Living Onboard A Solar Powered Yacht

[@SuperYachtCaptain]

If you would like to Charter or Purchase a Silent Yacht: mortlock-yachts.com

[@StephanPluemer]

I Like it ! fantastic ... I Ride in Norway a ferry elektric that was impressive, so quit an peacfull, powerfull ...

[@thecrazypinkcatlady]

What’s the average price to Charter a Silent 55 or 60? We’ve been considering ordering one but would love to get on board to see it first.

[@YesterdayTodayForever]

Definitely

[@davidadams3669]

Tristan and partner. THANK YOU! Always such a pleasure to watch your superb vids. God bless.

[@brunomeral7885]

This is the vlog I didn't know I needed! This show how livable and efficient the solar yachts could be, well done.

[@popehlergard9925]

During your 12 hour passage, how many hours did you run the generator and how many liters of diesel was consumed? Thanks for an informative channel!

[@alisavas9526]

This is such a treat! My favourite crew is sharing so much information. I'm very interested in Silent yachts and I've been following them since the beginning. I'm enjoying every minute of it. Nothing wrong with 5 knots speed, especially when it's absolutely free. It's basically sail boat speed.

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

If they had had a kite sail on board they could have motor sailed..I must say i do like the layout of this version.. with the forward access cockpit.

[@TChalla007]

@@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665 I'd add wind turbines

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

@@TChalla007 You have to put them where they wouldnt cast any shadow over any part of any panel ...they also need to be safe for people aboard and they tend to be noisy and vibrate .. Vertical axis designs might be safer and less prone to damage. The real problem is even the shadow cast by a thin wire or line will cut the power output of a solar panel by a third to half..🤷🏻‍♂️ thats what they found on their time living aboard the prototype 46ft design. And why they use a kite sail. That can be flown at up to 150 M away in clean undisturbed consistent airs. Another idea used by Sunreef is to cover the whole upper hull in flexible solar panels... But till recently they are only effective at certain times.... and vunerable to damage. The newer Silent yatch's have a a shorter solid front deck creating more interior space and a greater roof area for panels. New multijunction spectrum solar panels are on the way that should boost conversion efficiency by orders of magnitude.. By water cooling existing panels and using the waste heat performance efficiency and life span can be increased. If the waste heat can be used via a heat pump or stirling engine generator to quietly produce more energy quietly. The other possibility is rethink the ICE Generator...ditch the bulky noisy vibrating reciprocating engine and replace it with a fluid piston Rotary heavy fuel motor which is vastly smaller lighter simpler and vibration free.. Imagine a motor small enough to fit in a space the size of a rotary Wankel engine eg a large can of paint.😎

[@matthewclark2123]

Doing new things is great, that’s how you pick me up. I originally came just to see the silent, and ended up subscribing and enjoying your page.

[@linuxman0]

28:15 I can see the father/son resemblance. 😀 I'm glad you had fun on your voyage. This is what life's all about.

[@koomaj]

This the content we have been waiting for. Absolutely fantastic.

[@MrRossi1805]

Exactly my sentiments!

[@MrRossi1805]

Not an compilation of commercial videos!

[@MrRossi1805]

Waiting for the next part…

[@Donald_Shaw]

I remember that road trip with your dad... that was very special for you both.

[@bobkd5fjd823]

Nice to meet the family! Hopefully you will do a complete tour of the boat including the cabins etc. nice to have you back on the water!!

[@raymondgregory2136]

I have always admired your professionalism and work ethics as a captain but was missing for me was the human side. This series is much more enjoyable to watch. I believe you have hit on a winning combination . I truly enjoy the technical aspect of your videos' but this takes it up a notch. Very well done. Thank you!

[@FLGurl]

So happy for your English. I will say that the map utilized on the helm in the early morning mapping your journey and destination on day 1 - it did not look like there was that much water around at all. I truly believe that this is the first catamaran I have ever seen where I would live on most of the time. Love the idea of saving power and utilizing the natural power of the sun. Great video and looking forward to more of this absolutely stunning vessel. Thank you.

[@alanblasczyk1779]

What a nice change of pace. It is also nice to see Giv again. It has been so long. Great video Tristen.

[@naturalflow157]

Thank you for sharing this awesome video with us. It is a unique perspective and how you navigate the obstacles in this area. Thank you again for the inspiration and sending much love.

[@robmaclachlan1264]

Then add a kite system on the bow to take advantage of the wind. Awesome machines those Silents

[@brianboys9015]

The early morning shots show off the boat nicely and quite entertaining. Cool

[@504cool]

Thanks for the video. Also Thank you Silent Yachts for sponsoring this. It's great to be able to see the ship in action at sea!

[@davidmartin1051]

Thank you that was great. I live in the Santa Cruz area of California and I love the Silent and Yacht idea. They are expensive but as things with electric power get better and better hopefully I can get into one eventually. Thank you for again for a really great look into having fun while operating the silent yacht. Cheers.

[@howardbalfour7594]

Brilliant and a better , slower way of life ,take care

[@carsonc1272]

I'm looking forward to the rest of the episodes. Please deep dive the propulsion systems for us. Don't get me wrong because I love the direction Silent Yachts has gone and I'm a fan of the company. Having said that there are a couple of critiques that should be mentioned. 1. Go down market with the boat line and pump out some volume. Make a 46! 2. A parallel hybrid setup is probably better than the series hybrid setup that Silent Yachts uses. Let's face it, we aren't going to get away from diesel completely. If that's true then two diesels and two electric motors give better redundancy. In a parallel hybrid each electric motor/diesel engine pair turn a shaft. Meaning that it would take a failure of both the diesel engine and the electric motor to lose the ability to turn the shaft. Silent Yachts relies heavily on a single gen set. That single gen set is made further vulnerable by having no ability to directly turn the shaft. So failure of either electric motor, or any of the parts between the motor and the gen set bring it down. So don't rely on a gen set for propulsion and instead turn the shaft with the reliable engines that the industry already uses for this purpose. It's likely that a parallel hybrid is more efficient too because the mechanical energy from the diesel is applied directly to the shaft and that energy is converted only once. Antares and HH have both settled on this format after careful consideration. My mind could be changed upon hearing from Silent Yachts owners that they never have electrical or gen set issues, or that they never use the gen set. But the owners have been "silent" so we are left to speculate.

[@d23bw]

Great to see you back on form again. Thanks.

[@carlosuribarri]

You are resuming quite well the beauties of a SAILING boat. Never too late mate!

[@RayMrRobert]

I’ve missed you. Wishing you all good times.

[@carsonc1272]

If that boat is equipped with the kite system then it would be awesome to see it in action.

[@kennethtoderick7009]

I like the new direction your channel is going in. Keep up the good work and nothing but glad tidings going forward.

[@henrycarlson7514]

Interesting , Thank You . Thank You for showing a fine alternative , and a fine starting point to making better , more efficient boats.

[@danieljohnston5306]

Like the relaxed side of Tristen and Jevonator!

[@bruceroaf5750]

so good to see you both back at sea 👍

[@naiboz]

I do like the silent yachts, can’t wait to see an 80 pop up on a channel. But…. they still feel too compromised for me. There’s some promising pv tech that’s looking at efficiencies of closer to 50% instead of the 22% ish that boats panels may be hitting. That would be a game changer I think. Cruise at 8 knots and still have a surplus to keep the battery’s full. 😙👌🏻

[@HopeOfJoe]

Totally agree. Cruising at 8-10 knots would be ideal, especially over oceans rather than island to island. Love the boat ‼️ ‼️

[@garethchild]

My dream combo: SYC, Giv, and a Silent Yacht!

[@ayeshadequeiroz4857]

What a lovely ideal boat. Very nice for family getaways.

[@ScienceRockifyMe]

Truly enjoyed that - can't wait for the next 7 episodes.

[@kvinteractive8981]

I love these yachts, the Silent 60 is in my top 3 of dream yachts atm.

[@godlyobject6509]

Love it! Spending a week onboard that though, what a dream.

[@davedavids9619]

It is good to see the two of you enjoying yourselves after a several months of traveling and being apart. It is a beautiful yacht, very interesting to see solar power becoming a bit more 'main stream'. I see this as the beginning, not the end. A speed of 5 - 6 kts is about trawler speed, where the journey is more important than the destination. Yes you will not be able to outrun a storm, but it must be a very heavy, unexpected, storm if this yacht cannot handle it. Looking forward to your overall opinion after the week is over.

[@keithprice3369]

5 knots is just the cruising speed. You can hit 25 knots for a period if you need to outrun a storm.

[@ThoughtfulWander]

Awesome!! You all be safe and enjoy!! 👍👍👊👊

[@eman7892]

I really like the 60s. I'm hoping to get1 in about 2 yrs.

[@carsonc1272]

This is THE video we've been waiting for. To my knowledge nobody has ever made a video of a Silent Yachts boat in action for more than a few hours. Slick promotional videos are worthless and the tiny trips of a few hours tell us almost nothing and that's all that Silent Yachts has managed to give us in soooo many years. I'm really really hoping that by the end of this little series that we have a statement that says "we traveled x number of miles and burned x number of gallons, and conditions were x" . I understand that completely cloudy conditions and all blue sky days are going to yield drastically different results but this is the one chance to pull some numbers that are independent of Silent Yachts.

[@redwolfexr]

If you are actually BUYING one I suspect you get a lot more data. The numbers were there in some of the earlier videos, you just had to pay attention. 4-4.5 knots is the sweet spot where you don't consume ALL the power generated on a good "sun" day as I recall. Which is supported here where he expects 5-6 knots to deplete the battery and to run the generator at 50% - which is them being conservative and cautious. Also, this IS still a promo by Silent Yachts, he specifically thanks them. So I wouldn't call it quite independent. The captain provided is definitely an employee. Tristan is also brokering for them as well. So he has a contract with terms that he must comply with.

[@ThoughtfulWander]

great episode! stay safe Super Yacht Captain and family enjoy the boating!! 👍👍👊👊

[@safesiteiow3786]

Thank you so much, Just loved the Solar powered Yacht 👍

[@seantwomey396]

I enjoyed the video combination of the technical tour and the family dynamics of a yacht vacation. If I was aboard I would be constantly quizzing everything but I would happily volunteer as bartender / waiter. You and your lovely spouse look relaxed but a correction. She is not the old First Stew, she is the former First Stew who was hired at a ridiculously young age.

[@darkstar18498]

Nice video. Maybe if you do another. Lets have a look at the battery array and a bit on how much energy the panels are pushing and displacement

[@michaelstaruszkiewicz8798]

The Silent 62 is my idea of an owner crewed vessel. The Sky Sail to augment the speed & legs of the 62 creates a transoceanic capable boat.

[@redwolfexr]

I can't say I would want to go transoceanic, even on one of the boats with a larger battery/solar field. Its not designed for it - when they ferry these they use fuel bladders for a reason. Its great for what its designed to be - an off grid luxury apartment that can move between ports that are fairly close. Does not need shore power or to be regularly refueled to run the generator. But if you want to travel long distance at 4-5 knots then go right ahead.. and hope for no storms or cloudy days. Even with Generator supplement you can't run much faster without running out of fuel. Its still a great boat, but if you want to go blue water use a trawler or a sailboat.

[@thecrazypinkcatlady]

@@redwolfexr - They advertise them as cruising boats fit for passage.

[@redwolfexr]

@@thecrazypinkcatlady Realistically, only if you stick a huge fuel bladder on the deck. In theory you can just keep going at 3-4 knots forever. Reality is you go 8-9 minimum and much faster if you are in a regular yacht with massive tanks. Its 5000 miles or so from the Med to the Carib... so 45 days or so on solar power alone to make the trip. It absolutely would make it. Whether you could carry 45 days of food is another question. 45 SUNNY days. Its still a great boat for what it is. But 45+ days of very slow sailing isn't what I would call fun. If I owned one it would be going on a barge for that passage.

[@jeffreylightbourn9445]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing this.

[@maxiandrews8424]

this is a very impressive yacht i have ever seen i am going to buy one or two.

[@VDW77]

Great stuff - getting that Sailing La Vagabond vibe - without the sails. Live Q&A with Michael Kohler will be interesting & also your feedback a couple of weeks after the trip, when you had time to digest it all. Enjoy the rest mate.

[@jacquesleroux5882]

Wow, I am pretty sure that Captain Mike's full name is Mikael Wandler? I sailed under him on a 1916 schooner, the Joseph Konrad, way back in 1992 when I was a youngster from South Africa gap-yearing around Europe. He had a wife/girlfriend Heidi. The boat, a classic with Elvström sails, was stationed in Mandelieu-La Napoule near Cannes, and it belonged to a German lawyer, Herr Dr Hofffinger, who was a friend of the Aga Khan. We sailed up and down the French and Italian Rivieras, and then all around the Med (Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Adriatic) to take the boat to places that he would fly into with his girlfriend, Frau Dr Engelhardt.. Mikael is a fantastic seaman and a great mensch!

[@cestmoi1262]

I wonder how the fuel usage would compare to a full diesel at 5 knots versus this trip on a solar powered cat. Also, is a diesel cat cheaper than a solar cat? For the future I am convinced that solar will win out.

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

Hi even with a steel displacement trawler hulled Dutch Yatch two hours of the generator running at optimum performance it recharges the Battery bank to full which delivers 10hrs cruising. So a cat with twin 230kw motors and steady running should be an easy match. This is one of the early models larger models have longer hulls So handled well better hull speed.

[@bobuncle8704]

This is such a dream for me. I’ve been following the Silent yachts for some time, and seen some reviews. This will be the first “long term” review. Love it. Bucket list stuff for me. I’d really like to see power generation/consumption numbers throughout a full day. Battery technology is changing so rapidly that these are exciting times. Snot that I don’t normally enjoy your content, but I’m really looking forward to this mini series.

[@ladykay8]

You guys really need to look at Sharrow Props. They have a looped design, and increase fuel efficiency by 20-30%. They also cut vibration, cavitation and noise significantly. You should check it out. Also gives you better handling in the water. I've already e-mailed Silent recommending they speak to them. Bring this to your own owner's attention for AWOL and/or whatever other large yacht you're on next.

[@tarawood-bradley2119]

Interesting video. As for looking at the future of boats, so if we look at a boat like AWOL and we fit on her solar panels to be used to supply auxillary power all of the creature comforts. Then you can use the main engines to get the boat to where you need to go and then run the boat on solar.

[@ronaldharmon9891]

I'm only in the beginning of the video but you're cracking me up, I've never seen you so groggy with sleep LOL

[@ctopholt]

All that space, it looks amazing!

[@xrpwatts2116]

Well i talked to silent yachts and i wanted to know if they will ever come out with wind turbines for their yachts incase sun isnt shinning or in a storm you would have constant power without worrying about the panels, it would definitely be a plus for silent yachts.

[@mervynmontague1811]

Interesting and informative 🇯🇲

[@MrRossi1805]

I hope I see more of it!

[@headcheck100]

So glad to see you back! Really enjoyed this content style

[@steveshay5364]

I really wanted to know how “silent” it still is when the generator is running! Much quieter than a traditional setup for sure, but how is it really? For both sound and vibration. Thanks!

[@Frindleeguy]

Silent is Bering. If you are ever on a Bering with both engines wide open, you'll swear it's powered by batteries or something cause you can't hear or feel the 700+hp underneath you. These electrics actually make quite a bit of noise and you'll find yourself frequently adjusting rpm's to alter the sine wave they put out. And you can really hear the genny through the boat as it is not isolated or soundproofed beyond what you can do without adding any significant weight. Would be the same as any other fiberglass cat running a genny, actually louder cause it's 5 times bigger than a lot of cat gensets.

[@gustavosmoiras1750]

Most execellent information

[@DMilesWood]

I wish that i could get one of these yachts as its a perfect boat for me

[@gsmith207]

Ditto the rest of comments! Really awesome and well done! 👍

[@sappir26]

Would be nice to get a tour of the whole boat including the sleeping quarters and the upper deck.

[@SuperYachtCaptain]

Coming soon.

[@Blackmind0]

Fine to see Silent Yachts, made by austrians, Michael und Heike, from styria and carinthia....they will rule !! :-)

[@scottgordon1781]

Love the cooking

[@privatesecurityafrica4129]

Very cool... Thank you for sharing.... Perfect crew by the way :)

[@scentybeast9531]

Expensive bad coffee lol, real talk! Love the E-yachts (if thats what to call them?) I think it's the future

[@DonOblivious]

Wish videos like this were more detailed. Show us the engine rooms and lazarette! Show us the dismal pilot quarters and awful wet head and the cramped quarters/bunk bed/shower/toilet that so many "crew spaces" are on boats like this. It's great you showed the anchor drop.

[@WarrenMoyes]

Amazing video, best one yet

[@JohnAdams-mu7xd]

Dude this was epic!!!👍

[@wildqtip6482]

This is awesome! I’m curious how loud it is when the generator is running? Is it bothersome to the cabin closest? Anyway glad your having fun!!! 👍

[@lexnite22]

I really wanted to see the kite system deployed and in action.

[@peterpluim7912]

The logical next step would be a sailing yacht with sails that are plastered with flexible photovoltaic cells. We’re not there, but give it another ten to fifteen years and they will be flexible enough to withstand the pressure of the wind and the handling of the sails.

[@keithzellers495]

Are you going to do a video with a full tour of the boat? I've always wondered why the refrigerator is out side.

[@jenspetersimonsen4235]

... love Silent's - and the efficiency will only become better ... of batteries, solar's and overall energy consumption 🙂 NOT at all envious, BTW ;-D

[@TheOUboy]

Really like these yachts

[@johngauntlett4915]

Tristan, isn't technology great? BTW, I like the new format of your channel, very insightful.

[@riantomuklis6786]

Very god bhot energy sholar 👏

[@skipallen3309]

Would have loved to see a cabin layout.

[@buoyohbuoy790]

Wonderful family, lovely experience, and a beautiful boat. Thank you for sharing with us. However, for a 2 million plus luxury motor yacht, the energy supply is seriously constraining. I understand it is very early days, but cruising at 5 knots takes lots of planning and still, you can not go anywhere you want, any time you want to… Starting from simple stuff, like the currents in the straights of Messina that can even make the crossing prohibitive, either due to the time of the day, or due to the energy you need to use for crossing at 10-12 knots SOW, that will leave the batteries drained after the crossing. Ocean currents, tidal or otherwise, pose the same challenges… Latitude is also constrained… You can not really go beyond the 45th parallel north or south, and the winter with its short days, will again render it obsolete. Then, if bad weather is coming, you have to endure it since you can’t outrun it. Additionally, managing energy use in high winds and poor sea state, is another serious challenge. So yes, interesting project, ahead of its time definitely, but the current limitations of solar energy output and energy storage, seriously impact the usability of this boat. Appealing concept? Yes! Usability? Limited to none. I would personally wait for another 10 years before even considering anything like this. I can definitely reduce my carbon footprint a lot easier, by buying a sailing catamaran of the same size or smaller.

[@peterwaugh9416]

Agree totally but I doubt any Silent owner would have ocean crossing in mind when purchasing this yacht. You can get 20knots out of this boat but much shorter range obviously so you could outrun bad weather if needed. I'm sure you can recharge when on shore power so winter at a marina like 95% of other boats. This is the future.

[@redwolfexr]

This isn't about reducing footprint anyway - its about having a luxury floating apartment with limited mobility. These are going to mostly be in two places.. the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. And if they go between them its mostly going to be as cargo. But that covers a HUGE number of the people that live on boats. Its an island hopper.

[@sconnz531]

Great video. Need video of the cabins please!

[@jonrd463]

Great video, Captain! Nice to see some pleasure cruising with the family, and Silent Yachts have been something I've been eyeballing for one of my lottery fantasies. Was that one equipped with a supplemental kite sail? With following winds, it seems like it would have been the perfect opportunity to add a couple of knots for free. Cheers!

[@jeffsmith7914]

How many feet is the length of the yacht and what is the price of it?

[@danner1620]

I dig the vlog style

[@wisconsineaglesfan7925]

Would love to see how much a pair of Sharrow props would increase performance.

[@ernest795]

You should specify that this is one of the first production yachts and the newer ones have more advanced solar recharge. The newer yachts have much better autonomy than this older model and would show off the brand much better than this one does.

[@TheStaniG]

He does, its in the description. But this is on Silent Yachts, they only ever seem to use their old prodiction yachts for promotion which makes no sense to me.

[@ernest795]

@@TheStaniG In the description where nobody looks...

[@Sworksfsr]

Also, the newer versions have the kite kit that they says adds 4 knots

[@dajobra]

I would go sailing cat instead. A gunboat 66 would be the ticket for you I think. Maybe you can get Alex Thomson to give you a tour, also good for content

[@toronaga5014]

I subscribed to your channel years ago but left after awol sold ( yes I'm ashamed) I just came across this video and after watching it I resubscribed ( hopefully I've redeemed myself) keep up the good work and looking forward to more awesome videos from you in the future. If I ever by some.miracle.end.up.owning a yacht I'd love.to have you as my.captain but in the meantime keep making these great.vidoes. (sorry for the typos I just had hand surgery)..fair winds and calm seas

[@guenthermichaels5303]

Tristan, I have an eco friendly, and faster, longer range ( trans Atlantic ), alternative for you. A sailing catamaran. Alternatively, you could harness a pod of dolphins. Maybe you could do some tours with Nico Rosberg of his new Catamaran, a visit to Privilege yachts, or Lagoon . Cheers from yyz.

[@boblupart862]

Supper disappointed you didn't show the PV in at the height of the day.

[@x6da9crain]

This is so awesome. But a lot of boaters say you need to be able to fix your own problems out at sea. So on super yachts you have a engineer. What happens if you have a technical issue with the battery out at sea

[@6800891]

While no regular person can afford a solar boat manufactured from the factory, it would be quite possible to take an "end of life" catamaran sailboat, strip it of its sailing fixtures, and install a canopy of solar, battery bank, and a couple of torqeedo outboards.

[@IamTheLight854]

Someday i will own one of this. 😅

[@artyomsyomushkin1104]

Thanks for the great video. Would be nice to hear some comments on how saling(or driving?) this cat compares to sailing of the similar wind-powered cat. I guess it is more user friendly (as you don’t have to manage sails?) and silent if you have no wind cause you don‘t run diesels, right? Any other differences/drawbacks? For example speed - 5 knots. Seems slow for power yacht but should be ok for sailing yacht, right? Some energy consumption balance numbers through the day would be interesting - what PV has produced, what was motor consumption per mile and per hour, how long generator was running etc. Why AC consumed 5,5kw, if you said it was off? It also worth mentioning that Silent advertised their cats as totally fuel free, when running at 5 knots. E.g You don‘t need generator as PV produces enough energy. BTW I think that generator should be more powerful and duplicated - e.g 2x30kW for example. Then you need to run them for lesser time (less noise) and have redundancy.

[@storm4710]

Newer versions use a 100kw+ generator, Remember this was built in 2016 and was their first real yacht

[@darthkek1953]

So and always to be clear : this is a solar-assisted yacht. As the makers have made clear, in talk if not literature, the reality of owning this is a low-diesel use not a no-diesel use.

[@phillipl9746]

True but remember that boat is 6 years old the new ones are much more efficient and you can get a kite sail for downwind

[@darthkek1953]

@@phillipl9746 it's physics... it's a big heavy boat driven by weak sunlight. And when I say weak I mean in the Med or Florida. Good luck with this beast in Scotland for 9 months of the year. A SAIL on a BOAT? My goodness... is that using the wind or something? Such a concept might catch on...

[@phillipl9746]

Do some research silent yachts weigh 1/2 as much as similar sized yachts of course they won’t produce as much power up north The biggest drawback to these yachts is price

[@darthkek1953]

@@phillipl9746 I've done my research not least listening to the owners of the company for years. Half an elephant is still heavy. You wouldn't want half an elephant on your head. They're impressively light COMPARED TO something even heavier, but they are heavy.

[@phillipl9746]

@@darthkek1953 you miss the point of these boats when at anchor or doing day trips they use no fossil fuels on longer voyages you use generators that are more efficient than the engines

[@YesterdayTodayForever]

Brilliant. Heeeeii yaaahhh

[@johnpenson8801]

Enjoyed the video Tristan. Surely you are advocating sailing yacht speeds for power boaters if we all go electric?

[@lordjoni187]

There's the boat I'm going to have 😁😁

[@jessestanley1690]

There should be wind turbines on that ship for additional power production

[@macmongo9056]

Can you interview any actual owners? I’d love to hear actual usage and owners thoughts.