Future Thinking

A key part of Oceanco’s identity is our drive to be an industry pioneer. We maintain our momentum of innovation through a combination of incremental steps and radical leaps, realized both internally at Oceanco and when working with co-maker partners. Our most radical innovations can be achieved thanks to bold and ambitious objectives, which we call ‘Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals’ or BHAGs, for short. A BHAG is clear and compelling, and the solution makes a palpable advancement in what we can achieve when building, maintaining or refitting a yacht.

Black Pearl’s hybrid propulsion installation has two shaft lines, each with a controllable pitch propeller. In normal sailing mode, the propellers are set to minimize drag and prevent the shafts from turning. But when we want to harvest some of that kinetic energy to be stored and used on board, the pitch of the propellers is altered to create a lifting force as the water passes over them. This rotates the shafts, which are connected to a permanent magnet electric propulsion motor (EPM), effectively converting the wind energy that is moving Black Pearl through the water into electrical energy.

With the system reaching its full potential, it is possible to achieve a fully-zero-emission transatlantic crossing where both propulsion and hotel services are powered by the wind alone. We are able to turn back the clock to a time when shipping was emission free, except now with all the comfort and luxury provided on board a modern superyacht.