The greening of superyachts

7:50 PM Tue 3 Nov 2009 GMT

'Can operate in silent mode when appropriate' .

It's good to know that the adherents of stink boats are trying to get something right!

On show at the just finished Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in Florida was a 78ft super yacht which claims to cut fuel consumption by a whopping 40% - and has achieved zero emission.

The Ferretti Group, which have produced The Mochi craft Long Range 23, claim it is the largest zero-emission pleasure craft in the world. Powered by a hybrid (diesel-electric) propulsion system, the 'transplaning hull' claims to cut fuel consumption by 40 percent with a range of 1,000 miles.

Mochi Craft Long Range 23 - .. .

Company vice president Andrea Frabetti told the Miami Herald that the boat can reach a top speed of 16 knots and run silently -- even with air-conditioning and all on-board appliances in use.

Frabetti said it can operate in five modes:

1. With the diesel engines running the electric motors and recharging the lithium ion ferride batteries;
2. With the electric motors disconnected from the diesels but driving the propellers with the help of a generator and battery pack;
3. With electric motors on battery power driving the propellers in silence; with all on-board utilities powered by the battery pack;
4. ...and with the yacht plugged into shore power while overnight in port.

Frabetti said the Mochi Craft costs about $1 per mile to operate, compared with about $4 per mile for a conventional diesel-powered yacht.

Mmmmm... not as good as a sailing boat perhaps, but five stars for the effort!

With a price tag of around US$5 million, it's still a luxury to be green in the world of the motor/super yacht, but if you are not put off by the price tag, or merely want to drool, here's what you get on the inside: