Singapore-based Azura Marine has announced the first launch of its fully solar-powered yacht “Solar Eclipse”. The company says that with use of solar power alone the catamaran is able to travel more than 100 nautical miles (185 kilometres) in a day without stopping.
The model is the first hull in the company’s Aquanima 40 series. These solar-powered catamarans are also equipped with a 56m2 rain catchment system, a water maker, and an air conditioning water recovery system. Azura Marine says this renders water supply stops unnecessary too.
The launch of the Solar Eclipse was on 8 May 2020 in Bali, Indonesia. The solar-powered yacht features four cabins for up to eight guests. According to the company, the electric motors used are virtually maintenance-free. It says there are only a couple of low-cost bearings to be replaced at 20,000 hours, which it says is more than a typical lifetime usage of a yacht.
Electricity from the embedded solar panels is either used directly during daytime or stored in batteries for night-time usage for propulsion and domestic electrical systems. Azura Marine says that, in combination with its highly efficient hull design, this enables the yacht to cruise continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and that the vessel is capable of crossing oceans.
The company puts the cost of the base boat Aquanima 40 at €495,000, with a range of options to be chosen by the customer. As well as layout and finish, these options include a mast and sails package, which will add efficiency.
The specification includes and overall length of 13.25m, 2 x 10kW propulsion power, 10kW solar power, and a main battery bank capacity of 60kWh.
Solar Eclipse has a six person tender powered by Azura Marine’s own electric outboard motor. It says the portable Li-Ion battery pack for the tender is charged directly from the yacht, or can be charged when ashore.
Azura Marine says it will shortly begin construction of the Aquanima 45 model from its Surabaya base, starting production in marine-grade aluminium.
In a statement from the company, Belgian born co-founder and CEO Julien Mélot said of the first launch that the yacht “met all our expectations, and while the design makes for near silent operation with exceptional responsiveness, it was incredible to actually experience it – and all in the knowledge that we were not producing any harmful pollution or emissions.”