Silent-Yachts just announced that it’s making a new 80 Tri-Deck solar-powered catamaran with a sky lounge or “owner’s deck” on the upper deck with lots of private space and the possibility of panoramic views all around. The third deck is an enhancement of the yard’s successful flagship 80, making it the most spacious Silent to date.
“The additional sky lounge is a very convenient space and helps stretch out the period of using the boat,” said Michael Köhler, the founder and CEO of Silent-Yachts, an Austrian company. “The extra space on top extends social areas on board, while offering new opportunities in terms of layout.”
The Silent 80 is a totally solar-powered vessel, powered by twin 250-kW electric motors. It has 64 solar panels producing 25 kWp, and a battery capacity of 280 kWh. Cruising speed is 6 to 12 knots; top speed is 16 knots.
The yacht is meant for ocean cruising without using any fossil fuel. A generator can recharge batteries but it only needs to be used in rare cases. The 80 uses the same lithium batteries as those in a Tesla. For night cruising, a 20-kVA inverter provides power for all household appliances.
Using solar power only, the Silent 80 is capable of cruising 100 miles a day. Köhler and his wife, Heike, launched their first self-sufficient, blue-water catamaran in 2009 after cruising more than 75,000 miles around the world.
The 80’s salon is on the main deck, and takes advantage of the cat’s 35-feet-plus beam. It has a galley, a dining area and a super-sized lounge. The lower deck holds four to six guest cabins and one or two crew cabins. All the staterooms have double or twin berths and all the heads have separate showers. The interior can be highly customized to meet the owner’s individual wishes.
Designed by Marco Casali, who has a luxury yacht design studio in Rome, the Silent 80 has a clean modern look with lots of straight lines and large windows to provide natural light in the public and private areas. It is built with vacuum-bagged, resin infusion and lightweight composite construction.
The new Silent Tri-Deck costs 4.92 million Euros, or a little more than $5,420,000.
Specs.: LOA: 79’7”; Beam: 35’9”; Draft: 4’1”; Disp.: 60 tons; Fuel: 792 gals.; Water: 264 gals.; Power: 2x250kW electric motors.
