Oceanvolt’s innovative, fully integrated SEA electric motor system (Silent Electric Autonomy) has been added to the first J/88 to be launched this fall in Newport, Rhode Island. Imagine sailing on a beautiful day knowing that, even if the wind dies and you’re forced to turn on the motor, peace and tranquility are not lost. Every minute sailing, the battery pack is charging, allowing you to later silently power back to the harbor.
“There is no quicker way to break the silence of a beautiful day for sailors than having to turn on the diesel engine,” said Jeff Johnstone, President of J/Boats. “Most of our owners will tell you they sail their boats 90% of the time. We would like to improve that other 10% and as well provide a more environmentally-friendly solution for sailors who love the sea.”
The Oceanvolt SEA system has clear benefits compared to diesel motors, the most significant being silent operation, no emissions and low maintenance. On a full-charge there is enough battery power to go up to 25 nm with no sail or solar power support. Add in both of those elements, and the J/88 can conceivably go all day under mainsail enhanced apparent wind generation and 600 watts of solar panels traveling at over 5 kts.
“For the past ten years, we have been developing innovative solutions for the electric/hybrid power market in Europe,” said Timo Jaakkola, President of Oceanvolt. “Based in Finland, a country renowned for developing leading edge “green” solutions, our company has pioneered the use of electric power in keelboats that range from 15 to 60 ft and ranging from 3kW to 15kW.”
The J/88 features Oceanvolt’s SD6 6kW 48vdc system; which is lightweight (47 kg total) and has full hydro-regeneration capabilities, meaning that you can create energy back to the batteries while sailing using the folding propeller mounted on the strut-drive. Up to 1kW per hour can be generated to recharge the batteries while sailing at 6.5 kts. Unlike diesel engines that require ongoing maintenance by qualified mechanics, the Oceanvolt motor has no gears and very few components.
An important feature of the Oceanvolt SEA system is the complete integration of Victron Energy’s solar power MPPT charge controllers, shore power inverters, and the hydro-generator power. The Oceanvolt RSI is a state of the art remote diagnostic and service interface that lets you check your boat’s status from anywhere. Track all the data about the motor, batteries, generator, solar panels & chargers online in real-time. The Victron Energy Color Control GX provides you all the data logs, the ability to set parameters for alarms, and track the location and monitor your boat in real-time on a map (it even permits “geo-fencing” alarms should your boat venture away for some unknown reason).
In addition to hydro-powered regeneration with the SEA system, the J/Boats demo J/88 will also feature the latest solar powered sail technology thanks to UK Sailmakers France and their innovative SolarClothSystem. This design incorporates super-thin 65 micron film containing highly efficiency photovoltaic cells that will produce 600 watts per hour. The cells are flexible enough to be used on mainsails that get rolled or folded. A portion of the solar array will include removable panels that can be fixed on-deck or onto a boom tent while lying peacefully at anchor.
The new Oceanvolt J/88 will be at the Newport Boat Show, swing by and have a look for yourself!
For more information, visit the J Boats website.
