Steve Bell Shares the Latest on Silent Yachts
Silent Yachts was the first boat builder to harness solar power in a long range cruiser over ten years ago. Because this builder plunged in first, its engineers got a head start on discovering what didn’t work very well, what didn’t work at all, and what did work. Harnessing photons from the sun to jiggle electrons in silicon to create a trickle of electricity, aggregate it, store it, then step it up to hundreds of volts in order to turn large electric motors to propel a 65,000-lb. boat, is easier said than done.
But the folks at Silent Yachts have done it, as we verified that in our test of the Silent Yacht 62 two years ago.
Putting Claims to the Test
In case you haven’t noticed, in the boating world talk is cheap, and there is a lot of it. Today, there are no fewer than seven builders who claim remarkable efficiency with all-solar or hybrid-solar power. Trouble is, most are in a nascent stage of development, and are short on trusted 3rd party verification of claims. We have tested only one other yacht with a hybrid system.
This interview of Silent Yacht V.P. and General Manager, Steve Bell, sheds light on the company’s success, discusses his recent transatlantic voyage on the 62, and previews the new Silent Yacht 80. Don’t miss it.