Featured Product 

SAIL MAGAZINE MOORINGS 4300 REVIEW

  Cruising World Moorings 4300 review

This weeks featured product is based on a new trends in marine propulsion. Now you can ditch that engine and generator.

Moorings 4300

BYM press release

Built by Robertson and Caine with technology from Glacier Bay, the new Moorings 4300 Electric sailing catamaran combines new diesel-electric propulsion technology with the comfort, style, and performance of an award-winning Moorings yacht.  This is the first yacht with electric propulsion to have successfully proven this unique environmentally friendly technology through a transatlantic passage and over six months of charter use in the British Virgin Islands with the world’s leading charter company, The Moorings. Over the past year this system has proven to be extremely reliable and a winner with environmentally conscious sailors. “The Moorings is proud to lead the way in testing and improving this technology to the point where such an eco-friendly propulsion system is available to the recreational boater and charter customer,” commented Lex Raas, President of The Moorings.

The OSSA Powerlite propulsion units are driven by an OSSA Powerlite DC generator system by Glacier Bay, which also powers the boat systems, including powerful DC air conditioning units. No additional battery bank is required for propulsion storage, which avoids issues with battery life and disposal, and the addition of weight and reduction of usable space

Video of the boat

Glacier bay

Ossa Powerlite Propulsion system

OSSA Powerlite^® is an integrated approach to diesel-electric propulsion and ship's power service.  It combines light-weight, high efficiency permanent magnet generators and motors with a wide range of carefully matched and fully integrated accessories.  OSSA Powerlite equipment is designed from the ground up to set a new standard of performance for the generation and utilization of power on modern yachts of all types and sizes.

The OSSA Powerlite family includes:

●  Generators - Propulsion Duty Rated ^tm generators from 6kw - 200kw.
●  Propulsion Motors - Synchronous permanent magnet motors from 20hp - 800hp.
●  Auxiliary Motors - "Get Home" redundancy through your OSSA Powerlite generator.
●  Bow / Stern Thrusters - 5hp - 100hp.
●  HVAC - Micro Air ^tm variable-speed air quality management system.
●  Power Distribution - OSSA-CAN ^tm touch screen controlled power distribution.
●  Battery Chargers - up to 400 amps @ 12vdc or 200 amps @ 24vdc.
●  Electro-Hydraulic Power Packs - for stabilizers, cranes and other hydraulic needs.
●  DC - AC Power Converters - Input to 800vdc, Output to 480vac, capacities to 100kw.
●  Stovetops, Ovens, Refrigeration, Watermakers, Water Heaters and more.

OSSA Powerlite is a completely new family of lightweight high-voltage DC products.  The system centers around unique, exceptionally light-weight DC generators ranging in output power from 5.5kw - 150kw..  The  10.5 kw unit pictured here weighs 350 lbs and measures 27.5"L x 20"w x 25"h.  At this weight (including sound shield) the generator is 150 lbs lighter than its nearest competitor.  The unique sound enclosure permits easy access for service while providing virtually silent operation.   All generators feature extremely quiet operation and significant savings in size and weight. 

Ossa Powerlite 

The OSSA Powerlite generators form the basis of Glacier Bay’s OSSA Powerlite system.  This extensive group of compatible, high-voltage DC/AC accessories are intended to be used together to gain significant advantages over current alternatives.  When combined, the OSSA Powerlite system components provide weight saving of 50% or more as well as improved energy efficiency, performance and reliability.  The OSSA Powerlite product line will eventually grow to include refrigeration, air conditioning, electric propulsion drives, bow thrusters, windlasses, rapid battery chargers, heaters, stoves and other major power-consuming systems and appliances.   In addition to their own branded products, Glacier Bay also offers a no-cost OSSA Powerlite compatibility certification program to other manufacturers of high-voltage DC accessories.

The diesel-electric advantage -

Virtually all passenger liners and many commercial cargo-carrying ships have switched from conventional to diesel-electric propulsion.  The logic for doing so may at first seem counter-intuitive (i.e "don't you lose efficiency?").  However, it turns out that decoupling the diesel engine from the propeller shaft offers many advantages - advantages with apply just as well to a private yacht as to a commercial carrier.  These advantages include:

•  Improved fuel efficiency.
•  Reduced noise and vibration.
•  Better interior space utilization.
•  Reduced weight and/or better distribution.
•  Superior performance in extreme weather conditions.
•  Better integration of on-board systems.
•  Increased life and reliability of the engine and major components
•  Improved vessel handling and maneuverability.

With so many advantages to diesel-electric it is reasonable to ask why it has not been widely adopted before now.  The answer can be found in the state of the art and associated costs of the technologies required to successfully implement these systems in the smaller "yachting" scale.

Broad Blue 415

Southampton Boat Show 2007,

The stunning Broadblue 415 is the first of several forthcoming new models being introduced into Broadblue's fleet of luxury blue water catamarans, to be offered with an optional OSSA Powerlite® propulsion system. This outstanding diesel electric drive system not only requires less electric horsepower to power a catamaran but is also an extremely quiet, highly cost effective and eco friendly alternative to a diesel engine.

Use of this newsletter is not authorized unless accompanied by the logo and or link.