Expeditionyacht.org

The Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) is the Premier European exhibition of equipment, materials, systems and services for the international leisure craft trade and industry.

I couldn’t make it to METS in Amsterdam this year but I’ve been looking in their online catalog and here’s a few interesting products you might want for your (expedition) yacht, tender or fishing boat.

Caudwell Marine innovative engines
Their Axis Drive™ marine propulsion system for the recreational boating market in the 16 – 40 foot boat range is very innovative. Based on Nissan engine technology they say they plan a diesel engine too which would be THE solution for us.  This solutions clearly beats the Volvo Penta Sterndrives.

Quick Marine Lighting
With LEDs color temperature now really getting warmer there is no reason to keep using halogeen anymore. This Italian company makes really stylish LED lighting but also LED-bulbs to replace halogeen bulbs. 

Another, better known Italian manufacturer is Cantalupi Lighting.  The RGB Varilight system allows you to be very creative with lights.

Blue Green ultrasonic antifouling
This British company is the manufacturer of a marine hull protection system using environmentally friendly, low cost ultra sound. I don’t know yet if we can use this product given our thick steel hull but boy, that would be a great, green solution.

Imagine keeping your boat’s hull totally clear of all forms of algae, slime, weeds, worms and shellfish without the use of poisonous biocides that leach into the environment and leave a toxic chemical legacy or very expensive anti-fouling coatings?

Cobra electronics
A very cool product.  The Cobra’s MR F300 BT is the loudest and clearest way to make and receive mobile phone calls on your boat! Do you ever worry about getting your mobile phone wet or missing a phone call? Do you have a difficult time making clear calls while underway or in windy conditions? Cobra’s MR F300 BT solves all of these problems.

Strong-grip
From Sweden a handy fastening system with superior grip ability that holds all kind of tarpaulins and fabric materials.

Mastervolt’s 24V/160Ah Li-Ion battery
This well-known Dutch company claims to have developed the world’s first practical high capacity Lithium-ion battery that can be used as a direct replacement for big lead-acid battery banks on boats. This innovative new product is smaller, lighter, more efficient and has three times longer life cycle expectancy than its lead-acid equivalent. 

Of course, it will also cost 3x as much but even then, worth a serious look.  Right now, our 24V batteries are on the  top deck in the exhaust stag enclosure. There’s hardly a hotter place to store batteries which means a reduced life. If we can put them in the airconditioned bridge house, next to the 24V switchboard, that would be a drastic improvement.

And finally, for the music fans, all the way from New Zealand:

Fusion Electronics Marine I-pod docking station
Their iPod Marine Stereo Unit (MS-IP500) is the first stereo unit in the world to feature an internal iPod dock and flagships FUSION’s True Marine product range. The Unit enables users to dock their iPod inside the Stereo Unit and keep it protected from the harsh marine environment. The Unit also features True iPod Integration, allowing complete control of all iPod functions through a simple-to-navigate user interface which mirrors that of the iPod itself.

The unit also complies with international waterproof standards on both the front and rear of the unit and features True Multi-Zone Control allowing four separate audio zones to be created within the vessel. 

I guess now all we need is a “true marine” Playstation 3!

This section has been very quiet for a long time but that’s going to change. 

To recap the situation a little bit: we had 3 generator sets on board, each delivery 380 V/50Hz and 220V DC power (for winches and thrusters). We ‘ll keep one generator and put a bigger (280 KW) AC generator on it to handle bow- and stern truster. We’ll add 2 new AC Northern Light gen. sets (about 70-90 KW each) and maybe a small harbor set (20 KW) that may also be configured as a emergency generator.

Basically we have to renew the complete electrical system. After all, the switchboards have to change and that means new wiring, up to current class-standards.  Then we’re going to add a lot of new equipment (think air conditioning, water maker, sewage treatment, lighting, SCUBA compressors, cranes, incinerator, vacuum toilets etc.) so we’re in for a major electrical refit.

The company we have selected for the design & calculation and switchboard production is Dutch electrotechnical company Piet Brouwer Electrotechniek.   They have been around for over 45 years.  In fact, they actually installed the current electrical systems in our vessel (built in 1989). With a long history in the commercial marine field, they have started to carve a niche in the yachting world as well.  They design and build their own switchboards and have a daughter company, Marble Automation, that builds custom automation systems.

Their flagship product is the MS-3080 ship automation system, certainly one of the most powerful and complete automation system you can get on board a yacht.  There’s no end to what you can do with this system but unlike many products in this field that target the yacht market, this product is rock solid and has proven reliability and hundreds of installations.  Needless to say it’s class approved.

During the coming weeks we plan to work out a load balance with Piet Brouwer’s company and define the scope of our automation. This includes making a list of all the electrical equipment on board, its power needs and look at several operating scenarios (at anchor with guests, arrival/departures in port (use of thrusters), cruising, etc.). Based on the outcome we can size our generators, define load-shedding situations (which equipment gets kicked off the grid to avoid generator overload and in how many stages.  We’ll also look at class requirements and then we’ll start designing the real thing.

An exciting part of this conversion project as we want to make it a smart system where generators always have at least a 75% load, build in a lot of convenience and safety related automation yet don’t go over the top and forget about common sense human decisions.  Instead of over-automating things (which always requires a lot of assumptions, margins that may lead to less than ideal generator load, it makes more sense to have information about the electrical system at crew’s fingertips at different locations and educate them on its use.  That way, we avoid fancy and costly automation equipment and use our generators smartly.

So stay tuned for more.

I just got back from ‘FLIBS’, certainly worth visiting. For anybody planning a conversion, this show are a great opportunity to learn about new products, check out existing ones, compare products, validate assumptions and get to know the people behind the products.   5-10 Minutes of talking avoids lots of typing e-mail!

Meeting with yacht crew, brokers and owners was also very useful.  I had the opportunity to visit several yachts from accross the spectrum. On the top of the chart no doubt was the 198 ft. Blue Moon by Feadship.   Feadship director Koos Zitman was kind enough to take the time to give me a personal tour.  The level of quality and detail on this yacht is nothing short of awesome.  On the other end of the scale was the Phoenix, a 1974-built supplier converted into an expedition yacht (for sale).  Both are ships I don’t plan to imitate but for very different reasons.  In between was the Beothuk, an extraordinary well detailed Vripack Doggersbank design, built by Kuipers Shipyard in Woudsend.  I also had a quick look at a Christensen and Trinity yacht but mainly to have a quick look at the crew accommodations.

The result of the visit?   Lot’s of decisions made. In no particular order:

• Air conditioning
  While I knew a long time ago I would get Dutch engineering to assure a silent and well-dimensioned air conditioning system, I had been doubting which company to choose: NR Koeling (using Italian Climma equipment) or Heinen & Hopman (using MarineAir and their own brand).  The combination of brand strength and local (Ft. Lauderdale) support made me decide for Heinen & Hopman.  Both companies make great products and have been very helpful at all occasions so this was not an easy choice.  By the way, 2 of the yachts I visited had serious design problems with their A/C.  Noisy exhaust fans, cold air blowing in your face and even one cold air inlet above a crew member’s pillow!
• Lights
  Visiting the Beothuk which runs on 100% LED lighting, including engine room, that’s the way we want to go.    They are becoming more affordable, the color temperature is not an issue anymore  and they last ‘forever’.  Add enormous reduction in heat – allowing lower air conditioning capacity  and the fact that you can basically light your whole ship on battery power, why bother with fluorecent or halogeen?  Even the underwater lights are getting really strong as I saw in the OceanLed stand.  LED is simply the future.
• Vibration control
  Boy, was I glad I stopped by Van Cappellen Consultancy, the noise and vibration control specialists.  One of the products  I was seriously considering was Mascoat, sound dampening coating.  Well, within a minute of my conversation with technical director Willem van Cappellen I learned that would be a total was of money in my situation. Not that Mascoat is a bad product but, as Willem explained, it doesn’t work on 8-10 mm steel!  Instead, he recommended me to spend my money on Swedac Damping cassettes if I wanted to see some real results.  He wasn’t familiar with the vibration compensator from Danish company Gertsen & Olufson and after 2 weeks I still don’t know if this product works with mid-speed engines but I hope to find out soon.
• Lloyds Register
  Besides FLIBS I had a very pleasant meeting at the Lloyds Register office in Plantation to discuss our project with their principal surveyor.  It clarified several unanswered questions about the rules, requirements and procedures.  Very friendly and helpful guys.
• Lighting control
  By-me Marine from Vimar combines the simplicity of the architecture of home automation, Italian design and electrical equipment for the nautical field. I’ll write more about this soon but the bottom line is: great flexibility and functionality, less wiring and it looks beautiful.  In the US this product line is available through the experienced guys of DRSA in Riviera Beach, FL.  Very informative website.
• Paint system
  I was tilting toward Sherman Williams Marine painting systems but the folks at AlexSeal Yacht Coatings also made a very strong case about their paint that they claim is easier to repair, supported by a growing list of big-name yards changing to their system. Jury is still out on that one.
• Waste incinerator
  I’ve reported on these before in an earlier post.  Talking with crew and yacht builders, I think it makes a lot of sense to have one on board.   Instead of building an additional walking cool room and freezer to store waste you simply burn it.  In a very clean way.  And not only garbage and waste but also waste oil.  Instead of the logistical complications of dropping the waste with a shore based facility (who in developing countries will simply dump it in and open air dump), it’s a lot environmentally friendly to dispose of it in a IMO-approved waste incinerator like that made by Norwegian incinerator specialist Teamtec.  We had some space issues but I think we’ll be able find some space in the engine room.
• Submarines for yachts
  I consider myself pretty good at digging up info on the Internet.  If there’s something written about it, I’ll find it. Well, one company has eluded me successfully.  I thought I had identified every serious small submarine maker but Italian submarine maker VAS was a total surprise at FLIBS. As I write this, their website is down so don’t be surprised if the link above doesn’t work. They make great (RINA certified) subs (3-10 people capacity) and their 3-person model seems a serious competitor to SeaMagine’s Triump which is heavier, slower and doesn’t offer a distortion-free view.   But for now, the SeaMagine’s website  totally kicks their butt!
• Tenders & tender engines
  I looked around at the (many) RIBs shown on this show but I’m sticking with the folks of Humber Inflatables and the Volvo Penta D3.  More customization, better pricing and a wider range. 
• Navigational sonar by Farsounder
  Just have to get this.  It totally blows away the ‘competition’.  These consumer sonars give you an image that’s updated every minute.  Farsounder gives you a 3D-like picture every second.  Now, that’s something you can really use!  O.K. Before you order one, check your bank account. But if you  think sonar and you have a big yacht with at least 3 feet of draft at the center of the bulbous bow, don’t settle for less, get something that really works. 
• Doors & hatches
  It seems Freeman is the way to go, combining quality with affordability.

Based on what I heard from crew,  I think we’ll try to squeeze in another head in the forward crew section.  I got the impression that sacrificing a small desk would be preferred over having to share a head with 3 other crew members.  We’re also going to see if and how we can enlarge their messroom a little bit to provide space for all.  At any case, our crew cabins will have more natural light than all  crew cabins I saw on the yachts I visited.  OK, except the captain’s cabin on  the Blue Moon .

Crew or yacht builders, let me hear your comments please.