About a year and a half after she was ordered, Belongers has become the second Couach 5000 Fly in owners’ hands.
The 163’7” (49.9-meter) Belongers boasts the same styling and hull form as the first Couach 5000 Fly, La Pellegrina. Being part of a semi-custom megayacht series, though, she has several notable differences. And they’re not just in the decor.
In fact, Couach says the owner of Belongers wanted a high level of sound and vibration attenuation. This led Couach’s research and development department to consult with the well-known Van Cappellen Consultancy. The Dutch firm specializes in this type of work. It’s hired by many builders and project managers alike worldwide. Together, the two companies created what Couach calls SilentCab. It’s a method of isolating staterooms in particular from the sound and vibration coming from gensets and engines. To be clear, every builder of production, semi-custom, and fully custom megayachts uses sound damping. The difference comes in the materials used and the structural arrangement.
Couach and Van Cappellen Consultancy also developed a more stringent vibration-damping system for Belongers compared to La Pellegrina. Again, all builders strive for low vibration onboard, and classification societies even have set parameters for them. The system used for Belongers is called VRS, for Vibration Reduction System. Couach and Van Cappellen Consultancy studied how various systems and materials would vibrate throughout the speed range and in various sea conditions. Based on that data, they installed damping materials aboard Belongers.
Another customized element the owner requested: a longer upper deck. Belongers can welcome 14 people for alfresco dining and relaxation. (Normally 12 people in the owner’s party stay aboard.) There’s also 1.076 square feet (100 square meters) of semi-enclosed space forward.
Unchanged, of course, is the 30’4” (9.25-meter) beam of the Couach 5000 Fly series. Also unchanged is Couach’s emphasis on performance. Belongers has twin 5,226-hp MTUs that promise a 28-knot top end at half load. Cruise speed is 24 knots. The latter permits a 600-nautical-mile range, though Belongers will surely travel long distances at a more leisurely pace. She should see best range, 2,200 nautical miles, at 12 knots.
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