The first thing that catches my eye as I walk into the Zin Boats production facility in Seattle is the Z11, a 36-foot all-electric tender the company built for Feadship’s Project 821. The Z11’s carbon-fiber lines are distinctive, and its trim looks sophisticated. Piotr Zin, the company’s founder and CEO, opens a hatch in the cockpit sole to reveal a machined-aluminum case with labeled orange cables extending from its port and starboard flanks.

“That’s the Magic Box,” Zin says, smiling.

Zin Boats—which builds high-end tenders and vessels—aims to sell its electric-drive technologies to third parties to help the boating world transition from internal-combustion engines to electric propulsion. Many of these technologies are showcased aboard the Z11, which Zin says is the world’s fastest electric tender with the world’s leading range.

According to the builder, the boat exceeds 52 knots and has a range exceeding 100 nautical miles under normal operating conditions.

To power the Z11, Zin Boats worked with Xerotech, an Irish company that builds lithium-ion batteries considered so safe, they are being used aboard the International Space Station. “There’s no cell-to-cell heat propagation,” Zin says.

Additionally, Zin created a multilayer safety approach, including a material that lines the Z11’s steel battery case, liquid cooling, and software that monitors and manages the batteries.

Controlling DC power is another critical aspect of any electric vehicle, and Zin says this is where the Magic Box shines. While electric vehicles typically have multiple control boxes that govern and distribute power, Zin Boats created a single box that sits between the battery and the motors, and tackles everything from power control to charging.

It will push anything from 48 volts to 1,000 volts, Zin says. Currently, the highest power that can run through it is 1,000 kilowatts, or 1 megawatt.

While 1 megawatt is a lot of juice, the key is safety. Zin says the Magic Box talks to every high-voltage component before it allows high-voltage power to flow from the batteries. “There’s a very sophisticated communication and handshake between all of the parts and pieces inside the boat that basically confirms that the boat is safe and ready to go,” Zin says.

This same safety focus also applies to charging the batteries.

“The Magic Box has multiple high-voltage inputs and outputs,” Zin says. “On the one end, it talks to and takes energy from the battery. On the other end, it talks to and takes energy from a DC-to-DC charger. The Magic Box also has the capability of talking to the AC-to-DC chargers and controlling those.”

The Z11’s Magic Box has about 40 temperature sensors, controls cooling, and has a centralized vehicle control unit that allows the Magic Box to communicate with upstream and downstream systems, ranging from chargers to joystick steering.

Zin Boats markets two versions of the Magic Box: a 400-volt system and an 800-volt system. These work with single and dual motors, respectively. The 400-volt system liquid-cools its batteries, while the 800-volt system liquid-cools its Magic Box and batteries.

“It’s the heart behind this whole thing,” Zin says of the Magic Box. “Our engineers designed and developed the circuit board that is inside it.”

While it’s easy to think that the Feadship owner who ordered the Z11 funded the development of these technologies, Zin says the order simply sped up the development. “We would have done this regardless,” Zin says, noting that the company began creating these technologies years before the Z11 project.

Zin describes the tech as a universal propulsion system, which he equated to a 1950s-style outboard engine and fuel canister. The propulsion system is intended to be plug-and-play.

Zin Boats already has agreements in place with well-known third-party builders. Zin says: “We want to keep pushing the electrification, not just on our boats, but on everybody else’s boats.”

Under the Keel

The Z11’s hull, by designer Patrick Banfield, is also innovative. Rather than having long strakes, the Z11’s hull form is shaped more like a high-performance sailboat. Piotr Zin, the founder and CEO of Zin Boats, says this design reduces wetted surface area and drag, increasing the boat’s range.

The UI Factor

Zin Boats worked with Raymarine, in part to provide the Magic Box’s user interface. The interface resides on a Raymarine module, which can plug-and-play with any Raymarine display.

What’s Next?

Zin Boats plans to build more models that use the company’s technologies, and it plans to sell those technologies to other manufacturers in the marine market and possibly others as well.

Take the next step: zinboats.com

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Raymarine has collaborated with Zin Boats to create what they are describing as “the world’s most advanced electric superyacht tender.”

The Z11, as the tender is called, is associated with Feadship’s Project 821, a 389-foot superyacht designed to run on compressed liquid hydrogen. The tender combines marine navigation and vessel automation, performance and design in a way that Raymarine says “will set a new standard in the marine industry.”

The custom navigation and vessel automation system is powered by Raymarine Axiom 2 XL 19-inch and Axiom+ 9-inch chartplotter displays with YachtSense digital switching and vessel monitoring. The displays have intuitive touchscreen control and Raymarine’s remote keypads, the RMK-6 and RMK-10, for tactile command of the Z11’s navigation and digital switching functions. A Ray90 modular VHF radio system and CP100 Chirp DownVision sonar add communications and echo-sounding functionality.

“Collaborating with Zin Boats allowed us to push the boundaries of marine interface design, creating a custom software experience that perfectly complements the Z11’s innovative approach to electric boating,” Jamie Dery, vice president of Raymarine Americas, stated in a press release. “This collaboration exemplifies Raymarine’s unique ability to work hand-in-hand with visionary builders, delivering tailored solutions that set the standard in marine-electronics innovation.”

David Donovick, president and COO of Zin Boats, added: “We have been heads down working on the world’s most advanced electric tender and electric propulsion technology, which will scale across multiple boat platforms.”

More about Zin Boats: The company, which is based in Seattle, specializes in high-performance electric marine propulsion systems, luxury electric boats and custom yacht tenders. Zin Boats advertises electric tenders that can top 50 knots with a range of more than 100 nautical miles under normal operating conditions.

Where to learn more: go to raymarine.com or zinboats.com

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eD-TEC’s ed 32 c-ultra RIB is a carbon-fiber boat built by Sven Ackermann Yachts and powered by dual eD-TEC eD-QDrive 1 electric drives. These motors each deliver 200 watts—about 270 hp—of peak power to surface-piercing propellers. The all-electric RIB comes standard with 22-kilowatt AC-DC charging and 150 kW DC-DC fast charging. The latter can charge the batteries to 80 percent in 40 minutes. Owners can add an optional, range-extending foil-assist system, choose between eD-TEC’s cruising and performance batteries, and add jet thrusters for easier close-quarters maneuvering.

Whom It’s For: This boat is an option for performance-minded owners seeking a fast, nearly silent and hydrofoil-ready yacht tender.

Picture This: It’s a slow morning on Martha’s Vineyard off the Massachusetts mainland when word arrives that some humpback whales are patrolling nearby Nantucket Sound. You load the crew into your eD-TEC eD 32 c-ultra RIB and quickly and quietly zip over, arriving in time to witness breaches, slaps and rolls, without some noisy engine scaring off the charismatic megafauna.  

Take the next step: ed-tec.de

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The Stephens Waring 8.5m Electric Commuter is a lightweight, performance-minded wood-composite runabout. Its hull is built from fiberglass-clad cedar strips, while its deck and cockpit are constructed from a plywood-and-foam sandwich. The boat’s eye-pleasing aesthetics are reminiscent of 1950s Rivas, but the Stephens Waring 8.5m Electric Commuter is propelled by a thoroughly modern 40-kilowatt RAD Propulsion electric motor and a 55-kilowatt-hour Fellten battery. The boat has a range of around 22 nautical miles at top pace.

Whom It’s For: Boaters looking for a silent, snappy and emissions-free ride that will turn heads.

Picture This: It’s July in Camden, Maine, and the wooden sailboats are contesting the Camden Classics Cup. You and your kids jump in your Stephens Waring 8.5m Electric Commuter and cruise out to West Penobscot Bay to watch the racing. Then it’s a quick, quiet ride back for scoops at Camden Cone.  

Take the next step: stephenswaring.com

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Mercury’s Avator 75e and 110e are the company’s biggest electric outboards to date. Both have transverse-flux motors, three-blade aluminum propellers and recycled materials. The 75e can be ordered with a tiller or digital remote controls, while the 110e has digital controls. Both come in different shaft lengths. Owners can spec Avator 75e and 110e outboards with two to four external 5,400-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion batteries; these are paired to Mercury’s 5400 Power Center, merging power from the batteries and distributing it to the motor.

“Replacing a 6-gallon gas tank with at least two 5,400 kWh batteries isn’t the easiest task,” says Dan Ryks, Mercury’s senior category manager for electrification. “You have to find space for the batteries, and you need to consider their weight in order to deliver the best overall vessel performance.” The solution is flexible design. “The modularity of the 5,400 kWh batteries and the smaller 5400 Power Center provides boatbuilders and dealers with multiple configuration options for vessel installations,” Ryks says. The batteries can be installed horizontally or vertically.

While range and speed are vessel-dependent, Ryks says Mercury reached 16.8 knots aboard a 12-foot RIB powered by an Avator 110e.

System Ops

Mercury Marine’s Avator 75e and 110e outboards deliver 10 hp and 15 hp, respectively. SmartCraft Connect modules facilitate communication with the Mercury Marine app, which displays the available range and other data. The 5,400 kWh lithium-ion batteries recharge using AC power and a 520-watt or 1,050-watt Avator charger. The 520W charger replenishes two batteries in 20 hours; the 1,050W takes less than 10 hours to recharge.

Take the next step: mercurymarine.com

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Most sailors will tell you how marvelous it is not to hear an engine. There’s only the sound of the hull carving through the water, and no whiffs of exhaust fumes. Electric-powered boating has similar appeal, which is what Italy’s Ferretti Group hopes to capture with the label E-Luxury. The first model under this banner is Riva’s El-Iseo.

The original, traditionally powered 27-foot Iseo was shown at the Cannes Yachting Festival back in 2011. Around 70 of them have been built since then. The first production El-Iseo splashed in late 2023 and was at Boot Dusseldorf in January. I got aboard a few months later to play with it on Lago d’Iseo, Riva’s home lake in northern Italy.

The El-Iseo has sky-blue metallic paint, a gorgeous sheerline, light-blue and off-white upholstery, gleaming stainless steel, and the deep gloss of the mahogany foredeck and cockpit detailing. All of it is pure class.

While the El-Iseo’s deep-V hull form is the same as the Iseo’s, the windshield and cockpit seating are a little different. Two bolster-cushioned bucket seats are abaft a wraparound windshield. Farther aft, a C-booth seats four people comfortably. Also on the El-Iseo is cuddy stowage forward beneath the foredeck. Abaft the cockpit, there’s an inset sun pad and a swim platform.

What’s missing in the engine bay of the El-Iseo is a typical engine. Instead, there’s a Parker GVM310 AC motor rated for continuous 250 kW power and 300 kW peak power, two sealed and liquid-cooled 800V battery banks providing a total of 150 kWh, a couple of heat exchangers that are part of a two-stage battery-cooling system, and plenty of chunky cables and hoses, fire-retardant insulation, gas detection and extinguishing systems. Thrust comes from a modified Mercury Racing Bravo X3R sterndrive leg.

There are three cruising modes: adagio, which limits speed to 5 knots, suppresses acceleration and allows a working range of 10 hours or 50 nautical miles; andante, with normal acceleration, a top speed of 25 knots and a range of 25 nm; and allegro, for gloves-off acceleration and 40 knots. When battery reserves drop to 20 percent, the boat switches automatically from allegro into andante mode. At 5 percent, it will trip into adagio mode, allowing for 1,000 rpm and 5 knots with a remaining range of 2 to 3 nautical miles.

Handling is well-mannered throughout the speed range. The boat accelerates much faster than a conventionally propelled runabout of this size, and it heels reassuringly into turns. I’m a big fan of the fully digital Böning custom dashboard, which presents all the essential system information. Owners can choose a 9- or 12-inch Simrad display amidships. A conventional-style gear shift/throttle, Xenta steering and Zipwake trim tabs integrate well in auto-trim mode, although skippers can trim manually too.

We went out with batteries at the recommended 80 percent and came back after 30 minutes showing 34 percent. We plugged into a fast charger, and the boat’s instruments informed us that it would take 90 minutes to restore to 100 percent. Riva quotes 75 minutes for a 20 percent to 80 percent fast charge, and eight hours for a normal charge.

Riva doesn’t publicize prices, but it says this level of technology does not come cheap. Running costs should be relatively low, and environmental consciences should feel eased.  

If the Skies Change…

Riva’s El-Iseo is the only electric boat in Europe rated Cat B, with the help of Italian certification body RINA. Cat B boats can cope with F8 (gale-force) winds and 13-foot seas.

Take the next step: riva-yacht.com

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The Colombo 25 Super Indios E is an electrified version of the builder’s elegant 25-foot offering. It has a protected cockpit, a C-shaped settee and a sun-worshiping deck. The boat is propelled by two 35-kilowatt electric motors powered by a 72-kilowatt-hour battery; this combination yields 20 to 90 miles of range, depending on the skipper’s throttle-control habits.

Whom It’s For: Anyone who values near-silent and emissions-free boating.

Picture This: You’re entertaining friends at your summer place in Bar Harbor, Maine, and they’ve never seen Mount Desert Island. So, you load up your Colombo 25 Super Indios E and quietly cruise Somes Sound, stopping at Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor for lobstah rolls. You show off Otter Cliffs on the way home before delivering a safe and memorable view of Thunder Hole.    

Take the next step: colomboboats.it

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Italian yacht builder Rossinavi announced the launch of the M/Y Seawolf X, a hybrid-electric power catamaran capable of cruising in full electric mode for 100 percent of the time on one-day trips.

In a press release from the company, Rossinavi announced the innovative yacht carries the BluE label designating the shipyard’s new sustainable philosophy. Seawolf X has a 140-foot length overall, 45-foot beam and is an all-aluminum vessel that combines sleek design with environmentally friendly solutions.

The press release notes that the catamaran can cruise in full-electric mode for 100 percent of the time on day trips and 90 percent of the time on multi-day trips. Rossinavi also states that the vessel is capable of making transatlantic trips while in electric mode 80 percent of the time. 

The Hibernation mode, kicking off when the power catamaran is moored, reduces consumption to a minimum and the energy generated can be given back to the dock or a private property. Rossinavi boasts that the Seawolf X supplies enough energy to charge up an entire villa. The ship’s two diesel generators can quickly recharge its batteries on shore power in five hours.

“After years of study and construction, it is now a source of satisfaction and pride for us to witness the launch of project Sea Cat, now Seawolf X, the first hybrid-electric multihull vessel,” said Rossinavi COO Federico Rossi in a press release. “This yacht showcases remarkable technological innovations in both power management and propulsion technologies, marking the beginning of a new chapter in next-generation vessels.”

Yacht of the future

Rossinavi’s BluE label hybrid-electric yachts are propelled by batteries and solar panels with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. Energy collected by these solar panels during the day is stored in advanced batteries and released at night, creating a bioluminescent effect similar to glowing plankton.

On top of its environmental perks, Seawolf X also includes an onboard artificial intelligence system developed by Rossnavi. Rossinavi AI constantly analyzes the operation of the vessel and acts as a brain that can learn from observation and predict the needs of the guests on board. Rossinavi AI is able to talk with crew members and monitor the battery pack to keep it in a range of 20 to 80 percent –the ideal range to ensure better battery pack lifespan.

The boat’s exterior architecture is by Fulvio De Simoni Yacht Design, while New-York-based practice Meyer Davis Studio designed the interiors. The Fulvio De Simoni Yacht Design team came up with a sleek and low-profile silhouette, reminiscent of a sports car.

The yacht has three distinct spaces for outdoor living: a lively cockpit centered around a pool, a large sundeck with sunbathing and living spaces, and a bow area featuring a hidden pool and convertible home theater. The yacht design team accurately integrated solar panels into the vessel, ensuring plenty of surface space for energy recovery.

“We set out to envision the boat of the future, unbound by convention yet grounded in feasibility with cutting-edge technology for minimal environmental impact,” said Fulvio De Simoni, founder of Fulvio De Simoni Yacht Design, in a press release.

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The C-8 is candela’s second-generation, all-electric foiling boat. Stepping aboard, I felt more like I was aboard something from the aerospace industry than the marine sector. Weight, after all, matters greatly when takeoffs are involved. The C-8’s hydrofoils and computer system lift it clear off the brine once the foils are exposed to 16 knots of flowing water.

This vessel is built from carbon fiber, which keeps its dry weight at 3,527 pounds. Different center-console and day-cruiser configurations are available. I ran an open-top day-cruiser model, which has three helm seats, aft seating, a basic cabin and a head. Power came from Candela’s C-Pod drive system. This quiet, efficient 50-kilowatt electric motor is fitted inside a narrow torpedo-shaped pod that’s attached to the rudder’s outboard end. The system’s contra-rotating propellers are spun by dedicated inline motors. Fixed hydrofoils extend horizontally from the C-Pod’s fuselage, and a dedicated actuator controls rudder (and, therefore, hydrofoil) pitch.

In addition to the rudder foils, the amidships C-Foil system is part of the lift package. C-Foils are composed of two vertical struts and an 8.5-foot horizontal hydrofoil wing. The struts are attached to actuators on their inboard ends, and to the hydrofoil on their outboard ends. These actuators can simultaneously trim the foil’s angle of attack and twist 100 times per second.

Lifted vessels are inherently unstable, as their centers of gravity are above their lifting points. To counter this, C-8s are equipped with networked sensors that constantly measure ride height. Accelerometers, a GPS and a gyroscope measure the vessel’s movements across three axes. This data is fed to the flight-control computer, which generates foil-actuator commands.

This flight-control system also protects the vessel from poor user decisions, as I discovered while at the helm off Vancouver, British Columbia. When I attempted a rate of turn greater than 12 degrees, the system (wisely) moderated the boat’s speed to eliminate the chance of ventilating the foil and stalling. And it delivered a smooth, stable ride. There was nothing scary about the experience. Driving felt intuitive. When it was time, the flight-control system ensured a smooth transition back to displacement mode.

Most impressive was the C-8’s efficiency. According to Candela, at 20 knots, the vessel consumes 0.8 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which, the builder says, is the equivalent of just 0.026 gallons of gasoline.  

Take the next step: candela.com

The post Candela’s C-8 Foil Yacht Reviewed appeared first on Yachting.

Sirena Yachts in Turkey has unveiled a hybrid version of its entry-level motoryacht, the Sirena 48.

The Sirena 48 made its debut at the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival. Now, the builder is adding an option for buyers to outfit the engine room for silent power on demand without exhaust emissions.

Most of the same styling and features remain from the original Sirena 48, including three staterooms for guests. Sirena Yachts added a coupe-style coachroof where the original version of the boat had an open-air flybridge, for a couple of reasons. First, to create a sportier exterior, and second, to reduce the yacht’s weight and windage so performance and range can be enhanced for the electric propulsion.

The coachroof has solar panels set into it, adding more power for the yacht to use under electric operation.

“The hardtop design is particularly well suited to the hybrid drive system, and offers a remarkable solution in terms of aesthetics while maximizing the number of solar panels,” Sirena Yachts CEO Cagin Genc stated in a press release. “At Sirena Marine, we have been working hard to integrate a robust, meaningful hybrid option for some time. And though we are starting with our latest 48-foot yacht model, we are able to implement the solution on any of the yachts in our range, which runs up to 88 feet.”

The Sirena 48 hybrid has twin 213-kilowatt electric motors for a reported top speed of 14 knots. In silent electric mode, it can draw power directly from the battery bank to cover up to 30 nautical miles before switching on the variable-speed generators.

Sirena Yachts says one typical use case for that setup is a boat owner who wants to make a low-profile departure from the harbor or anchorage without the noise and emissions of a diesel system.

For longer range and more speed, the two generators produce electricity to drive the boat and recharge the batteries. Unlike a diesel engine, these generators can be positioned independently of the yacht’s propellers, reducing noise and vibration on board. When the boat reaches its destination, the batteries should be full again, allowing owners to overnight in total silence. There should be no need to start the generators for more than eight hours, even with the air conditioning on and the galley or audiovisual systems in use, according to the shipyard.

“By integrating hybrid solutions from e-Motion, Sirena Marine is bringing many new benefits to its yachts,” Genc added. “Not only can they offer quieter and more comfortable cruising at anchor and underway, we estimate that a hybrid system can reduce fuel consumption by up to 35 percent and cut maintenance costs by 10 to 15 percent.”

Can owners still choose layouts and styling with the Sirena 48 hybrid version? Yes. And the hybrid propulsion option is now available across all of the shipyard’s models.

Take the next step: click over to sirenayachts.com

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