SULTANA – Old World Charm and High Tech Are a Match Made in Heaven

One of the most nostalgic yachts we have to offer is the stunning Feadship SULTANA. Launched in 1969, she underwent an extensive refit in 2012, giving her a more contemporary interior and exterior with a state-of-the-art high-power sound system, videos, and music controlled by smartphones or tablets.  She has state-of-the-art gadgets on board that wouldn’t look out of place in a Bond movie, including tv screens hidden behind stylish mirrors, four luxury double cabins, wireless Internet where you can also look into the depth of the ocean via underwater cameras in bow and stern, or follow its navigation details.

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NEW DIAMOND – A new generation of eco-friendly luxury yachts!

Check out this awesome video of Avadesign’s luxury concept yacht NEW DIAMOND! She is an astounding 70m which, with her clean-cut exterior and uber high-tech interior, is destined to make her a remarkable vessel on the water. What impresses us here at Boatbookings most is that NEW DIAMOND is a green yacht! A hybrid propulsion system, two diesel engines and two electric engines coupled with gas turbines enables NEW DIAMOND to cruise with respectable energy usage and economic savings.

To find out about luxury yacht charters around the world, visit our Luxury Yacht Charter Guide or contact our broker team here to find the charter yacht of your dreams!

How to Make a Boat More Fuel Efficient (From Guest Blogger Alan Cairns)

Fuel is one of the main costs involved in running a motorboat, and considering price increases over the last decade, it’s no surprise that fuel costs is one of the main reasons some people decide they cialis 10mg can’t afford to keep a boat anymore. There are some simple steps that we can take in order to use fuel more efficiently, beyond simply driving at a slower speed. This article explores some of the ways of making a motor boat more economical.

Weight

One of the easiest ways to make a boat journey more efficient is to get rid of all that unnecessary baggage. Most boats fill up with clutter over time, and while clothing and bedding for boat crew isn’t going to add a lot of weight to the boat, things like spare parts and tools can add a lot of additional weight. Reducing the weight of the vessel is one of the simplest ways of getting more “bang for your buck” in terms of fuel.

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Motor boats can carry a lot of water, which is great for long distance journeys, but reducing the amount of water being carried for shorter journeys can greatly improve fuel efficiency. Just remember all the reasons you will need water on board – hydration, tea-making and washing. Water is even heavier than diesel so only take what you need.

Fuel & Engine

Most boats have the capacity to store enough fuel for extremely long journeys, but on shorter trips it makes a lot of financial sense to half-fill the tank. Calculate how much fuel you need for a particular journey, and add another 10-20% as a precaution.

Engines themselves play an important part in the speed and fuel economy of a boat, especially on faster boats. The engines can be checked relatively easily if the boat is fitted with fuel readout meters. Simply ease back on the throttle, and if this leads to a significant drop in fuel consumption without a drop in speed then it is highly likely that the engine is having difficulty taking in air or fuel. Even if you don’t have readout meters, you can still check that filters are clean. Dirty filters can block fuel flow and impede performance.

Tide & Wind

It might sound obvious, but utilising the tides on boat journeys can greatly reduce fuel consumption. It’s important to ensure that the boat’s speed is well-matched to the tide, otherwise the boat will begin to push a foul tide. Utilising the tide and the wind will make for a cheaper journey, and a better sea state to boot.

Hull Fouling

Marine growth on a boat can lead to a significant impairment of the vessel’s performance. A full scrub of the hull will solve the problem, but sometimes this growth can accrue surprisingly quickly, especially in warm waters. In the Mediterranean some boats won’t plane after being left for just a couple of months due to severe barnacle growth. It’s thought that a lift, scrub and new coat of antifoul can reduce fuel consumption by around 10%.

Trim Tabs

Trim tabs are used to alter the altitude of a boat by raising the stern and dropping the bow. Altering trim tabs can also improve fuel efficiency, as it reduces drag by elevating the stern. It’s something which needs to be observed and tweaked regularly, as too much trim can reduce the speed of the boat if the bow is too low.

Alan Cairns writes on a number of subjects including and caring for an outboard motor.

E-MAX Ultra – The environmentaly friendly cargo carrier of the Future!

The E-MAX Ultra Green Pure Care Carrier by Sauter Carbon Offsets Design highlights the fact that technology can reduce fuel consumption and GHG emissions by a minimum of 50 % in cargo vessels. In the long term,  a 50% savings in the cost of fuel will more than pay for the construction of the E-MAX vessel over its 20-year service life, making her a very viable and exciting option.

The term Economies of Scale refers to the fact that the larger the vessel, the more economical it is to ship cargo.  In 2014 the width of the Panama Canal will go from 32 to 54 meters, which means that W&W can build up to a 50% larger vessel that through Economy of Scale can easily save 15% on fuel.  According to Wartsila, for every 10% increase in the size of a vessel, a 4 to 5% reduction in fuel consumption is achieved.

We can maximize Hydrodynamic Efficiency with Mitsubishi’s Air Lubricating system (MALS), which introduces air bubbles under the hull to reduce Drag. The less drag that there is, the less resistance the boat will face, consequently increasing fuel efficiency and reducing costs. This system together with state of the art Counter Rotating Propeller pods reduces Fuel consumption by up to 15 %.

The third step takes advantage of the light-magnifying ocean environment to harness solar energy from solar cells that due to the highly reflective surface of the water, cover the sides as well as the top of the vessel. Recent studies have shown that solar cells are 40% more efficient at sea than on land.  The Solbian Solar Panels that cover the E-Max vessel are the most efficient on the market. They are designed specifically for marine use and come with a 25-year warranty. What is remarkable about this Solar Energy system is that it is capable of reducing fuel consumption by up to 10% without any moving parts and no maintenance.

The fourth stage utilizes fully automated, fully rotational, and fully retractable Mainsails to harness the wind and reduce fuel consumption by 15%. These Dynawing sails are highly efficient in whatever direction the apparent wind is coming from. They are basically transparent, incorporating a light magnifying film that magnifies the light that passes through them to the solar cells on deck.

The final stage takes the well-known benefits of Hybrid propulsion to new heights with Wartsila’s Dual Fuel low-loss Hybrid Power which reduces fuel consumption by 20% and GHG emissions by a greater amount. This system runs on either diesel or LNG which is much cleaner.

Watch this space for the latest Industry releases and updates on future concepts and designs.