Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) is working with fellow Oxfordshire-based firm, OXIS Energy Ltd, on the production of ‘cleaner, greener energy’, designed for an all-new 40ft electric battery-powered luxury boat.
The craft, from Yachts de Luxe (YdL) of Singapore and designed by Jean Jacques Coste, will be the world’s first ever battery-powered luxury boat to be powered by Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) cell and battery systems technology. The objective is to achieve a range between 70 and 100 nautical miles at cruising speed – setting new standards for range in electric boats.
WAE will be responsible for the state-of-the-art 400 kWh battery system, which comprises ultra-light, high-power/high-energy density Li-S cells – provided by OXIS Energy Ltd – and the battery management system (BMS). The design and manufacture of the cell modules, the BMS and its installation will be carried out by WAE at its dedicated battery facility in Grove. Continue reading “World’s first battery-powered luxury boat using Williams Advanced Engineering tech”
It’s official – Marine Surveying International Fest III 2020, the ultimate marine surveying online training event, is coming to a screen near you soon! If you are not familiar with the Fest format, now in its third year, it is an annual online only event hosted live by IIMS from Portchester, UK and broadcasting through Zoom with both days starting at 06.00 (London UK time). If you cannot or choose not to join live, there is an option to purchase the entire day’s content in video format to watch at your leisure. The event is open to IIMS members but also to non-members too – all are welcome to join.
The installation of 300 shore power mains connection charging sites is just one recommendation for the UK Government from the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) to make boating more sustainable. The infrastructure investment would improve air quality by reducing the emissions from stoves for heating and engines run for charging batteries, as well as enabling a move towards more boats with electric propulsion, says the IWA’s Sustainable Propulsion Group.
For many years, the IIMS Certifying Authority (CA) has pursued a rigid training policy, requiring an examiner to attend one of the two days real-time training that has been arranged annually. This concept now seems somewhat outdated and inflexible. Furthermore, asking an examiner whose specialism is coding motorboats to sit through a presentation on workboats and cranes at a training day is not a great use of anyone’s time, unless it has direct relevance of course!
On 4 December 2019 two men returned to 9.18m privately owned motor cruiser Diversion, which was moored on the river Ouse in York. The diesel fuelled heater had been leaking exhaust fumes into the boat’s cabin while they were ashore, and both men were overcome by a high level of carbon monoxide gas and died shortly after they entered the boat’s cabin.
The International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) has released its latest Small Craft Standards Bulletin. The bulletin provides industry stakeholders with early notification on changes to existing standards or new work items that are developed and maintained by the ISO Technical Committee for Small Craft Standards (TC 188).
Almost 900,000 UK boaters are due to be hit by restrictions on how long they can stay in Europe after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December 2020, a new survey by the RYA has found.
