Michael, Inge and their 3 children live in Denmark, a country where 80% of electricity production comes from renewable sources. They drive electric cars and use domestic Solar panels to ensure their household's electrical autonomy. An electrical engineer by trade, Michael is up to date with the latest energy technologies and well aware of tomorrow's challenges. It was a matter of course for them that their Exploration 45 should fit in with their lifestyle.
"We love sailing and we wanted to motor sail silently, without burning fossil fuels, using renewable energy as much as possible. We wanted a boat that has no limits, a comfortable and safe home on the water, which allows the absence of any link with civilization if needed for a period of 3 months. At anchor, we'll have 22 kW available for induction cooking, the washing machine, the diving compressor, the outboard motor and so on. (...) I really don't see any constraints in going green, only advantages."
This is the challenge Garcia Yachts by the future owners of Anemis, a boat that looks like them, for a project rooted in respect for the environment.
A sailing program over several years, starting with a tour of the Mediterranean, followed by an Atlantic loop, and then a tour of Northern Europe. Always with an open vision of blue water cruising :
"We'll have no plans other than to enjoy where we are. "
Technically, hybrid propulsion is organized around an electric motor - which takes the place of the traditional internal combustion engine - a bank of lithium batteries and a Generator. The batteries are charged by hydro-generation when the boat is under sail, as well as via Solar panels and a wind turbine. When motoring, the electric propulsion runs on batteries. Then, if required, the Generator takes over to power the electric motor. As with the use of a hybrid, it's by adapting your sailing mode to this type of propulsion that you can significantly reduce your diesel consumption: half the diesel consumed in "propulsion via the Generator " mode compared with a combustion engine, and a voluntary reduction in engine sailing time in favor of sailing. Overall, diesel consumption is between a quarter and a half of normal consumption. This increases range and motoring radius to over 1,200 miles.
A choice that also offers hitherto forgotten advantages, such as the ability to approach certain areas and their marine inhabitants in absolute silence.
After many discussions - both functional and technical - on how to sail and live on board, Michael, Inge and Garcia Yachts worked with OceanVolt to develop the right hybrid propulsion solution for the project. OceanVolt, not exactly a novice, is Alex Thompson Racing's official supplier for a fossil-free Vendée Globe 2020.
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