An all-aluminum motoryacht that almost started as a sailing yacht has slipped into the sea at Perini Navi’s Viareggio, Italy shipyard. The 83’7″ (25.5-meter) project, nicknamed the Eco-tender, ushers in a new possible product line for the builder. Simultaneously, she’s its first motoryacht with hybrid propulsion. This type of performance package will appear on more power and sailing craft taking shape within its sheds.
The Eco-tender is for current Perini Navi clients who came back to the yard seeking a bigger boat. As talks began, however, they and the yard team realized their 171-footer (56-meter) offered plenty of space. The ideal solution was a complementary craft with flexible cabins and shallow draft, yet something considerably larger than a typical tender. Perini Navi created a classically appealing motoryacht, bearing an identical paint job. A VIP, a double, and a twin stateroom take care of changeable guest needs. Equally important, when alongside her mothership, she allows guests to step easily from one boat to the other. In addition, a crew cabin and plentiful amenities enable her to be an independent cruiser.
Those amenities include a traditional saloon and dining area, along with a galley, on the main deck. Bearing a 19-foot (5.8-meter) beam, the Perini Navi Eco-tender has brushed teak and white-painted joinery, designed in house. For alfresco enjoyment, the aft deck has seating, plus sunning space. Even the owner can enjoy the Eco-tender. An avid nature photographer, the yacht’s foredeck is set up as a viewing spot.
Perini Navi terms the Eco-tender “a new breed of super-tender” for more than just her LOA. The technology behind her hybrid propulsion system is a further reason. From Siemens, a specialist in the field, it incorporates twin MANs coupled to two Hamilton waterjets, plus two electric motors. In traditional diesel mode, the megayacht should see upwards of 30 knots. A second mode, hybrid, taps one diesel as a propulsive engine, with the other diesel acting instead as a genset for one of the electric motors. Furthermore, diesel-electric mode is possible. Under this, a separate genset powers the two electric motors and, in turn, the waterjets. Finally, a fourth mode, zero-emission mode, sees batteries run the electric motors and waterjets.
The latter should be particularly helpful for when the Eco-tender enters sensitive environmental areas. The owner wanted as low of an impact overall as possible. Also, the batteries should allow speeds to 8 knots for an hour straight, further helpful for maneuvering or limited (sub-1,000-nautical-mile) hops. They additionally address the owners’ request for low sound and vibration in any mode. In fact, Perini Navi says the contract specifies maximum sound levels throughout at 55 decibels. That’s roughly equivalent to office conversation or background music.
With a draft of 3’8” (1.15 meters), the Eco-tender has some sophisticated navigation electronics aboard, too. Team Italia installed its I-Bridge Multitouch nav system, for instance. Akin to ones aboard larger superyachts, it lets the captain operate all systems, including the hybrid system, via a trackball and touchscreens. Each touchscreen can raise or lower, too, plus includes augmented reality overlays. With this, video image overlays provide further information for nav data. And, finally, the Perini navi Eco-tender has an anchor-watch system, employing the radar, thermal camera, and/or search light. The system lets crew see all regional traffic, plus anything that crosses a set proximity sounds an alarm.
The Eco-tender is part of an overall hybrid evolution for Perini Navi, which includes a sailing superyacht project. That yacht, the 42M E-volution, is still in build. The hull, recently completed by Perini Navi’s Turkish shipyard, should transfer to the Viareggio facility for outfitting in a few weeks. The Eco Tender, meanwhile, should see delivery in April.
Perini Navi https://www.perininavi.it/
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