A wooden dream boat

[Fr J Hackett]

It explains where people get the idea from.

Indeed it does

 

[Poignard]

To someone like me, looking to spend £1,980,000 on a nice wooden yacht, the word "fiberglass" on page 1 put me off investigating further.

You'd think that a broker, hoping to reap a substantial commission on the sale, would have taken more care.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Yes, it has no saloon table, a major issue I think. Agreed the saloon is not likely to be great on a long passage. 400 litres of fuel only. Not quite enough, but not so awful as it will only use the engine when becalmed and at very low and fuel efficient speeds. I don’t like the electric motors idea though, very low power.

There is no engine other than the motors and a generator which is less than optimum imo. It's a day boat.

 

[Zing]

There is no engine other than the motors and a generator which is less than optimum imo. It's a day boat.

By ‘engine’ I meant the ’generator powering the electric drives’. 18kw will be fine only for calm motoring, and as she should sail very well it’s unlikely to be a problem. I’d much rather have a real engine though. More advantages and no restrictions.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

By ‘engine’ I meant the ’generator powering the electric drives’. 18kw will be fine only for calm motoring, and as she should sail very well it’s unlikely to be a problem. I’d much rather have a real engine though. More advantages and no restrictions.

It's what I said earlier poorly specified by a dreamer. To use a good old Northern expression 'Fur coat and no knickers'

 

[Poignard]

By ‘engine’ I meant the ’generator powering the electric drives’. 18kw will be fine only for calm motoring, and as she should sail very well it’s unlikely to be a problem. I’d much rather have a real engine though. More advantages and no restrictions.

Why does it need to sail?

Surely it's sole function is to sit in a marina somewhere exotic, a personality prop for its owner and a place to entertain the rich and infamous?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Why does it need to sail?

Surely it's sole function is to sit in a marina somewhere exotic, a personality prop for its owner and a place to entertain the rich and infamous?

Around an upturned zinc bath for a table with lattes from their state of the art coffee machine proudly occupying most of the galley worktop.

 

[14K478]

Miaow!

Sailing boats don’t need engines, and a glance tells me that boat will sail.

Yes I have seen toe rail covers before, “Blue Trout” used to have them in exotic Faversham. Suspect they came from Wilkinson Sails!

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Miaow!

Sailing boats don’t need engines, and a glance tells me that boat will sail.

Yes I have seen toe rail covers before, “Blue Trout” used to have them in exotic Faversham. Suspect they came from Wilkinson Sails!

No they don't and yes it will sail well even in light winds but not in no wind. It needs power or it isn't going anywhere and it doesn't have a lot of it so will be relying on a generator once what little they have runs out, it's not a good compromise and almost certainly the reason it hasn't sold in the year it's been on the market, like a lot of things nice to look at but would you really want one.

 

[dunedin]

There is no engine other than the motors and a generator which is less than optimum imo. It's a day boat.

Not sure what your issue is, twin 15kW / 20hp drives is perhaps slightly on the low side if want to plough into a F6 at 8 knots - but plenty for the designed purpose of the boat. (Oceanvolt did twin 15kW drives rather than single bigger drive as this is the practical limit at 48V batteries, and extra rules/regulations whn go to higher voltage systems.)
It is a serial hybrid so under generator power will have a huge range at 5 knots.
All modern and quality equipment from OceanVolt. Similar installations now fitted to various Arcona, X-Yachts, Salona and fast catamarans.
I would be seriously considering a similar serial hybrid drive system if spacing a new £1m plus boat - particularly as higher powered drive options are now available and more being announced ever week.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Not sure what your issue is, twin 15kW / 20hp drives is perhaps slightly on the low side if want to plough into a F6 at 8 knots - but plenty for the designed purpose of the boat. (Oceanvolt did twin 15kW drives rather than single bigger drive as this is the practical limit at 48V batteries, and extra rules/regulations whn go to higher voltage systems.)
It is a serial hybrid so under generator power will have a huge range at 5 knots.
All modern and quality equipment from OceanVolt. Similar installations now fitted to various Arcona, X-Yachts, Salona and fast catamarans.
I would be seriously considering a similar serial hybrid drive system if spacing a new £1m plus boat - particularly as higher powered drive options are now available and more being announced ever week.

There is no need for one when you have to run a generator to power it why not a perfectly serviceable engine. But my main issue is the overall design, it's a day boat and nothing more.

 

[dunedin]

There is no need for one when you have to run a generator to power it why not a perfectly serviceable engine. But my main issue is the overall design, it's a day boat and nothing more.

It will do a typical into and out of harbour entirely silently on battery power, with zero smoke or particulate emissions (at the boat).
And energy efficiency wise, a generator running and powering an electric drive can be much more efficient than running a conventional diesel engine which will rarely running at peak efficiency. The engineering maths makes sense (albeit the price probably doesn’t yet, though nothing about a Spirit is about low cost).

 

[Fr J Hackett]

It will do a typical into and out of harbour entirely silently on battery power, with zero smoke or particulate emissions (at the boat).
And energy efficiency wise, a generator running and powering an electric drive can be much more efficient than running a conventional diesel engine which will rarely running at peak efficiency. The engineering maths makes sense (albeit the price probably doesn’t yet, though nothing about a Spirit is about low cost).

Yes into and out of a harbour and that's about it perhaps a bit more. But as I said the electrical drive system isn't primarily what I don't like about it.

 

[jwilson]

In principle I'd love an electric powered yacht but the really quite weird interior of that one would put me off, even if I had the money, which I don't.

 

[KevinV]

Yes into and out of a harbour and that's about it perhaps a bit more. But as I said the electrical drive system isn't primarily what I don't like about it.

You're right that it's a day boat, but it's not pretending to be anything else, and in reality very many yachts are used in this way.
If you want to go ocean sailing you'd buy something completely different.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

You're right that it's a day boat, but it's not pretending to be anything else, and in reality very many yachts are used in this way.
If you want to go ocean sailing you'd buy something completely different.

I wouldn't even like to deliver it to the Med from the Solent other than port hopping. Getting it to the Caribbean would be by freighter and the same back. No doubt that would suit some owners. It certainly isn't set up for a paid crew.

 

[KevinV]

I wouldn't even like to deliver it to the Med from the Solent other than port hopping. Getting it to the Caribbean would be by freighter and the same back. No doubt that would suit some owners. It certainly isn't set up for a paid crew.

Agreed - you'd want the (maintenance) crew to follow it round.

 

[LittleSister]

. . . It needs power or it isn't going anywhere and it doesn't have a lot of it so will be relying on . . .

. . . the paid crew manning the sweeps?

 

[MisterBaxter]

I think it looks great. And the design looks well optimised towards the way that many people actually use their boats, as opposed to the way they think they'll use their boats... If my net worth was in three figures of millions I'd happily sail something like this - far nicer that the vast horrors you sometimes see being chugged about by people with vast amounts of money to spare.

 

[14K478]

I agree with Mister Baxter.

Big day boats are common, but most of them make gestures towards being cruising yachts and are plug ugly! Amongst the pretty ones we may number the J class and the 12 metre class…

This one has the merit of not having “his” and “hers” wheels!