Silent Catamarans for Sailing Tranquility
When you set out to sail, you would ideally want to experience the tranquil of the ocean, and not the constant noise of generators running in the background. While noise and vibration do not hinder the performance or appearance of the catamaran, they are critical factors affecting the comfort of crew members and passengers onboard.
Thankfully, technology is making progress at sea, offering smart solutions to minimize discomfort – for starters, vibration damping, and sound insulation plays a significant role. However, countering noise is a bit more challenging as the dynamic force of the waves, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems, and engines contribute to it around the clock.
The Silent Solution
Sunreef Yachts was one of the first to take this specific aspect of cruising into consideration. As a result, the Polish designer and manufacturer of luxury vessels released a range of catamarans with three premium features targeting more than just the basic problems: (1) noiseless, (2) vibration free, and (3) zero emission cruising – this range came to be known as Sunreef Yachts Eco. The Sunreef difference is its ability to combine innovative photovoltaics and energy-efficient air conditioning, to offer extended autonomy and limit the use of generators.
These award-winning silent catamarans built by the shipyard were boosted with a high-capacity system, custom-engineered battery banks, and most importantly, inhouse engineered solar panels that were permanently mounted on the exterior surfaces on the vessel (i.e., the hulls, superstructure, bimini, and mast). Working in harmony, this conversion enables the silent catamaran to produce, store, and deploy energy much more efficiently. Allow us to break down three of the basic equipment:
1. Solar Panels
Switching to renewable sources of energy significantly reduces reliance on fossil fuels, while actively increasing range and self-sufficiency of silent catamarans. The generation of clean green energy onboard has proven to be transformative in the marine industry as it reduced the runtime as well as servicing of mechanical systems, all this on top of offering hours after hours of silent running.
With the usage of solar technologies, it is possible to optimize efficiency, comfort, range, longevity, and sustainability. Sunreef Yachts Eco produces its solar panels inhouse – these are the industry’s lightest panels weighing in at only 1.8 kilograms per square meter and featuring a thickness below one millimeter. The technique used to embed the solar panels onto the body (particularly the hulls, superstructure, bimini, and mast) of the silent catamaran makes it easier to replace, repair, or upgrade the solar panels.
A solar powered system makes for an ideal energy provider as it ensures the boat batteries always have power, eliminating the need to run noisy generators for charging. This also makes silent catamarans more self-sustainable and cost efficient to run, outperforming a diesel-powered generator by both weight and performance.
2. Wind Turbines
Like solar technologies convert sunlight into electric energy, wind turbines anchored atop the bimini of a silent catamaran (where it is most exposed to wind) convert the kinetic energy of air into electricity. The rotation of the propeller-like blades around the rotor spins the generators to keep the batteries of the boat well charged. It is a stable source of energy, regardless of the time of the day and whether or not the catamaran is in motion.
3. Electric Boat Batteries
The energy generated by solar panels is stored in electric boat batteries, which is later converted to mechanical energy used to move the propellers forward as well as support hotel load. Sunreef Yachts Eco deploys lithium-ion batteries that are 30 percent lighter than the average system and last up to 10 years while retaining 80 percent of their original capacity. These safe NMC chemistry batteries in use have a high specific energy (which is the amount of energy stored by weight) that ensures the silent catamaran sails smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do yachts make noise?
The dynamic force of the waves, HVAC systems, and engines are often the main source of noise and vibration on a vessel that affect comfort levels of crew and passengers. Sunreef Yachts has beaten the odds with its production of Sunreef Yachts Eco’s silent catamarans of sizes 50, 60, 70, 80, and 100 feet.
Can a silent catamaran cross the ocean?
Yes, each of the silent catamarans from Sunreef Yachts Eco possess the capability to cross oceans. Because catamarans are designed to equally distribute the body weight between the two hulls, the vessel remains stable and its performance unshaken even in rough waters.
Are silent catamarans from Sunreef Yachts reliable?
The silent catamarans from Sunreef Yachts are the future of sailing at sea as they have inherent stability and remarkable buoyancy to outrun rough sea conditions. More importantly, its noiseless, vibration free, and zero emission cruising ensures comfortable travels for crew and passengers as well as a reduced carbon footprint.