When the keel is laid for most yachts, it’s done with little to no fanfare. Except at China-based Kingship, at least where its 44-meter (144-foot) Green Voyager project is concerned.
Note the colorful creature hanging in front of the yacht’s steel structure. It’s a lion, a symbol of good luck in Chinese culture. Kingship decided to create two lions for a special lion dance at the keel laying.
First, however, Roger Liang, managing director of Kingship, and several others burned incense. This implored the gods to bless the yard staff and keep them safe during construction. (Green Voyager is set for delivery in 2013.) Then, in keeping with tradition, the yard staff prepared a table of gifts for the lions, including oranges, which symbolize wealth. As the lions pranced, they built up to the dramatic climax you’ll see in any similar dance ceremony: Choi Cheng, meaning “Picking the Green.” The “green” part is usually vegetable leaves tied to a string that’s also attached to a packet of money. The string is hung above a doorway of the house or business where the dance takes place, and the lion reaches up to “eat” the leaves and packet. The lion then dances more, while spitting out the leaves. The dance moves serve as a blessing for the people of the house/business, and the spitting symbolizes abundance (success, health, etc.) for the coming year.
Added to the ceremony at Kingship, the picking action also involved the keel-laying plate. The lions presented the plate to a welder, who then attached it to Green Voyager.
The slideshow below showcases some of the more colorful aspects of the entire ceremony. Of course, there were still traditional speeches and words of thanks for the various parties involved. Green Voyager was announced two years ago at a ceremony with RINA. The builder and classification society revealed the megayacht would be far more environmentally minded than any shipyard has attempted to date. The 44-meter will have hybrid propulsion developed with Siemens, which has extensive experience in “greener” marine power. Green Voyager will be classed to RINA and carry a RINA Eco-Passport. The latter will permit the yacht to visit some of the most ecologically delicate waters on Earth, ones that most vessels are not permitted to enter. In addition, the steel-hulled yacht will feature heat-reflecting glass, heat-recovery systems, and high-efficiency propellers. The plan is to realize a 20-percent lower power demand on average during the day and even more at night in comparison to traditional yachts of the same size. Lower power usage translates into less fuel consumed, another environmental benefit, and of course less money spent on operations.
Assisting her fuel-efficient performance is a vertical, or plumb, bow, which reduces slamming in certain waves. It’s married to a displacement hull form that lessens wave-making resistance. The combination of these two items boosts efficiency by a reported 18 percent.
We’ll have more on Green Voyager in the coming months. In the meantime, enjoy the lions.
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