boards, sea bobs or even a jet ski.
Typically you need to be well past 40ft before you can consider carrying this ultimate plaything, but that’s all changed.
Made in France, the IconCraft 24 is an 8-metre semi-custom build in aluminium, offering a huge amount of customisation over a normal fixed GRP mould. Add twin outboards fitted at the edges of the transom, and a cockpit forward layout, and you’ve got a heap of choice available, enabling you to fit the aft section out as you like.
The most impressive option is the ability to transport a Sea-Doo Spark Trixx jetski that slips between the twin Evinrude outboards and floats into a built-in cradle. But that’s not the boat’s only party trick. Folding topsides extend over the water to create 10 square metres of aft deck to enjoy.
Launched at the Düsseldorf Boat Show, the new Greenline NEO is spacious and comes in three models
The surprising thing about the Neo is just how big it feels. The Open model may look like a normal sportsboat but it’s a full-sized 36ft sportscruiser that just happens to have an open cockpit and bow. In fact, it is one of three distinct models, all of which were at the show. They are all outboard powered, but there the similarities end.
The Coupé model with its fully enclosed wheelhouse, covered foredeck and extended hydraulic bathing platform felt like a different boat to the Open. Instead of an outdoor island galley and large dinette, it has an indoor galley and two separate seating areas that link when the patio doors have been pushed aside. Thanks to the raised sunpad on the foredeck it also benefits from a larger cabin below with a double bed rather than a convertible dinette.
All versions have three forward-facing helm seats and a transom bench with a drop down backrest to make a sunpad, while the fit and finish is a step above what we’re used to from Greenline, while still having keen pricing.
At a glance…
LOA: 36ft 5in (10.9m) BEAM: 11ft 5in (3.5m) Engines: Twin 80-300hp electrical or petrol outboards Top speed: 42 knots Price: From €145,000 ex VAT Contact:Greenline
The new Aston Martin AM37 is a truly bespoke, handcrafted work of art bearing one of the world’s most evocative brand names
We couldn’t run a feature on the new generation of British sportsboats such as Fairline F-Line 33, Bladerunner 45 and Princess R35 without mentioning the most exclusive of them all.
The Aston Martin AM37 isn’t just reassuringly expensive but thanks to input from some of the world’s most talented car designers, it’s also drop-dead gorgeous. And unlike most of its rivals (Bladerunner 45 excepted), this one’s already in build.
We published a drive story of the prototype back in February 2017 and although production versions haven’t exactly been flying out of the factory gates since then, the fourth boat is now in build with a fifth due to start construction next year.
At the time of our sea trial, the factory was still fine-tuning some of the complex systems such as the sliding carbon-fibre cockpit covers. They have used the intervening months to good effect, refining these niggly elements, as well as modifying the aft section of the hull to promote faster planning and a flatter ride angle. We’re told it’s now six seconds quicker on to the plane and thanks to that lower trim angle, it should cut through the chop better too.
With an estimated speed 55-60 knots, sleek design and plenty of comfort and space, the Hunton 55 could compete with…
Let’s be honest though, you’re not going to buy an AM37 for the dynamics alone – you can buy a production RIB that will go faster and handle just as well for a tenth of the cost. The reason for spending £1 million on an AM37 (or £1.6m if you opt for the fully loaded AM37S with twin 520hp Mercury Racing V8s) is the pleasure of owning a truly bespoke, handcrafted work of art bearing one of the world’s most evocative brand names. Each boat is built by a small team of craftsman over an eight-month period at Quintessence’s workshop in Whitely, Hampshire.
The cockpit alone is a visual and tactile delight of hand-stitched saddle leather, glossy woven carbon fibre and sparkling stainless-steel detailing that outshines even Riva’s best efforts.
The glass bridge helm is as slick as the styling and features its own built-in concierge service that allows the factory to monitor all the systems by remote wherever it is in the world, ensuring a backup service to match its lofty ambitions. The AM37 is never going to be on everyone’s shopping list but that’s precisely the point. At this level, the last thing you want is to pull into port and find another one sat in the berth next to you. With a maximum output of just seven boats a year, the chances of that happening are infinitesimally small.
The Sealegs 9.0m Hydrasol allows you to explore the parts that other craft can’t reach, as we discover on a very unusual tour of Poole Harbour
Once upon a time, I broke a world record. The year was 2005 and Sealegs had just launched its first craft, a fairly basic 5.6m aluminium RIB powered by a 90hp outboard engine. It was unexceptional in every way except for one – the three folding wheels that allowed it to crawl in and out of the water under its own steam.
As far as the Guinness Book of Records was concerned this made it eligible to challenge the cross-Channel record for amphibious vehicles, held at the time by Sir Richard Branson in a Gibbs Aquada car.
Sealegs’ founder Maurice Bryham, the then UK importer Nick Fox and I duly drove down the slipway at Dover one still September morning, nipped across the Channel and up the beach at Sangatte 43 minutes later, smashing the record by almost an hour.
It was a very effective piece of PR that brilliantly demonstrated the potential of this innovative little craft, but it also showed up the limitations of that early example. The weight of the petrol generator, wheels and hydraulics affected the RIB’s handling, the hull slammed in any kind of sea and with only two driven wheels it soon got bogged down in soft sand.
In fact, on leaving the beach in France we got stuck on a sand bank, were swamped by the incoming waves and only narrowly avoided disaster by jumping overboard and bailing frantically with a child’s plastic bucket.
Thirteen years later and things have progressed a lot. Sealegs has sold more than 1,300 boats, the range now spans everything from a 6.1m open RIB to an 8.5m alloy cabin boat, and the amphibious technology has been refined to make it more user friendly, more robust and more effective.
The 9.0m Hydrasol RIB I’m testing today isn’t just the latest and largest Sealegs to date, it’s also the most sophisticated. It features a brand new deep-vee hull with a 23˚ deadrise and a 300hp Yamaha engine and all three of the wheels are now driven with a locking differential that should help it find traction in even the slipperiest of conditions.
Read the full feature in the March 2019 edition of MBY…
A new fouling release proves a sound choice for Jeanneau NC9 owners Harry and Vicki Metcalfe
Photos: Hugo Andreae
As with many more experienced boat owners Harry and Vikki Metcalfe decided to make the switch from sail to power when the appeal of beating into the wind at an angle for hours on end began to lose its appeal.
After years of cruising and racing a variety of sailing yachts around the Welsh coastline, they took advantage of their retirement to sell up and move to the south coast to be closer to family and friends.
Fresh start
A trip to the Southampton Boat Show in September 2016 got them thinking about a suitable motor boat in which to get afloat again. After browsing the pontoons they settled on a Jeanneau NC9.
It was small enough to manage on their own but big enough to host larger parties on day trips around the Solent. The enclosed wheelhouse would be warm in all weathers and the single-level design would be easy for them to move around and safe for their young granddaughter to join them on board.
Harry and Vikki in front of their Jeanneau NC9
They struck a deal with Jeanneau dealer Burton Waters for delivery in December 2016 to a berth in Swanwick Marina, Hampshire. That just left one more thing to decide — what type of antifoul to go for.
Having spent far too many hours on their knees hand-rolling antifouling onto their previous boats they were determined to find a long-term solution that didn’t involve the hassle and expense of reapplying a fresh coat each season.
They were all set to go the Coppercoat route but before taking the plunge asked their son Ben, CEO of refit specialist Landau UK, whether there were any other long-term antifouling solutions they should consider. Ben had heard good reports about Hempel’s Silic One fouling release system but hadn’t yet had a chance to try it.
Fino hits the water in January 2019 after a long fallow period
As the name suggests it uses a biocide-free silicone coating but with a special hydrogel polymer that forms a special surface with the same properties as water.
According to Hempel this not only ‘tricks’ organisms into thinking it’s not a solid surface but makes it extremely hard for anything to stick to it.
It isn’t marketed as a long-term antifouling but the brochure does say that it doesn’t necessarily need recoating every year provided the boat doesn’t spend more than a month out of the water.
Harry and Vikki were sceptical but agreed to give it a go. “It sounded too good to be true,” admits Harry. “But Ben seemed confident it would work and was keen to use our boat as a guinea pig.”
As a brand new boat Fino’s gel coat needed to be sanded and washed before being given four coats of Hempel Light Primer. Previously antifouled boats only need one.
The application process was a little more complex than normal as it requires a special tie coat in addition to the usual two coats of primer and Silic One. And because it has to be completed in quite a specific time, temperature and humidity window, Landau had to use a tent and heaters to meet the parameters. Harry describes the finished result as, “very smooth and surprisingly tough.”
Year one results
After a full and reasonably busy first season their boat was lifted in September 2017. Other than the usual slime and a small amount of growth along the edges of the spray rails and chines the hull was almost completely free of fouling.
This was all the more remarkable when compared to the state of the uncoated sterndrive and trim tabs both of which were sporting lengthy beards of weed, sea squirts and barnacles.
After a thorough spray down, the boat was returned to the water well within the one-month window. And there it stayed for a further 15 months, this time with relatively little use even during the long hot summer of 2018 due to a health scare.
As Harry points out this proved as much of a challenge for the Silic One as it did for him. Being left static for long periods is the sternest possible test for antifouling, especially one that relies on water movement to help remove any nascent growth.
MBY editor Hugo Andreae explains why anti-fouling your boat is so important and how to do it right
Year two results
When their boat was finally lifted in January this year MBY was there to witness it. Sure enough it was a similar story, with long trails of weed hanging off the trim tabs and a thick crust of barnacles on the sterndrive.
There was only a thin coating of slime on the hull sides and almost nothing on the underside, except for where the hull had been blocked off during the initial application.
A quick spray down to remove the slime and Fino’s hull looks ready for a third season. Note how the water beads on the hydrogel surface
The slime wiped off with a tissue and even the occasional calcified tubeworm could be dislodged with nothing more than a thumbnail. After the usual spray down, with the pressure washer kept at a safe distance to avoid stripping off the top surface, it looked as good as new again with water droplets instantly beading and running off the hydrogel surface.
Harry wanted to fill in the gaps where the blocks had been and touch up one or two small areas of wear along the chine edges, but there was no question of it needing a full recoat for at least another year.
“We are amazed how well it has worked, particularly since this is the second full season,” said Harry. “Our only mistake was not coating the sterndrive and trim tabs too.” Unlike most copper-based antifoulings, which react with metal surfaces, Silic One can be used on alloy sterndrives as well as GRP hulls.
Admittedly, it’s only one test of one boat in one UK location but with ever-tighter restrictions on the use of conventional biocide antifoulings it looks as if Silic One really does offer an effective alternative for a barnacle-free future.
The future of the motor boat has never looked so exciting but what form will it take? We take a closer look at five craft of tomorrow you can buy today
Could the Solar Impact SWATH be the future of yachting?
The 2019 Boot Düsseldorf show was awash with exciting new boats, brands and concept craft all claiming to represent the future of boating. Some were touting hybrid or pure electric drivetrains; others were offering radical new hull shapes, while yet another promised a completely fresh approach to its interior layout.
The one thing they all agreed on is that the market for motor boats is ripe for change, with customers looking not just for the next new model but for a genuinely fresh approach to the whole boating experience.
Having scanned the halls, here is our pick of the five most interesting new craft heading to a marina near you in the months ahead.
Solar Impact
The folding hard top, coachroof and hinged side-deck shades are covered in 300m² of solar panelling
Solar Impact is a 78ft ocean-going solar-powered motor yacht based on an aluminium SWATH hull. The result of a five-year research project by Swiss start-up SolarImpact Yacht AG, it claims to offer unrivalled luxury and refinement with cutting-edge aesthetics in a sustainable package.
What makes it special?
Its SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) design consists of two torpedo-shaped tubes housing the electric motors and batteries, which travel a few feet under the water, avoiding the waves which make life uncomfortable for conventional ‘surface’ craft. The accommodation is raised above the waterline on slender blades to minimise drag and frontal area.
Power comes from twin 500kW electric motors fed by an 800kWh battery pack which is kept topped by 300m2 of solar cells mounted on the coachroof, hard top and folding wings. A pair of exceptionally compact 70kVA rotary-engined generators help extend the range during cloudy conditions. This is claimed to give a top speed of 22 knots for short periods with 10 hours battery life at slower cruising speeds and an indefinite range at 5 knots in calm sunny conditions.
The open-plan living areas are designed to feel like a luxury waterside apartment
Accommodation consists of a large open-plan saloon and galley on the main deck with a master suite forward and four twin or double cabins below, each with their own ensuite bathrooms, plus a further small cabin for crew.
When can I have one?
The first one is already in build at Schaaf Yachtbau in Germany with a projected launch date of February 2020. The price for this futuristic craft is €7.2million ex VAT.
X Shore
The hull has a single deep step to reduce drag, and a motor in the bow to balance the weight of batteries in the stern
X Shore is the closest thing yet to a Tesla for the sea according to its founder, the Swedish tech magnate Konrad Bergström. Having made his fortune in premium headphones and speakers, he has now turned his attention to creating an all-electric boat brand that offers proper performance and range in a stylish, sustainable and environmentally friendly package.
What makes it special?
The design features a tall bow for a dry ride matched with a modular cockpit for flexible seating options. The hull has a deep step amidships with a single exposed shaft taking the drive from the electric motor in the bow to the propeller, which is set in a stern tunnel to keep the drive angle as close to horizontal as possible.
A unique gearbox using magnetic teeth that never actually touch the cogs reduces friction for maximum efficiency. The result is a claimed top speed of 40 knots and a range of 60nm at 25 knots or 100nm at displacement speed. Charging takes 8-12 hours depending on the source and the battery is good for 5,000 cycles.
A touchscreen helm and multi-function wheel replace the usual gauges and switches, while a cork dial supplants the throttle
It’s not just the drivetrain that’s innovative. The helm station features a rotary dial instead of a throttle lever, the seats are mounted on sliding rails and the steering uses fly-by-wire technology. Even the decks are made of sustainably sourced cork instead of teak. Front and rear bow thrusters make light work of manoeuvres.
When can I have one?
There are two models available, the Eelex 8000 (pictured above and launched last year) and the smaller Eelex 6500 shown at Düsseldorf, deliveries of which begin later this year. Prices start from €249,000 ex VAT.
Cetera 60
A central corridor runs right through the boat from the aft beach club to the forward saloon and bow cockpit
The Cetera 60 is a fresh take on a liveaboard cruising yacht with an innovative ‘multispace’ layout that prioritises space and comfort over performance. A joint venture between Guida Design & Engineering and the Fiart shipyard, it is claimed to have 30m² more living space than a conventional 60ft flybridge.
What makes it special?
The starting point is a broad 18ft beam with a blunt rounded bow that barely tapers at either end on a hull designed for efficient cruising at 20 knots and a top speed of 23 knots. Twin IPS600 engines allow for a short engineroom and tender garage leaving space ahead for a full-length (but restricted height) technical deck with separate compartments for fuel and water tanks as well as electrics and batteries for the planned hybrid version.
All three sleeping cabins and bathrooms are on the lower main deck off a central corridor that leads from the water-level beach club area through to the forward cockpit. The saloon/study is forward and a couple of steps up, giving a clear view ahead as well as access to the spacious bow cockpit.
The innovative layout puts the cabins on the main deck and the galley and dining area in a ‘convertible’ enclosed fly deck
An internal staircase leads up to the large open-plan dining area, galley and helm on the enclosed upper deck, although drop- down windows and twin sunroofs open it up to the elements when required.
When can I have one?
Hull no 1 is already in build and due to be launched at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. Modular construction using simple box-shaped cabins keeps the starting price to €1million ex tax.
Arksen
The self-righting aluminium hull is designed to be tough but easily driven by conventional diesel or electric hybrid power
Arksen isn’t just a new breed of explorer yacht, it’s also a new approach to ownership that combines off-the-grid boating with a socially responsible attitude. All its boats are fitted with monitoring systems that continuously relay information about global water quality, and owners pledge to donate 10% of their vessel’s sea time to projects supported by the Arksen foundation, such as scientific research or film-making.
It’s the brainchild of entrepreneur and experienced sailor Jasper Smith, who spotted a gap in the market for a range of three adventure yachts from 70ft to 100ft that he claims are tougher, smarter and more efficient than the competition.
What makes it special?
Designed by Humphreys Yacht Design and built by the Wight Shipyard Company in Cowes, they feature self-righting, aluminium hulls that can slip through the water at 7 knots using minimal power or push on to 14 knots when needed. Hybrid propulsion is optional but even with diesels the 85 has a range of 6,000nm from its 16,000-litre tanks. Fins, gyros and flopper stoppers maintain stability while solar panels generate up to 4.2kw of power.
Even the entry-level Arksen 70 has an ice-capable hull and multiple solar panels
All Arksen Yachts are designed to be semi-autonomous so that in the future Arksen Mission Control will be able to deliver your yacht to any given destination. It also plans to offer curated adventures to remote corners of the globe. Interiors by Design Unlimited are said to be stylish but also easily reconfigured from leisure to research or commercial use.
When can I have one?
Arksen has sufficient funding to build the first boat on spec but is already discussing orders with potential buyers. Prices start at £4.5million ex VAT for the Arksen 70 rising to £8.5m for the Arksen 100. 1% of its annual sales will be donated to environmental causes.
Q Yachts
The helm is just as clean and elegant as the design of the long, slender hull
The Q30 is perhaps the closest thing yet to the gentleman’s launch of the future. Designed and built in Finland with a long, slender 9.3m hull and a modern, minimalist Scandinavian aesthetic, it uses a proven Oceanvolt electric drive system to slip silently along.
What makes it special?
Rather than attempt to create a high-performance electric sportsboat with all the limitations of speed and range that implies, Q-Yachts has focused on building an elegant, efficient and useable day boat for rivers, harbours and coastal waters.
With a cruising speed of 9 knots, a fast cruise of 14 knots and a claimed range of 42nm and 22nm respectively (double that if you opt for the 60kWh battery pack), it’s perfect for day trips. And because the entire drivetrain is supplied by Oceanvolt, it should work seamlessly together.
Charging from 5% to 95% takes 13 hours and the batteries are rated for 500 cycles with minimal loss. As Q-Yachts points out if you discharged it fully 50 times a year (the equivalent of 2,000nm/220 hours at 9 knots) the batteries should last at least 10 years and retain 80% of their capacity. You can also fit a 2kW petrol range extender if required. A cuddy cabin with a vee-berth and under-seat toilet makes overnighting possible and the whole boat is trailable.
When can I have one?
The first boats have already been delivered and crucially for British customers, Wessex Boats (the UK importer for Targa and Marex) is representing them in the UK. The boat comes with a two-year warranty and prices start at €183,000 ex VAT and delivery.
DMS's new flapping fins could become a staple for motor boats
Dutch company DMS Holland is hoping to revolutionise the market for stabilisers with a new design of flapping fins specifically designed for fast-planing motor boats.
The company originally made a name for itself with its cylindrical MagnusMaster rotating stabilisers for displacement boats, and last year it launched the AntiRoll ‘flapping’ fins for superyachts. Now it plans to develop this AntiRoll technology into a smaller, cheaper, more effective package for fast production boats.
The key to this new design of high-aspect ratio fin is that they attach to the transom of the boat rather than being fitted through the main section of the hull. This makes them easier to install (the hydraulic actuators of traditional fins often have to be tucked under the floor of the master cabin) and ensures that all the internal workings can be kept in the engine bay, reducing noise disturbance at night.
It also has a number of interesting dynamic benefits. Because the fins rotate on two different axes, they can be swivelled all the way round so that they tuck in behind the transom. This not only reduces drag to negligible levels at high speed, but also enables them to double up as active trim tabs, tilting up and down to correct both roll and lean in much the same way as Humphree’s Active Interceptors. This means that instead of installing separate trim tabs and stabilisers, customers will soon be able to specify one set of AntiRoll stabilisers that should cover every eventuality from trim and lean to stabilisation at high speed, low speed and at anchor.
Although DMS Holland won’t yet reveal the full details of how the new system works across such a wide range of speeds, the illustrations appear to show three different operating modes: high speed, low speed and zero speed.
High-speed mode
At high speed, the fins tuck in along the trailing edge of the transom using small rotations of the fins to deflect the water down and create the lift on one side or the other, much like an oversized trim tab. The large surface area of the fins and high pressure of the water running over them at speed means tiny movements will generate substantial lift.
When combined with fast-acting electric actuators linked to the system’s roll sensor, this should enable them to react to any lean or roll and correct it almost instantaneously. Their ability to tuck away behind the transom will also be handy when it comes to berthing in a marina or manoeuvring in tight spaces.
Low-speed mode
At slower displacement cruising speeds, the fins swivel round into their extended position where they will rotate up and down in the same way as the high-speed mode. Although the slower speed of the water passing over them won’t generate as much pressure, their greater distance from the centre of roll ensures they will still create more than enough lift to counteract any side-to-side rolling. In fact, the long, thin, high-aspect ratio design of the fins, similar in shape to a glider’s wings or the pectoral fins of a humpback whale, not only create 50-75% less drag than the equivalent surface area of conventional fins but are also more efficient at generating lift where it’s needed the most.
Zero-speed mode
Finally, when the boat is at anchor and unable to rely on water passing over the fins to create lift, it reverts to the same actuator used to extend and retract them to flap them up and down like a pair of wings.
Once again, the high-aspect ratio design of the fins, the extra leverage gained from being further away from the boat’s roll centre and the fact that the whole fin is moving up and down rather than pivoting around an axis is claimed to make them more effective than conventional fins.
Although DMS Holland makes no reference to it, we suspect that it may also reduce the paddle effect that causes some boats to ‘swim’ over their own anchor.
One-stop solution
Patrick Noor, co-owner of DMS Holland, says: “Since there is currently no single system that performs optimally at both high speeds and at low speeds as well as at anchor, often multiple roll-damping systems have to be installed on one yacht. Soon, with our new system, one roll- damping system on board will be enough without having to compromise on stability at different speeds.”
Despite these claims, there is one obvious drawback of the new system – the position and size of the fins when retracted makes them unlikely to be suitable for twin sterndrive or multiple outboard engine installations. This rules out the majority of sportscruisers below 45ft, most of which are powered by twin sterndrive setups. However, for shaftdrive or IPS-powered boats, this does look like a very intriguing new prospect.
The AntiRoll technology has already been proven to work on much larger boats – a 37m Van der Valk was fitted with it last year, winning the approval of the ship’s captain and crew, so there is no reason it won’t work equally well on smaller production craft.
Testing under way
According to DMS, a number of major shipyards and dealers have already shown interest in the system and have indicated a willingness to test it on one of their models.
Alexander Jonkers, owner of the Dutch Fairline and Jeanneau dealer, Jonkers Yachts, has agreed to help test the system on one of his craft, adding: “I can’t wait to be able to offer the system to my Fairline and Jeanneau associates. In the meantime, I will support DMS Holland in the development and the first prototype will be tested with us.”
Full details of the new system will be revealed at the METS equipment show in Amsterdam later this year with the first deliveries of production systems scheduled for early 2019. DMS Holland hasn’t yet given any indication of pricing but with
so many players now offering stabilisation systems, it will have to be competitive to make inroads into an already crowded market.
We're the first to test the new 300hp Cox CXO diesel outboard engine and its closest rival, the Oxe Diesel 200hp
I‘ve been looking forward to this day for years now. From the moment I first heard about Cox’s plans to build a 300hp diesel outboard engine, I’ve been begging them to let me be the first journalist to test it and finally it appears that my persistence is about to pay off.
Well, almost. What I had hoped would be an extensive sea trial with me at the helm has gradually been wound back to a ride alongside the chief test engineer on a lake but having come this far I’m not going to pass up the opportunity.
I can still find out whether Cox’s claims are correct about it being not only the most powerful diesel outboard engine ever built but also one that’s smooth enough, quiet enough and compact enough to stand comparison with its petrol rivals.
If it can live up to these claims while burning 30% less fuel, lasting longer and requiring less maintenance then it could prove to be the most significant new marine drivetrain innovation since Volvo launched its IPS drives.
Besides, I’ve managed to arrange a sea trial of the only other diesel outboard that comes close to the Cox’s power output, the 200hp Oxe Diesel outboard, for the very same day and I’m keen to see how they compare.
First up is the Oxe, but before we take it out on the water, David Madsen from the UK distributor Proteum is keen to show off why the Oxe Diesel is different to any other outboard on the market. In fact, he likes to refer to it as a diesel inboard engine in an outboard package.
That’s because the block is mounted horizontally, just like any other inboard engine, rather than vertically like an outboard. Another thing it has in common with diesel inboards is a sealed fresh water cooling system with a separate heat exchanger that keeps the more corrosive salt water well away from the engine’s internals.
It also means there’s a separate raw water pump and strainer mounted high up on the front of the engine rather than buried inside the leg, so that you can clear any blockage or replace the impeller from on board without having to lift the boat.
These features may not sound as sexy as variable valve timing or a big capacity V8 outboard but for people who rely on their engines day after day, things like this matter.
Read the full review in the June 2019 edition of MBY.
More powerful D4 and D6 engines, a new duoprop sterndrive leg and easier installation of joystick control are among the highlights in Volvo Penta's latest product update
We tested the new D4 on a Sargo 33. Photo: Volvo Penta
Volvo Penta has revamped its entire range of D4 and D6 diesel engines to deliver more power, increased reliability, improved efficiency and lower running costs. The most powerful D6 now delivers 480hp while the D4 range now tops out at 320hp.
It has also taken the opportunity to launch a brand new Duoprop sterndrive leg called DPI, suitable for both D4 and D6 engines up to the new 440hp D6 (the 480hp version is only available for shaftdrive or IPS650 installations).
The most notable advantages of the new DPI leg are a new hydraulic clutch, offering much smoother gear engagement and low speed trolling, and electronic fly-by-wire steering as standard (previously it was a cost option).
This not only removes the need for hydraulic cables running to and from the helm but also makes it easier and cheaper to fit the optional joystick control for simplified point-and-go berthing manoeuvres.
Other new features include new warning alarms for water ingress into the rubber bellows and/or gear oil. The engines also have an electronic oil level gauge obviating the need for daily dip stick tests.
Along with improvements such as fitted-for-life prop shaft seals, a crankshaft gas separator and a new formulation of harder steel alloys for the pistons and props, they are claimed to increase engine longevity and reduce servicing costs over the life of the engine.
Additions to the joystick functions include a holding station feature on sterndrive applications (previously only on IPS) and the ability to steer the boat at speed using the joystick instead of the wheel and adjust the autopilot’s heading in 5 degree increments by twisting it to port or starboard.
For more details on the full list of improvements and changes, including sea trial impressions of the new engines and DPI, read the forthcoming August issue of Motor Boat & Yachting, on sale 4 July.
This British-built gentleman's launch can be customised to suit your every whim but how does the Jersey 36 Elanco fare out at sea?
The beauty of the British boatbuilding industry is that just when you think you know every yard, make and model there is to know, another one pops up to prove you wrong. In fairness, Landamores is far from new, having been building boats in Wroxham, Norfolk since 1923.
However, since the majority of them have been sailing yachts they haven’t troubled the pages of Motor Boat & Yachting for a while. Furthermore, until recently they rarely sold any boats under their own name as the lion’s share of production was given over to building the popular range of cruising yachts for Oyster.
When Landamores sold that part of its business to Oyster in 2012, it decided to start marketing boats under its own name again and now builds everything from one off custom-built sail and river boats to semi-production motor cruisers, like this Jersey 36.
If the shape looks familiar, that’s because it started life as the Arvor Guernsey 34 – a shortlived attempt by the US Brunswick group to create a crossover sportsfisher with the looks of a Downeast gentleman’s launch.
It never fitted comfortably into the Arvor range of simple, practical sportsfishers, and the moulds were passed on first to Sealine before being sold to Fibre Classics in Essex, which started building them under the Jersey name in 2015.
Now Landamores has bought the moulds, bringing to bear its expertise to create more upmarket, hand-crafted versions of both the Jersey 30 and 36, with the scope for further customisation where required.
The owner of the version we’re testing today took full advantage of this to create a truly bespoke craft ideally suited to his home waters of the Norfolk Broads, with the occasional foray further afield along the East Coast.
That meant specifying not just twin 150hp Volvo Penta D3 engines (options range from a single 150hp D3 to twin 300hp D4s) but also a 15kW Krautler electric motor on a steerable sail drive pod for up to 8 hours of silent cruising at 3-4 knots.
He also opted for the top-of-the- range Elanco fitout with handcrafted joinery, teak floors and decks throughout and, in this case, a unique interior layout with open-plan access to the forecabin and a wheelhouse designed to maximise seating space around an oversized dining table.
Read the full review of the Jersey 36 Elanco in the July 2019 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting.
We put this mid-range SUP to the test on a Mallorca charter trip to see how it fares on the water
Hugo's 16-year-old son Ned puts the Two Bare Feet SportAir SUP to the test
Since borrowing an inflatable paddleboard last year I’ve been lusting after an SUP to keep on board my Karnic. SUPs are a hot topic on the MBY forum and recommendations cover the full spectrum from high-end but pricey Red Paddle Co boards to cheaper entry-level offerings from Decathlon.
Occupying the middle ground but garnering positive reviews was Two Bare Feet, a UK-based company specialising in its own brand of SUPs. They offer a wide range of different boards from a basic 10ft starter kit priced at £265 up to 12ft 6in touring boards costing £615.
I opted for a mid-range 10ft 6in Sport Air model, which is a stable all-rounder suitable for adults up to 105kg. It features a triple-layer underside made out of double wall fusion laminated PVC for increased durability.
Like all their models it’s available with either a Starter, Deluxe or Ultimate pack. I went for the Ultimate pack as it includes a lightweight carbon fibre paddle in place of the standard aluminium one and a removeable kayak seat as well as a pump, leash and repair kit.
The Ultimate Pack is compact enough to take on a flight
Because it all stows neatly into the rucksack supplied, it’s relatively easy to travel with, something I took advantage of during a recent charter in Mallorca. Although the rucksack suffered a small tear from the airline’s baggage handlers, the board emerged unscathed and proved easy to inflate on board the boat.
My wife, 16-year-old son and I all found it to be commendably rigid under foot and stable to paddle even in choppy conditions. I can’t claim to be an expert in SUP handling, and I’m a long way off surfing on it, but as a fun, stylish and seemingly well-built paddleboard that we can use to develop our skills and confidence, I’m very pleased with it. As ever the advice on the forum was spot on.
British Marine is supporting a campaign to encourage more women to take up engineering roles in the marine industry.
British Marine is supporting a campaign to encourage more women to take up engineering roles in the marine industry.
Picking up on yesterday’s International Women in Engineering Day , it hopes to focus attention on the inspiring career opportunities available to girls in the industry. This year’s theme is Transform the Future, which mirrors the work British Marine is doing to support and develop skills across the industry. Currently only 12 per cent of UK engineers are female.
Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine said: “Achieving a balanced workforce, across all levels within the marine industry, is crucial to improving culture, profitability, productivity and outcomes.”
One of the ways it hopes to do this is through Superyacht UK’s Young Designer Competition, which next week sees 10 students from across the country compete in a live superyacht design challenge spread over two days. Superyacht UK is an association of British Marine and the competition delivers invaluable experiences, opportunities and contacts. A previous participant, Nadia Lele (pictured), is now a successful structural engineer at the award-winning design house, Olesinski.
“We know there is still a long way to go,” continued Robinson. “I look forward to working in partnership with our members and organisations across the UK to inspire more rising stars like Nadia to become engineers, helping to diversify the industry and encourage and support continued growth.”
This year’s Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition takes place on 25-26 June and is headed to a new location, The Superyacht Design Forum in London’s renowned Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.
There’s no more relaxing way to enjoy a boating holiday around Mallorca than a crewed charter on board a Princess 72 Motor Yacht
I know everyone thinks I spend my working life swanning around from one boat launch to the next but the reality isn’t quite as glamorous. Obviously, it’s still way better than an actual job but in reality I spend 90% of my time sat in front of a computer screen and the remaining 10% running around like a blue-arsed fly desperately trying to fill the next issue of MBY.
The only time I get to enjoy boating as a social experience is when I turn on the out-of-office email, head down to Poole with my family and friends, fire up the engine on my own 22ft Karnic and head out for a day on the water. It’s not flash, it’s not luxurious and the water’s freezing but I love every minute of it.
So when an email dropped into my inbox at the end of last summer asking if I’d like to experience a few days on board a crewed Princess 72 Motor Yacht in Mallorca, I was actually rather wary of accepting it.
I’ve been around long enough to know that there’s rarely such a thing as a free lunch and I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with the idea of someone else looking after us. Call me a control freak but that’s usually my job.
I was talked into it for two reasons. Firstly, the boat belongs to Boats.co.uk and the Barke brothers who run the business are as straight talking as anyone I know. So when they said they expected nothing more than the usual honest, independent MBY review of their newly launched charter service, I believed them.
And secondly my wife threatened to break my arm if I even thought about turning it down. So I did the decent thing and offered to take one for the team.
Read Hugo’s Mallorca charter diary in the August 2019 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting.
It's almost 20 years since the British yard launched a proper performance boat. Has the Sunseeker Hawk 38 got the pace and the seakeeping to rekindle the glory days?
Alum Bay, Wednesday 5 June. A fresh Force 4 is blowing through the Solent from the south west, kicking up the usual messy chop. The Sunseeker Hawk 38 we’re in is lapping it up, skipping over the wave tops at 50 knots, the supercharged howl of the twin 400hp outboards accompanied by the staccato ratta-tat-tat of hull chines kissing water.
The closer we get to the Needles the larger the waves become and the further the Hawk starts to fly. Sunseeker’s skipper, an experienced offshore racer, is starting to work the throttles harder now, whipping them all the way back and forth like a conductor’s baton, urging his piston-powered orchestra to raise the tempo up a notch.
Timing is everything in this game. The aim is to keep the hull skimming flat and fast by throttling back as the propellers leave the water then slamming the power back on a fraction of second before it lands to reduce the stress on the gearboxes. His ability to read the waves is uncanny, and his hand speed dizzyingly fast.
I had been looking forward to driving Sunseeker’s fastest boat for almost 20 years; now I’m getting nervous. I’ve already piloted the prototype of this very boat at 68 knots without the slightest wobble. But that was on Lake Como in conditions so benign I could have sailed a paper boat across it. This is different. This is the Solent with winds, waves, tides, overfalls and large pointy rocks. At speeds over 50 knots things happen very quickly.
I remind myself that the Hawk 38’s target market is not experienced offshore racers but ordinary power boat owners in search of the ultimate fast day boat. People like me in other words, albeit with a lot more money – at £642,000 inc VAT this is not for the faint-hearted nor light of wallet.
Read the full review of the Sunseeker Hawk 38 in the August 2019 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting.
British Marine is supporting a campaign to encourage more women to take up engineering roles in the marine industry.
