Greenline 33 - owner feedback

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Saintlysimon

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Hello,

Are there any forum members who own or have owned a Greenline 33 either the Hybrid or not - who would kindly offer some ownership feedback?

Thanks
 
This isn't owner direct feedback but Feel Douro run a small charter fleet of Greenlines from their base on the Douro River, Porto. They love the boats for their accommodation and river friendliness (low air draft amongst other things) but have converted all the Hybrids to diesel power only. They found that the electrics of the hybrids weren't reliable enough for charter use and too complicated for charterers. I don't think too many other boat builders have yet gone down the hybrid route. This may well be because the technology isn't yet mature and robust enough for the marine environment?

Richard.
 
IDAMAY said:
This may well be because the technology isn't yet mature and robust enough for the marine environment?
Click to expand...
Maybe also because this type of hybrid technology is useless in boats. You save a thimble full of diesel by cruising a couple of miles at 4kts under electric power and the rest of the time the diesel engine uses more fuel because it has to lug around the extra weight of the heavier batteries and electric motor
 
Deleted User said:
Maybe also because this type of hybrid technology is useless in boats. You save a thimble full of diesel by cruising a couple of miles at 4kts under electric power and the rest of the time the diesel engine uses more fuel because it has to lug around the extra weight of the heavier batteries and electric motor
Click to expand...
At very low speed it can go forever as long as the sun shines, it also supports full size domestic appliances. Diesel is optional
 
Bouba said:
At very low speed it can go forever as long as the sun shines, it also supports full size domestic appliances. Diesel is optional
Click to expand...

Diesel isn't optional if you actually want to go anywhere
 
Deleted User said:
Diesel isn't optional if you actually want to go anywhere
Click to expand...

Imagine you are on a French canal and you can't find fuel anywhere. If you had an overnight electric hookup or just a sunny day you can do the whole system. Say you're not a speed demon but a meanderer you could port hop any coast in the world life's slow but if you have a raggies or ditch creepers mentality the worlds your lobster. Technically you can cross oceans (not recommended)
Another neat feature is the fold up swim platform. No more marina fees for the swim platform
 
Bouba said:
Imagine you are on a French canal and you can't find fuel anywhere. If you had an overnight electric hookup or just a sunny day you can do the whole system. Say you're not a speed demon but a meanderer you could port hop any coast in the world life's slow but if you have a raggies or ditch creepers mentality the worlds your lobster. Technically you can cross oceans (not recommended)
Click to expand...
The cruising speed under electric power is 4kts according to Greenline. If you're happy cruising at 4kts you might as well get a sailing boat and cruise at 5-6kts. Under diesel power the range is 700nm at 7kts according to Greenline, probably nearer 1000nm at 4kts so a tank full is going to get you all the way to the Med through the French canals and back without a refill.
 
Deleted User said:
The cruising speed under electric power is 4kts according to Greenline. If you're happy cruising at 4kts you might as well get a sailing boat and cruise at 5-6kts. Under diesel power the range is 700nm at 7kts according to Greenline, probably nearer 1000nm at 4kts so a tank full is going to get you all the way to the Med through the French canals and back without a refill.
Click to expand...
You may have slightly underestimated the size of France. Luckily you have solar power
 
Anybody interested in Hybrids in boats should read Nigel Calder's report on his big EU funded project on the subject. shows clearly the impracticality and inefficiency of the systems available today, both in theory and in practice in his Malo 45. published in two editions of PBO a couple of years ago.

While hybrids sort of work in cars, the power required and duty cycles are completely different from boats. Nigel's conclusion was that hybrid only had a place on a boat with high electricity requirement and low propulsion requirement, where the diesel would just generate electricity, most of which would be used for domestic and a small amount for propulsion. Can't think of any pleasure boats like that. However that is exactly how cruise ships are set up, but where the prime requirement is for propulsion such as a cargo ship or a tanker, a big single diesel is used for propulsion and small auxiliary generators for electricity.
 
Tranona said:
Anybody interested in Hybrids in boats should read Nigel Calder's report on his big EU funded project on the subject. shows clearly the impracticality and inefficiency of the systems available today, both in theory and in practice in his Malo 45. published in two editions of PBO a couple of years ago.

While hybrids sort of work in cars, the power required and duty cycles are completely different from boats. Nigel's conclusion was that hybrid only had a place on a boat with high electricity requirement and low propulsion requirement, where the diesel would just generate electricity, most of which would be used for domestic and a small amount for propulsion. Can't think of any pleasure boats like that. However that is exactly how cruise ships are set up, but where the prime requirement is for propulsion such as a cargo ship or a tanker, a big single diesel is used for propulsion and small auxiliary generators for electricity.
Click to expand...

Cruise ships need to dock/park almost everyday. So for them maneuverability and the possibility to avoid using tugs is a big thing. The podded electric motors give them just that. Also, since they vary cruise speed in order to arrive at destinations at a specific time, they fire up a different number of generators to provide the exact drive required.

Cargo ships are designed to plod at a single speed long distances with utmost efficiency. A very different requirement from a cruise ship.

The big container ships are the most fuel efficient boats around. This are normally huge single diesel engines with a single direct connected shaft drive and a big propeller turning at about 90 rpm (engine and propeller). with heat recovery from the exhaust powering steam turbine generators to power all the auxiliary systems. Very much like modern power stations with which they are on an equal footing in terms of energy efficiency.
 
Tranona said:
Anybody interested in Hybrids in boats should read Nigel Calder's report on his big EU funded project on the subject. shows clearly the impracticality and inefficiency of the systems available today, both in theory and in practice in his Malo 45. published in two editions of PBO a couple of years ago.

While hybrids sort of work in cars, the power required and duty cycles are completely different from boats. Nigel's conclusion was that hybrid only had a place on a boat with high electricity requirement and low propulsion requirement, where the diesel would just generate electricity, most of which would be used for domestic and a small amount for propulsion. Can't think of any pleasure boats like that. However that is exactly how cruise ships are set up, but where the prime requirement is for propulsion such as a cargo ship or a tanker, a big single diesel is used for propulsion and small auxiliary generators for electricity.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I agree. I admit that I don't know if the electronic components would stand a marine environment but it's not like boats aren't full of electronics. I think a boat is about the only form of transport where it is acceptable to go slow, indeed more so in pleasure boating where the being there is more important than the getting there.
And for that reason the Greenline with its large flat salon roof for solar panels is ideal. Remember we are not just talking electric/diesel hybrid but solar/electric/diesel hybrid. A much more useable form for a pleasure boat. Especially as it's silent it can put the pleasure in the leisure for some people.
But I have no information as to whether the Greenline is a good boat in real life but I do remember that when it first came out it was astonishing value the complete opposite to most form of early technology
 
Bouba said:
You may have slightly underestimated the size of France. Luckily you have solar power
Click to expand...
I have a similar sized 33 foot boat. An Aquastar with single 370hp Volvo (300 gal fuel tank)
We travelled from the Channel Islands to La Havre and through the French waterways to Port st Louis in the Med.
Refueling showed we had burnt 6 liters less than half our fuel. So there would have been no reason why we could not have done the return trip as well.
 
blampied said:
I have a similar sized 33 foot boat. An Aquastar with single 370hp Volvo (300 gal fuel tank)
We travelled from the Channel Islands to La Havre and through the French waterways to Port st Louis in the Med.
Refueling showed we had burnt 6 liters less than half our fuel. So there would have been no reason why we could not have done the return trip as well.
Click to expand...

But would you have?
Crossing the channel with only the dregs sloshing around in your tank
 
Bouba said:
I'm not sure I agree. I admit that I don't know if the electronic components would stand a marine environment but it's not like boats aren't full of electronics. I think a boat is about the only form of transport where it is acceptable to go slow, indeed more so in pleasure boating where the being there is more important than the getting there.
And for that reason the Greenline with its large flat salon roof for solar panels is ideal. Remember we are not just talking electric/diesel hybrid but solar/electric/diesel hybrid. A much more useable form for a pleasure boat. Especially as it's silent it can put the pleasure in the leisure for some people.
But I have no information as to whether the Greenline is a good boat in real life but I do remember that when it first came out it was astonishing value the complete opposite to most form of early technology
Click to expand...

Nothing to do with the electronics, but all to do with efficient use of fossil fuel. The losses in converting fuel into electricity with an IC engine and then the losses converting that energy into propulsion are significant. Why would one want to endure those losses when you can use the output from the IC engine directly?

Other major negatives are the pattern of usage that minimises the losses is not relevant to most leisure boating. Very few people spend long periods under low power, and even if they do, the energy storage requirements (batteries) become an issue. Add to that the substantial increase on bulk and cost of installing two motors and you can see why nobody builds such boats. A blind alley.

Electric and hydro electric have their place in many commercial situations, but not in the leisure market.
 
Cheery said:
Page 37 says it gives 7.5kts. Handy for leaving an anchorage early morning.
Click to expand...

Indeed -we have a2014 Columbus 55 M ( 182 ft ) in our marina -
Ironically it's owner Is a son ( one of 30 odd -dad,s got a few wives as well as boats ) -of the king of a middle Easten Oil nation ,who,s identity I think best kept off public forums .
His previous was a Benneti 45 M .
Well a guess it's best not to squander it -oil :)
null_zps4cfsoku1.jpg

Here it is leaving under "e" ----
 
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