Silent, Emissions-Free Cruising

Sometimes, innovation is born of necessity. Other times, it comes simply from sheer annoyance.

That was the overriding feeling—annoyance—that boaters had for years about noisy generators in pristine coves and on placid bays.

There was belching. And spewing. Endless sleep interruptions from the droning. Somebody cranking the damn thing on at 5:30 in the morning like some kind of harborwide alarm clock built by human-hating robots in machinery hell. More than a few of nature’s most untouched, most peaceful locations seemed positively corrupted by the ruckus of generators, again and again and again.

Even still, the idea of overnighting on a boat without a generator was anathema to a lot of people. No generator would mean no air conditioning. No reading lights. No power for whatever electronic device they were most addicted to at the time.

All of this is why several forward-thinking boatbuilders are now embracing technology such as lithium-phosphate batteries, giving boaters a way to have the power they need without the annoyance—or the expense—of having to continuously run a generator on board.

Horizon Power Catamarans is one such boatbuilder. The company was founded in 2009, has sold more than 60 hulls, and has handled more than 500 charters. All of that business came with feedback from occasional and regular boaters alike about what would make their experience even more hassle-free, leading up to the boatbuilder’s turn toward generator-free cruising options.

“Welcome to silent living!” the builder announced in early 2024 as it made a new power-management package a standard feature on its PC52, PC60, PC68 and larger custom power-catamaran models.

Each of the catamarans will have a Victron Energy lithium-phosphate battery package paired with a Termodinamica variable-speed air-conditioning system. The idea, the builder says, is for boaters to have minimal generator usage and maximum efficiency—such as air conditioning, refrigerator and freezers being able to run for 20 hours on batteries alone.

“This, coupled with other areas of energy savings, such as propane-fueled cooking, solar-powered systems and large alternators, goes a long way in mitigating energy consumption while making for an extremely comfortable and enjoyable cruising experience overall,” says company founder and CEO Richard Ford.

Another boatbuilder working on similar power solutions is Two Oceans Marine. It’s based in Cape Town, South Africa, and has been building boats since 1989. A partnership with the HMY Yachts network of dealers in the United States includes the Two Oceans 555 power catamaran, which owners can order with an Off-Grid Package that’s designed to provide power without the noise of running a generator.

The Off-Grid Package includes eight 400-watt solar panels, a 50 kW Victron Energy lithium-iron-phosphate house battery bank, and 9 kW Integrel Systems PTO power generators on the main engines. (PTO stands for power take-off generator. It’s tech that’s often used in agriculture and by emergency services in areas without electricity.)

In less-geeky terms, this package gives boat owners an entire technology setup with generator-free cruising and living aboard in mind.

“This translates into the ability to power all seven air conditioners continuously for over eight hours in sweltering South Florida conditions,” says Dave Jirikovic, the brand manager handling the Two Oceans line for HMY Yachts. “The Integrel system’s PTO generators, driven by the main engines, operate maintenance-free and allow for efficient and high-speed recharging of the house storage bank.”

Jirikovic calls the package “a glimpse into the future of boating.” He might be right.

Are the generator’s days numbered? In some boaters’ minds, the answer appears to be a definitive, happy and whisper-quiet yes.

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