Marine

The carbon fibre hybrid-electric sightseeing vessel, Vision of the Fjords, designedhas been awarded Ship of the Year 2016 by the maritime magazine

The Vision of the Fjords is a premium sightseeing vessel designed from the ground up to enhance passenger`s sightseeing experience and reduce the vessels environmental footprint. The catamaran is 42 meter long, 15 metres wide and built in lightweight carbon fibre composite. The vessel is classed by DNVGL and certified for 400 passengers.

The winner was announced during the SMM exhibition in Hamburg, where both the operator and yard representatives were present at the ceremony.

The voting panel at the awards said that the ship is truly innovative, with efficient diesel propulsion for long distance transfer and electric propulsion for quiet and pollution-free sightseeing in the beautiful UNESCO-listed Norwegian fjords. The design of the vessel itself, a catamaran with a carbon-fibre hull and the modern passenger facilities adds to the overall feeling that this is something completely new.

With a slender hull designed by Paradis Nautica, equipped with a hybrid propulsion system developed by Mancraft, the new build can reach a top speed of 19 knots. The propulsion control and automation system is delivered by Marcontrol, the battery system by ZM/LG, while drives and power management system are delivered by ABB.

The exterior design is inspired by a twisting mountain road and gives the passengers freedom to walk around the ship while enjoying the scenery. Inside, the vessel has passenger accommodations on two decks, featuring large panoramic windows, seating in a variety of configurations and a large refreshment kiosk on the main deck.

Rolls-Royce has signed a contract with the Italian yacht builder Benetti to deliver a new generation of high performance, lightweight steerable thruster that makes use of carbon fibre composites.

Efficient and lightweight propulsion is key to reducing the environmental impact of a modern yacht, and the luxury yacht builder has been working with Rolls Royce to create this new propulsion system for their new range of megayachts.

The new Azipull Carbon 65 uses carbon fibre material for load carrying parts, resulting in a substantial reduction of the propulsion system’s weight. The new thrusters also facilitate a better vessel lay out while maintaining high propulsion efficiency, excellent manoeuvring capabilities and easy maintenance.

Designed at the beginning for fast yachts, with further applications in passenger vessels and work boats, the Azipull Carbon brings to the market a lightweight, reliable and highly efficient propulsion system with very low noise and vibration levels.

The first thruster in the series, AZP C65, is designed for a power rating of 2 MW and fitted with a fixed pitch, pulling type propeller – meaning the propeller faces forward. The driveline is designed with two spiral bevel gear sets, installed in a supporting structure that ensures optimum load carrying capacity in all operating conditions. The thruster can be steered using a hydraulic system. An Automation and Control system, based on Rolls-Royce’s Common Controls building blocks, has also been developed to match the new thrusters, which each weigh only 2,800 kg (dry).

The contract covers a number of thrusters, planned for delivery over the next three years and delivered to RINA Rules for Classification of Yachts. The first yacht, a 125 ft Fast Displacement called IRONMAN has already been delivered. Hulls two and three are under construction with delivery expected in the next few months.

The new ship, named the ‘Vision of the Fjords’ has a 749kw hybrid engine that allows the boat to change between diesel power and emission free modes. The sleek design of the boat was inspired by a mountain road snaking its way up a hillside, something that’s very common in the area where the boat will operate.

The boat was manufactured by family run shipyard Brodrane Aa, a specialists in carbon-fibre vessels. Founded in 1947 the company switched to using composite materials in the 1970’s and were the first to create a GRP-sandwich vessel to be approved by DNV. In 2002 Brødrene Aa launched the worlds first commercial passenger vessel made from carbon fibre and has led to a new era of shipbuilding for the company.

The ferry will use its diesel engine to reach the start of the UNESCO heritage area whilst cruising at around 20 knots. Once at the entrance the boat will switch to battery mode, decreasing speed to 8 knots to reduce energy usage and comply with speed limits.

The lightweight carbon fibre construction allows the battery-powered boat to navigate its route through the UNESCO heritage on a single charge. The diesel engine can be used to either power or charge the batteries on the boat and the company have built hydro-electric charging stations in Flam and Gudvangen where the ferry can get its batteries fully charged in around 20 minutes.

The operator hopes to start commercial operations with the vessel in a month and are already thinking about ordering a sister ship, with the ultimate goal to replace all of its diesel-powered vehicles with completely quiet and non-polluting ones.

The AM37 is Aston Martins luxury, high performance powerboat and is set to become the first in a range of watercraft.

Aston Martin has partnered with Quintessence yachts to create the 37 foot vessel and features a high-tech carbon fibre composite structure. The AM37 will be available in two models, a classic “gran truism” powerboat and will feature a top speed of around 44 knots, while the AM37 S will reach 52 knots and will be optimised to give a full on sports experience.

Inside, the cabin will be a mixture of sculptured wood and hand stitched leather, the high tech dash will have a HD interactive touch screen monitor and will support interactive voice controls.

The yacht’s design is still yet to be fully unveiled and is scheduled to debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.

The craft operates quietly and doesn’t produce any waves or emissions, which makes it suitable for lakes, rivers, seas as well as marine protected areas, where most motor boats and personal watercrafts can’t go. The Quadrofoil has a top speed of around 21 knots and can go up to 54 nautical miles on a full 2 hour charge.

The lightweight modular hull is built from composite materials, and weighs in at just 100kgs and is made to be stable at all times because of the foil design, which places the centre of gravity 26 ft (eight metres) above the vessel.

The manufacturers say the Quadrofoil is completely environmentally friendly due to its custom made electric outboard motor propulsion and special steering system. C-foil technology allows the watercraft to fly on water at cruising speed and with several times better efficiency than any other personal craft on the market. The buoyancy force which lifts the vessel above the surface minimises the drag and improves overall battery life.

The technology that goes into the steering works as a stabilisation system and makes the vessel responsive on the water and prevents drifting. The craft is designed to be almost unsinkable due to its airtight top module and foil hydrodynamics that create automatic balancing and stabilisation. When airborne at 12 km/h it flies over water and with ergonomic and soft seats premium comfort is achieved.

The boat started shipping this month and will set you back around £18,0000 with a special edition promised soon.

The new Reptile features a complete carbon fibre shell, making it around 500kgs lighter than the standard models, with the total weight just under 2 tonnes. A new and improved 570hp illmor MV8 engine powers this green machine across the waves at a top speed of around 50 knots.

With this new speed boost the Reptiles interior has been modified for increased stability and now all the seats have been equipped with an anti-shock suspension system to keep you comfy whilst doing those high-speed turns.

The company allows clients to customise the compact vessels according to their needs, including the colour of the vehicle, layout, interior design touches and engines, there’s even an option to have a transformable sofa that turns into a double bed, along with a tiny kitchen and private bathroom.

The Jet Capsule range comes in many different configurations and according to its Italian designers, can be used as a compact yacht, taxi, police and emergency response vehicle. Prices start from £126,000 for the basic model and more information can be found on the Jet Capsule website.

Images: Copyright Jet Capsule