Can they Re-Invent Motor Yachting?

[PowerYachtBlog]

It is obviously the market who decides.

We have seen some fresh innovations in the last five years courtesy of Arcadia, Sanlorenzo SX, and now ISA Extra jumping on the band wagon.
All the above are having huge market consolidation and share.

But here is a mix of things to come. Both yachts feature very fresh concepts and I with interest waiting how the market will react to them.

The first is the Bluegame BGX70. What a fresh concept this is.
http://www.poweryachtblog.com/2019/09/project-bluegame-bgx-70.html
https://www.bluegame.it/en/node/30

The second is the Cetera 60. A new brand for very well respected (in Italy and France) sport cruiser builder Fiart.
https://ceterayachts.it/
http://www.poweryachtblog.com/2019/02/project-cetera-60.html

 

[BruceK]

I'm not entirely sure how fresh that is, the styling imo is very reminiscent of Jeanneau / Merry Fisher.

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

I must be a traditionalist because I reckon whoever designed that lot was sitting in his bath when he got his inspiration!

 

[CLB]

The reinvention should not be about looks, this is just tinkering around the edges, but about how they are propelled. Burning hundreds of litres of fossil fuel per hour simply cannot go on indefinitely.

 

[Bouba]

The jet tender carried on the cockpit of the Bluegame 70 seems to block access to the port mooring line. Other than that it’s just another boat with pointy furniture

 

[rubberduck]

The reinvention should not be about looks, this is just tinkering around the edges, but about how they are propelled. Burning hundreds of litres of fossil fuel per hour simply cannot go on indefinitely.

Exactly, the tank keeps emptying !

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Actually it is about how the layout in these boats that really is the innovative part. The looks someone done that before especially to what is the Cetera, looking very similar to an Arcadia.

But how the layouts are designed is very fresh. Both boats are very different to one another also in this.
I like the Bluegame a lot, but the Cetera is very different to anything with the cabins being on the main deck and the living on top, and the lower deck only used for technical layout.

The Blue game lower deck is also sort of in middle deck not as low as normally is in boats.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Anyways it seems Fairline is copying the Bluegame feature by extending the Targa 53 and making it become a 58, and creating a similar stern layout.

I do not think the idea works on a sport cruiser look, and is a very lazy way to make a new model. Also I remind the Targa 53 was actually born as the 50, also known as the unlucky 50.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

The reinvention should not be about looks, this is just tinkering around the edges, but about how they are propelled. Burning hundreds of litres of fossil fuel per hour simply cannot go on indefinitely.

Agree 100%. Sooner or later fossil fuel guzzling pleasure motor boats are either going to be taxed out of existence with draconian fuel duties or legislated out of existence with draconian emissions regulations. Trouble is that the boat manufacturing industry is not the car manufacturing industry and there simple arent the R & D resources, neither the money nor the engineers, to throw at the problem. We're all going to have to hope that some other industry comes up with a new technology which is transferable to boats

Meanwhile the SL Bluegame is a lovely machine and I really want one

 

[Bouba]

Agree 100%. Sooner or later fossil fuel guzzling pleasure motor boats are either going to be taxed out of existence with draconian fuel duties or legislated out of existence with draconian emissions regulations. Trouble is that the boat manufacturing industry is not the car manufacturing industry and there simple arent the R & D resources, neither the money nor the engineers, to throw at the problem. We're all going to have to hope that some other industry comes up with a new technology which is transferable to boats

Meanwhile the SL Bluegame is a lovely machine and I really want one

When Tesla makes their big electric trucks a success then there will be the ability to have the drivetrains marinised

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

When Tesla makes their big electric trucks a success then there will be the ability to have the drivetrains marinised

Firstly I'll believe that when I see it and secondly it takes a lot more power to shift a 50ft motorboat at 30kts than it takes to shift a 44t artic truck at 50mph

 

[Bouba]

Firstly I'll believe that when I see it and secondly it takes a lot more power to shift a 50ft motorboat at 30kts than it takes to shift a 44t artic truck at 50mph

But electric is different, instead of one engine you can have a motor at each wheel. So a big boat might look like one of those American fast fishers with a whole row of huge outboards on the stern

 

[petem]

But electric is different, instead of one engine you can have a motor at each wheel. So a big boat might look like one of those American fast fishers with a whole row of huge outboards on the stern

Yeah but a motor boat effectively spends its whole life going up a hill. Number of engines is irrelevant, it's energy usage that's the issue for motorboats.

 

[Bouba]

Yeah but a motor boat effectively spends its whole life going up a hill. Number of engines is irrelevant, it's energy usage that's the issue for motorboats.

But a motorboat has an advantage, there’s plenty of room for solar panels and generators (whatever they are running on). Besides electric motors have a good torque curve (flat line)

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

But a motorboat has an advantage, there’s plenty of room for solar panels and generators (whatever they are running on). Besides electric motors have a good torque curve (flat line)

You could cover the whole boat in solar panels and you still wouldnt generate enough electricity to push the boat along at just a few knots, let alone 20kts. And this is a very generalised statement but torque only gives you acceleration. To maintain a boat and any given speed you need a given amount of power

 

[Bouba]

You could cover the whole boat in solar panels and you still wouldnt generate enough electricity to push the boat along at just a few knots, let alone 20kts. And this is a very generalised statement but torque only gives you acceleration. To maintain a boat and any given speed you need a given amount of power

Yes but it’s instant torque (full torque at zero revs) so that has to go someway in pushing a boat efficiently

 

[petem]

On a car, once you are at cruising speed you can mostly lift your foot off the throttle. Indeed at motorway speed my car tells me the engine is making 20-30hp, so pretty efficient.

On a boat if you lift the throttle in the same way you slow down greatly. Eg you need a constant 200-300hp to maintain a cruising speed (like driving a car up a never ending hill).

This is why electronic power is unsustainable for planing boats needing any kind of range.

 

[Bouba]

There were, of course, electric boats at the show and hybrids are usually featured. I can’t believe I’m defending electric boats, in the Lounge I’m the guy who’s always anti electric car! Mind you, I have just seen a review for the Hyundai Kona. Very interesting

 

[petem]

If they had electric boats at the show, what were their cruising speeds and ranges?

Anyhow I think my next car will be electric. Probably an i3.

 

[Portofino]

I don’t see leisure boating carbon foot print bubbling up to a political surface as such the end users end up restricted in use age , if that’s what theses recent threads are inferring .
Sure any other industry easily or other perhaps semi engineered “planet saving “ tactics will be used , but more as a marketing ploy .
The reason is the usage is so low , fast P boats spend 90 to 95 % of there life ( May be more ? ) tied up in the marina .
Plus on the rare occasion they run as mentioned the engines are running on what ever tier of EU or WW emissions tech anyhow .
Part of the land motivation with the anti diesels mob , is currently driven by city health issues , you know particles kids and cyclists inhale etc , that driver is not here in leisure boats .
As far as the fossil fuel running out eco argument, there’s plenty in the earth ,but extraction costs may rise .
I don’t think the relative price will significantly increase to kill off fast planing the leisure boat industry.
Quite the opposite. The markets expanding into China , Asia , S America and indeed the EU and N Africa Med rim .
As affluence increases generally then in a pyramidal way once all have the basics like running water , TV , food chain reliability, then comes luxury goods and leisure time to use them .

As far as tech goes in diesels working from land based particular emissions reduction will cascade into leisure boats at the engine manufacturers source not from governments.
Ie say move from 4 valves to 5 valves with twin sequential injectors , tossing a pair of sequential variable vane turbos , all controlled by a super ECU etc etc ,
A firm like MAN or CAT and even Volvo will adopt common cylinder head and turbo tech across the range .Or what ever tech emerged .
Pretty much MAN do anyhow , the truck and marine engine cylinder head gear are interchangeable tech wise .

But as said the numbers in total gross fume output with automotive and leisure boats are incomparable .
Even if you compare one to one units .
Wife’s Audi 2.0 TDi( the infamous VW scandal motor ) doing 20 K Km to the boats 13 L MAN 2876,s x 2 doing 60 / 70 hrs
The numbers of WW , VAG com 2.0:TDi owners running a leisure boat as well are in a fraction of single digit % .

Eco marketing is powerful so hence there will be always a section at boat shows attractive to some .