Spirit Yachts delivers first fully electric yacht

Spirit Yachts has successfully delivered its new 13.4m (44ft) Spirit 44CR (e) to her Canadian owner. Based on the Spirit cruiser racer (CR) design, the 44CR (e) was commissioned for an eco-conscious customer who set Spirit Yachts the goal of ‘near total energy self-sufficiency’. The ‘e’ denotes the yacht’s electric drive system.

The project is the first fully electric yacht to be designed and built by Spirit Yachts. At the request of her owner, the yacht has zero hydrocarbons onboard. She is also the first yacht in the UK to be launched with solar panels integrated into the main sail and deck.

The sloop-rigged sailing yacht, named Avvento, has a lightweight (65kgs) Oceanvolt ServoProp15 sail drive, which is powered by Oceanvolt 48VDC batteries (total capacity 30.4kWh, made up of x16 1.9kWh batteries). The electric drive system uses hydro generation via the electronically controlled pitch propeller to regenerate the batteries while sailing.

Regeneration is boosted by solar panels on the mainsail and the aft deck.

“The original brief from the owner was for a yacht that would sail well in the light winds of British Columbia,” says Nigel Stuart, MD Spirit Yachts. “The yacht also needed to deliver the lowest possible carbon footprint during its build and when operating, as well as having the flexibility to upgrade its systems when technology advances.

“Without a generator onboard, the owner will need to be mindful of energy consumption, but with careful management of battery power there will be no sacrifice on any luxuries. The yacht has air-conditioning, heating and electric toilets, all of which make life onboard very comfortable.”

Regeneration depends on sailing speed, but Spirit Yachts has calculated it will be realistic to see 1.5kW at 8knots of speed. Weather dependent, the solar deck panels on the deck and the mainsail can regenerate a combined total of 1.47kW.

Two Solbian solar panels are integrated into the aft Lignia deck and support the drive system by recharging the batteries. The panels (that can be walked over) serve as the hatch covers for two large lazarettes below, one of which houses a tender with an electric motor.

To deliver on the brief of a yacht capable of performing well in especially light winds, Spirit Yachts fitted a taller mast and a larger mainsail than on a standard 44CR rig. Spirit Yachts also worked with OneSails GBR (East) to develop a solar solution for the yacht’s sail wardrobe.

“We have collaborated with Solar Cloth System to integrate thin cell PV panels into the yacht’s 4T FORTE™ main sail as a source of electrical generation,” says John Parker from OneSails GBR (East).

French company, Solar Cloth Systems, developed the technology, which is officially named Powersails.

“Due to the high modulus construction of the 4T FORTE™ composite material, the impact of the PV panels will be minimal in terms of the sail’s characteristics and performance. The technology is cutting edge and, to my knowledge, it is first project of its kind in the UK,” says Parker.

OneSails’ 4T FORTE™ sails are currently the only sails made from a cloth that can be stripped of its hardware and recycled at commercial recycling plants.

Spirit Yachts founder and chief designer, Sean McMillan, says: “One of the great joys with this particular yacht was the creative freedom afforded by the lack of a large diesel engine, which would normally need to sit on the centreline and take up a considerable amount of space. By having a much smaller electric drive system, the owner is able to have a twin aft cabin and a more spacious central living area for living aboard and entertaining.”

The owner of the Spirit 44CR (e) is Vincent Argiro, a retired technology entrepreneur living, sailing, racing, and exploring in British Columbia.

He plans to launch a website, which will track the yacht’s energy usage and regeneration.