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Greener and Better: the Silent 60

• By Chris Caswell
• December 16, 2022

If there was any question that the “Tesla moment” has arrived in yachting, the Silent 60 clearly provides a positive response.

Consider, for a moment, crossing oceans in silence at 5 to 6 knots without consuming a drop of fuel and never needing to plan your course between fuel stops. Imagine sitting at anchor and running the air conditioning all night, not to mention all the galley appliances plus the washer-dryer, without the hum or fumes from a genset.

During my time aboard the Silent-Yachts 60, the electric yacht cruised easily at 8 knots. When I whipped out my sound meter, it barely registered 52 decibels, which is about the sound of a dishwasher. The Silent monitors at the helm showed we were charging our 286 kWh lithium batteries at more wattage than we were using to spin the 340 kW motors, so we were ahead of the power-usage game—and this was in South Florida rain under a solid cloud layer. Had we upped the ante to the yacht’s top speed of 20 knots, it would have been drawing from rather than adding to the batteries, but the speed capability gives skippers the option to outrun weather (or just get to the best moorings first).

The Silent 60 is a catamaran design for several reasons. First, the twin hulls are easily driven to minimize the power needed. Second, with nearly 30 feet of beam, there is enough deck area for the solar panels needed to create power.

Buyers can choose as many as six staterooms, each en suite with stall showers and nearly king-size berths. The salon also uses that beam well, providing bowling-alley space under 7-foot-6-inch headroom. With the Silent 60, the interior is basically a blank sheet, allowing buyers to tailor the layout to their cruising needs.

As for the engine rooms, NASA could take a page from Silent-Yachts: Everything is precisely labeled, placed for easy access and surgery-suite spotless. Externally, the Silent 60 is striking, with reversed bows and black graphic slashes on the topside that conceal dark-tinted windows (which provide bright, airy interiors to the staterooms). What catches the eye most, however, are the 42 solar panels that cover every inch of the cabin top as well as the hardtop over the flybridge. Produced by SunPower in California, these panels feed power to a lithium battery pack reportedly good for 3,000 charge cycles—or an estimated 35 years of normal boating use.

The Silent 60 I got aboard, which was Hull No. 3, had a four-stateroom layout. A larger stateroom forward in the starboard hull served as the master, with an athwartships berth, settee and built-in vanity. This yacht also had a walk-through Dutch door forward in the salon next to the helm, leading to settees on the foredeck as well as providing salon ventilation. Another benefit of the door for short-handed cruisers is quick access to the anchor gear under the foredeck.

Owners can sacrifice the forward door in favor of a forward master stateroom with a king berth just a couple of steps below the salon and an en suite head in the starboard hull. An intriguing design feature is the two outward-facing “window seats” indented into the stateroom on each side deck, which would make a wonderful spot at anchor with a good book.

The salon has a fixed dining table that easily seats eight people on the wraparound settee. There also are loose chairs and a pad just forward for lounging. The helm is raised one step and has twin Simrad multifunction displays plus the Silent systems monitor, all easily understood.

Aft and to port, the U-shaped galley has a dishwasher as well as a full-height fridge to starboard. The fridge setup may change to a pair of undercounter drawer fridges on future boats for easier access and to eliminate a blind spot for the skipper.

Abaft the galley, a window slides open for easy pass-through to the cockpit to serve whatever the cooks have prepared using the Hafele four-burner, two-zone cooktop.

The Silent 60 is a work in progress, and additional changes might be on the way, such as the addition of twin berths that slide together, and a different location for what is now the midsalon washer-dryer (in a console abaft the helm). This hull was built in Thailand, but production is moving to Italy.

Still, the yacht has exceedingly clever design ideas, such as the hinged hardtop on the bridge. The top lowers electrically to seal off the bridge from the weather as well as keep the solar cells from being shadowed. The bridge itself is conventional, with a double-wide helm seat to port that reverses to create wraparound seating for the dining table, and double lounge pads for relaxing, not sunning, since the solar panels take up every bit of sun space.

The cockpit has a settee and an L-shaped table. A hydraulic swim platform is available in varying widths to handle up to a 13-foot tender without impinging on the platforms on either hull. Silent-Yachts also gets points for good walk-around decks protected by toe kicks as well as welded stainless-steel rails.

The Silent 60 is on the leading edge of a greener yachting experience. For cruisers who are looking to lessen their carbon footprint while enjoying some quietude at sea, this yacht is worth serious consideration. 

Built for Safety

Future Silent 60s from Italy will have fully resin-infused fiberglass sandwich construction with carbon reinforcements in high-stress areas. Each of the hulls has watertight bulkheads, sealed floors and three collision compartments for enhanced safety. The foam sandwich core provides thermal and sound insulation.

Kite Sailing

One option available on the Silent 60 is a kite-wing propulsion system using a collapsing mast and hidden winch to fly a 140-square-foot sail. (By comparison, a Laser sail is 76 square feet.) With open ocean breezes of 17 to 21 knots, the builder says the kite can power the Silent 60 at 6 to 7 knots alone, or it can bump the speed with motors to go faster than the usual 8-knot cruise speed. 

Big Sisters

In addition to the Silent-Yachts 60, the boatbuilder has 62-, 80- and 120-foot electric power cats available for owners looking for something bigger. Additionally, it recently started work on the hybrid-powered Silent VisionF 82. 

Take the next step: silent-yachts.com

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Electric boats

Silent yachts, silent yachts launches solar catamaran with kite wing sail and 100 mile daily range from the sun.

Solar boat engineer and designer Silent Yachts has shared new details of the SILENT-60, a 60′ catamaran with 42 solar panels and two electric propelled motors backed by 286 kWh of battery capacity. While Silent Yachts’ solar-powered vessels are all unique, the SILENT-60 will also be fitted with a 9-13 square meter kite wing, generating additional clean power to pull the yacht.

Silent Yachts was founded by Heike and Michael Köhle, who together have sailed over 75,000 nautical miles around the world, and decided there had to be a better way to propel yachts with clean energy.

After beginning research into solar yacht technologies in 2004, Silent Yachts gathered five years of sailing data and constructed its first fully self-sufficient solar-powered catamaran , the Solarwave 46.

After a five-year trial at sea that began in 2010, Silent Yachts had a proven solar yacht concept, and began serial production of luxury sustainable vessels in 2016 with the SILENT-64. By 2018, The SILENT-64 had become the first serial-production solar-powered bluewater catamaran to cross the Atlantic, from Cartagena, Spain to Barbados in 16 days.

In 2020, the company announced a partnership with Volkswagen Group , which will supply all the components and batteries for a new 50-foot yacht. The yacht will be designed with the help of Cupra, and will utilize VW’s MEB Platform.

Earlier this year, Silent Yachts launched the SILENT-60 as a more powerful, revamped generation of the SILENT-64. With the company’s latest announcement, the SILENT-60 catamaran looks to separate itself from other solar yachts by utilizing even more sustainable propulsion techniques.

The SILENT-60 solar yacht specs

In addition to being a yacht completely powered using solar energy, Silent Yachts has now shared an additional kite wing option that can deliver even more clean range to the Silent-60.

According to the press release, the SILENT-60 will be the first vessel to be fitted with a nine or 13 square meter kite wing, although the option will now be available on all Silent Yacht models.

After deploying the compact kite, it drifts away on the surface of the water before pulling taught and launching into the air. When it reaches its optimal flight height, the kite begins to trace a “figure 8” in the sky, generating additional power to pull the solar yacht. Silent Yacht founder Michael Köhler elaborates:

The main advantages of a kite over a conventional sail system are that it does not throw shade on the solar panels, does not need a tall mast, and generates up to 10 times more power per square meter than a traditional sail. In addition to that it saves about 1.5 tons of weight compared to conventional rig and costs much less. It makes even more sense for the SILENT boats that run on renewable solar energy because the power generated by a kite easily exceeds the energy consumption of the system, so you can charge the batteries while cruising under kite power. And besides that, it’s great fun!

When yacht owners want to stop kiting, an automated app controls the kite, moving it to a position right above the boat where it has the least pull on the line. This allows for more easy electric winching down over the foredeck for stowage.

In addition to the wind kite option, the SILENT-60 yacht comes with 42 solar panels, garnering 17 kWp of energy from the sun to power two, 340 kW electric motors. The system is backed by a battery capacity up to 286 kWh.

As a required safety measure, the SILENT-60 is equipped with a generator and 1,000 liters of fuel. However, according to the Silent-Yachts’ owners, they almost never use it because they have enough solar power and electric energy.

According to Silent Yachts, the SILENT-60 can cruise efficiently with zero emissions using solar power only for up to 100 nautical miles a day and can maintain that pace for weeks. The vessel’s cruise speed is six to eight knots, but it can get up to a top speed of 20 knots using the all-electric motors.

The SILENT-60 comes with four guest cabins but can be designed with a custom layout for those willing to pay a bit more. Speaking of which, the SILENT-60 starts at 2.39 million euros ($2.69 million).

The first of these SILENT-60 solar yachts was built in Thailand, but the company plans to build future units in Italy. Furthermore, Silent Yachts has already shared design plans for a SILENT-80 and SILENT-100 Explorer vessel.

More electrified boats are sure to make their maiden voyage soon. In the meantime, check out this launch video detailing the style and luxury of the SILENT-60:

Electrek’s take

The more I see electric propulsion on larger and larger boats, the more excited I get. While this is still such a niche segment in not just maritime transportation, but electrified mobility overall, it really excites me personally.

Many of you (hopefully) saw my previous article where I got to captain a solar-powered yacht called the Ramblin’ Rose, thanks to Sunwater Marine . That experience helped me learn and experience a lot of similar technology that Silent Yachts has implemented on an even larger and more powerful scale with its catamarans.

While it’s safe to say that my current income level might get me on board a SILENT-60 solar yacht as a mere stowaway, those who can afford their own are going to be blessed with luxury and performance with zero emissions. The quicker we stop burning diesel in our Earth’s waters (and anywhere else while we’re at it), the better.

A top speed 20 knots is nearly 23 mph, not bad for two electric motors getting all their energy from the sun. Obviously, that speed is not sustainable for the batteries, but being able to get 100 NMs from the sun each day truly means you can take this yacht out for weeks at a time if you want. Not to mention the unique wing kite that actually pulls the 60-foot yacht, unlike a sailboat that is pushed by the wind. No range anxiety here.

I’d love to get below deck on one of the Silent Yachts and explore the inner workings… while getting a tan in the Mediterranean, perhaps? A kid could dream, right? For now, I’ll simply have to report electric boat news from my squeaky chair, pretending the cars whizzing by outside are calm ocean waves lapping against the yacht’s hull. Is it too early for a mojito?

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Scooter Doll is a writer, designer and tech enthusiast born in Chicago and based on the West Coast. When he’s not offering the latest tech how tos or insights, he’s probably watching Chicago sports. Please send any tips or suggestions, or dog photos to him at [email protected]

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Boat of the Week: This Solar-Powered Electric Catamaran Can Cruise Silently and Emissions Free

Minimal emissions from a solar-powered, 60-foot motoryacht is a very big deal. but we found other big features that could be improved., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

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John, Paul, George and Ringo singing “Here Comes the Sun” would make the perfect anthem for Austrian-owned Silent Group’s newest 60-foot power catamaran, the $3 million Silent 60.

Why? Without sunshine, you won’t get very far.

Thankfully, the searing Florida sun is beating down as we take to Fort Lauderdale’s bustling Intracoastal Waterway to try-out this eco-friendly Silent 60. With its roof and foredeck crammed full of solar panels, the sixty-footer is humming along at a leisurely six mph on just zero-emissions battery power.

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The batteries are recharged by solar panels that occupy nearly every available square foot of exterior space.  Courtesy Silent Yachts

Just as its name suggests, the ride is hushed, with just the gentle, soothing sound of water bubbling-up in the wake to interrupt the peace and quiet.

“Silent running is top of the list when it comes to what appeals to our customers. They don’t want to hear engines or feel vibration,” Silent Yachts ‘ in-house designer Juliana Miguel told Robb Report , during the run.

“These days it’s also about fuel costs,” adds US sales director, Philip Bell. “One customer ordered a new 60 after getting tired of using his 80-foot Italian motoryacht for weekend trips to the Bahamas and spending $12,000 on fuel each time.”

The 30-foot beam delivers strong interior space and wide social areas on the outside.  Courtesy Silent Yachts

The Silent 60’s claim to fame? Quiet, zero-emission, electric-only cruising at 7 to 8 mph for up to nine hours, or roughly 100 nautical miles a day. Throttle back to 4 mph, and the company says you have the possibility of near perpetual motion.

We’re sampling the third hull of the constantly evolving Silent 60 series that launched last summer. Silent has been the leader in inventing the solar-powered electric-cruiser niche. Replacing the original Silent 55, the 60 has been such a boat-show hit that more than 30 are currently awaiting construction at Silent’s yards in Fano, Italy and Istanbul, Turkey.

The yacht we’re on is an original folding-hardtop version, with its cantilevered roof panel that, at the push of a button, lowers to cover the small, open flybridge area. Tastes, however, are evolving.

The boat’s 30-foot beam allows for an apartment-sized, open salon.  Courtesy Quin Bassett

According to Bell, most of the new 60s currently in build are “tri-deck” models, featuring a significantly larger flybridge area, a fixed rather than folding roof (also covered with solar panels), and the option of a fully open flybridge, or glass-enclosed “sky lounge,” designed for additional entertaining space or even a master suite.

At the dock, given its 30-foot beam, the 60 looks humongous. To our eyes, it’s not going to win any beauty contests. Towering, vertical hull-sides, a fairly-shapeless upright bow design, and straight up-and-down cabin sides give the catamaran a square-edged, boxy look. All function with little form.

But what the owner gets are huge interior spaces. Inside, it feels like a floating apartment, with a cavernous salon, spacious galley, large dining area, and huge aft deck. Down below are choices of three or four spacious en-suite cabins in the hulls.

A good boat for the sunny canals of Fort Lauderdale.  Courtesy Quin Bissett/Silent Yachts

But the quality of the interior doesn’t track with the boat’s $3 million-plus price tag. Thin cabinet doors, dull-looking fabrics, gelcoat fiberglass on the salon ceilings, faux-wood vinyl flooring, and an inside helm station that was little more than an upholstered board with instruments that looked haphazardly arranged, were all below par, considering the upscale market Silent is targeting.

Miguel says the interior will change with the next generation of 60s arriving towards the end of the year, with a big step-up in terms of quality of materials, attention to detail, style, and fit and finish. So, why didn’t they wait to unveil the boat to the media before they got to that point?

The man at the helm is Silent Yachts’ delivery captain and chief tester Kyle Miller. With a jiggle of a joystick control and a touch of bow-thruster, he maneuvers the 60 out of its tight, side-on slip and eases into the busy Intracoastal Waterway.

All function, no form? The 60-footer’s boxy shape is out of synch with other cat manufacturers that use more curves in their superstructures.  Courtesy Silent Yachts

The yacht features Silent’s E-Power propulsion package, with twin Dana TM4 200kW or 268 hp electric motors and 207kWh lithium-ion batteries. They’re good for an 8 mph cruise speed and claimed 16 mph top speed. There’s also a base version with twin 50kW or 67 hp motors juiced by a 143kWh lithium-ion battery bank. Even Miller admits this is short on power.

The best, and of course the priciest, option is the E-Power+ package, featuring twin 340kW 455 hp motors and 286kWh batteries. It’s said to be good for tide-punching bursts of up to 20 mph.

“For anyone who wants to dash around at 17 knots all day long, our recommendation is to buy a different boat,” says Miller. “The Silent 60 is designed for relaxing on the move, gliding from one anchorage to the next, and being self-sufficient on the hook.”

Open space on the flybridge.  Courtesy Silent Yachts

As we discovered, the 60 isn’t always a Tesla of the seas. Running over 6 mph will necessitate firing up the Hyundai diesel generator for one of every three hours of running time to keep the batteries charged. And that’s not silent.

While ambling along at 6 mph is fine for laid-back cruising, we also had concerns about a lack of reserve power for tackling strong currents and adverse tides.

Even our test boat’s twin 200kW motors struggled to keep the 60 under control when maneuvering against a fast, incoming tide under Lauderdale’s narrow 17th Street Bridge. The bigger 340kW motors are definitely the way to go for running in fast currents or tidal waters.

Galley and dining area  Courtesy Silent Yachts

Without doubt, this new Silent 60 showcases the appeal of electric power on the water. The way it efficiently and effectively harnesses the sun’s rays, its largely zero-emissions running, coupled with its huge and versatile interior space, is impressive for a family cruiser.

Just don’t plan on getting anywhere in a hurry—and beware of fast-running tides.

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• Electric Yacht
• Silent Yachts

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New Silent Yachts For Sale

Silent yachts are the industry leader in ocean-going production yachts that are completely solar sustainable and powered by solar energy. seaworthy, luxurious, and built to impeccable standards, silent yachts are already desirable without its solar capabilities. with the abundance of solar panels on board each boat, every silent yachts model is able to cruise for 100 nautical miles in complete silence. even while at anchor, the solar-powered generators keep the yacht powered quietly for an unprecedented boating experience. enjoy all the benefits of a power catamaran with the addition of solar energy..

Silent Yachts

Silent Yachts 80

Silent Yachts 55

Speak To A Silent Yachts Sales Professional

Silent Yachts offer an environmentally conscious choice when it comes to owning a yacht. Silent Yachts currently offers three solar-powered power catamaran models including the Silent 55, Silent 64, and Silent 80. United Yacht Sales is proud to be the U.S. distributor for Silent Yachts and can assist you in your search for the world's first solar-powered yacht. For more information, please contact United Yacht broker Darren Sell at (561) 351-7333 or by email at [email protected] . 

Where are Silent Yachts built?

Silent Yachts are built through two different shipyards depending on the model. The Silent 55 is built at the world-class shipyard of Mazarin German Yachts which also has a production site located in China. For over 70 years, Mazarin has been a leader in quality yacht construction with over 400 yachts delivered. Mazarin are experts in innovative construction processes that are able to produce light weight yachts.

The Silent 64 and Silent 80 are produced at the Italian-based shipyard Consorzio Navale which is a prestigous consoritum of builders and sub-contractors in the industry. The group has serviced many of the major Italian yacht brands such as Ferretti Yachts and Riva Yachts . Additionally, the Silent Yachts 80 features styling and design by Marco Casali and naval architecture by Insenaval.

Are Silent Yachts really completely solar-powered?

The short answer is yes. Owners can choose to go 100% solar-powered or install diesel engines should higher speeds want to be achieved over longer distances. Silent Yachts can cruise up to 100 miles per day by power acquired through its solar panels. Every day the solar panels are able to generate more power than the total consumption needed for propulsion at cruising speeds plus powering all of the appliances on board. 

How does the solar power work? 

The Silent Yachts power system feeds the electric propulsion of the power cat and all of the energy it needs to run the A/C, refrigerators, and other household appliances. Light-weight lithium batteries provide an ample amount of energy for everything on board. The lithium batteries used in Silent Yachts are the most expensive ones on the market, but also the most reliable, safe, and have the longest life span.

Solar panels are integrated to the roof of the flybridge hardtop sections instead of just being bolted on top, resulting in no wind load or resistance againest them. Below is a video explaining how the system functions and operates back when Silent Yachts were originally called "Solar Wave":

Who is the team behind Silent Yachts?

Heike and Michael Kohler have sent almost their entire lives on a boat. After more than two decades of using various boats, cruisers, and sailboats on multiple oceans, they became dedicated to finding a better energy source for the propulsion of yachts. Between the years of 2005 and 2009, Heike and Michael tested a number of a multitude of various alternative energy sources. In 2009, SolarWave 46 was launched as a proof of concept for their design. While there are many boats and yachts built that use solar power in some fashion, the Solarwave 46 was the first ocean-going yacht to use solar energy to power everything on board from engines to appliances.

What else is different about how Silent Yachts are built?

Certainly the solar-powered engines and generators are the distinguishing characteristic, but there are a lot of other features that make each Silent Yacht unique. For example, the molds were created using a CNC-milling machine that is able to contruct particular shapes for an optimized design. The materials used in the hull include a carbon compositie that is then resin-infused for a light-weight, but very strong platform. Every hull is fully insulated and the long-term durability is exceptional thanks to the high-quality resin used in the infusion process.

What propulsion systems are recommended by Silent Yachts?

Silent Yachts recommends the 2 x 135 engines as the best solution. If the owner is making frequest trips from Point A to B (Say Miami to the Bahamas for example) the faster hybrid is recommended. The main differentiator here is cruising speed. If the owner is living on the yacht for an extended period of time, rarely pushes the engines to top speeds, and stays below 12 knots, then the E-Power is recommended.

When the generator is running, does the 100Kw go to charging the batteries (which run the 250 Kw e-Motors) or directly to the e-Motors?

All of the enery consumers and producers are connected to the bus bar. If there happens to be more power produced than consumed, the excess power goes to re-charge the batteries. If for some reason more power is required than what is produced, the needed power comes from the lithium batteries.

What is the sustained speed if both 100 Kw generators are running?

This answer really depends upon sea condition and the weight of the boat (for example components, additional equipment, water toys, etc.). The sustained speed on average though is between 12 and 14 knots, 10 knots with one generator running. It is possible to cruise at 10 knots without a generator running when using the Solar E-Power.

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Silent Yachts’ shining debut at the Venice Boat Show 2024

The 2024 edition of the Venice Boat Show placed a spotlight on sustainable innovation, featuring the inaugural appearance of Silent Yachts with its Silent 60 2-Deck. Hosted at the historic Arsenale, the event provided the perfect stage for this groundbreaking, solar-powered yacht, which mesmerized visitors with its distinctive features and environmentally conscious design.

Silent-Yachts emerges stronger under new ownership

Silent-Yachts has restructured to emerge stronger under new ownership. With a new management team in place and access to fresh funding, there is a robust and solid growth strategy in place that covers the next five years.

New majority owner Michael Said is an American-German investor who is also a client of Silent-Yachts, with a Silent 62 3-Deck in build now. Through his acquisition vehicle Helios Yacht Investments GmbH, he has taken control of all the assets formerly belonging to Silent-Yachts, including the intellectual property behind the yachts’ innovative design, and the shipyard Silent Italia in Fano.

New Silent Drivetrain

Our latest Silent 62 launches are equipped with the next generation of what was already the most advanced and reliable solar-electric drivetrain available on the market. In this chapter we will introduce you to the upgrades and advantages.

The fundamental basics of our Silent Drivetrain date back to the Solarwave 46 prototype in 2009. Ever since then, our team has been making consistent changes towards the system to further improve performance and efficiency. Our latest generation Silent Drivetrain makes significant changes towards the core components in order to bring it to the next level, while maintaining the high levels of safety already provided by previous Silent Drivetrains.

Tech shorts 2023

This year, we launched a new series called “Tech Shorts”. Here our Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Stephan Kress describes our research towards different technological and engineering aspects of our yachts in less than 2 minutes per video.

Electric power event on the water

Come on board of our solar powered catamaran and join the e-mobility revolution with our partners on Mallorca.

You will have the unique possibility to test premium electric brands such as Fliteboard, Awake, Radinn and XShore. In addition, there is also the opportunity to relax on board of our SILENT 64 and the floating platform from Yacht Beach.

Shipyard tour Italy by Michael & Heike

What is the range of a solar electric yacht?

Where are Silent yachts built?

What are the benefits of solar electric yachting?

Dubai International Boat Show

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PMG Shipyard: Pride of Thailand

• October 26, 2021

Best known internationally for building the new Silent 60 for the fast-growing Silent-Yachts, the PMG Shipyard in Thailand owned by Philippe Guenat also produces its own solar-assisted Heliotrope powercats as well as custom builds in a spectacular two-hectare beachfront facility that’s now also equipped for catamaran refits.

Philippe Guenat (second left) with staff at PMG Shipyard

As Silent-Yachts showcases the first hull of its new Silent 60 in Europe this autumn, the man who oversaw its construction for the past two years is almost 10,000km away in his PMG Shipyard on the coast of Rayong.

Philippe Guenat, the shipyard’s owner and General Manager, is responsible for the construction of not just the first but several hulls of the Silent 60 at PMG, which is named after his initials like his other companies in his native Switzerland and Panama.

Guenat (in red) receiving an award on behalf of Bakri Cono, now PMG Shipyard

Guenat admits that after a testing couple of years building hull one through the Covid period alongside other units of the same model, he felt both relief and pride to see the first unit delivering upon all expectations during sea trials in the Gulf of Thailand before it was delivered to Spain.

“I could see from the reaction of the Silent-Yachts engineers during sea trials that they were very happy. The boat performed perfectly. It made my day to see their reactions,” says Guenat, whose fascinating life includes a career in hospitality, adventurous passions like flying, sailing and scuba diving, plus a deep, ongoing commitment to developing luxury solar-electric yachts.

The first Silent 60 solar-electric catamaran during sea trials in the Gulf of Thailand

CATAMARAN SPECIALIST

Promoting itself as a ‘Custom Yacht Builder’, PMG Shipyard focuses on catamarans, whether solar-assisted like the shipyard’s own Heliotrope line launched in 2013 or fully solar-powered like the Silent-Yachts models, which it has also been building since 2019.

In fact, ‘Silent’ and ‘Heliotrope’ signs top the entrances to two of the shipyard’s four largest open-front production halls, each measuring in the region of 50m deep by 25m wide (164ft by 82ft). There are three more halls on the impressive site, which spans 200m along a beachfront road and covers over two hectares (20,800sqm).

PMG Shipyard’s two-hectare site spans 200m along a beachfront road in Rayong

As well as specialising in vinyl infusion, the shipyard packs some serious hardware including a 50-tonne-capacity travel lift that was specially made in China by Magicart. This purpose-built hoist is 9.6m high and has a width of 14.4m so it can transfer cats to the shipyard’s 13m-wide outdoor testing pool, which is 25m long and can take boats up to 80ft.

More recently, the shipyard has welcomed a custom-made boat trailer that took 2½ years to design. Specially made for cats up to 80ft, the trailer enables PMG to move boats across the road, down the beach and into the sea in just 15 minutes, meaning the days of hiring external companies for each boat launch are over.

The site has immediate access to water for launching

The new trailer’s ability to retrieve catamarans from the sea also means PMG can now offer refits, previously not possible due to an inability to haul out boats from the shore.

Despite the challenges of Covid, the shipyard employs about 100 staff, with over two-thirds of them graduates of Thailand’s specialist boatbuilding schools in the likes of Khon Kaen, Sukhothai and Nakhon Si Thammarat, an initiative inspired by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a passionate sailor.

The 47ft-wide Magicart transfers a Silent 60 to PMG Shipyard’s pool

Remarkably, Guenat’s family owns a historic shipyard by Lake Geneva that built two boats for the former King of Thailand while he was studying in Switzerland.

SOLAR PIONEERS

Growing up in Geneva, Guenat began boating and flying, inheriting a passion for planes from his father and uncle who were both military pilots. However, he didn’t follow the family tradition in the business world. Instead of a career in private banking, the family business, he forged a career in hospitality that only ended in the middle of this year when he sold his company.

The testing pool is about 42ft wide and can take boats up to 80ft

“I loved the five-star industry and became a hotelier,” recalls Guenat, whose hospitality business took him around the world including a decade in Thailand from 1990-2000.

His interest in solar power developed from his flying days when he became friends with fellow pilots Bertrand Piccard, now 63, and later Raphaël Domjan, 49, both renowned adventurers. Piccard’s long list of achievements include becoming the first person to complete a non-stop circumnavigation by balloon (1999) and the first to circumnavigate by solar-powered fixed-wing aircraft (2015-2016).

Showing the solar panels on the first Silent 60

Domjan’s remarkable career includes the first circumnavigation on a boat using solar energy, which he completed on the 31m catamaran Planet Solar from September 2010-May 2012. He’s also the founder and pilot of SolarStratos, an aeronautical project aimed at flying a solar-powered airplane to the stratosphere.

HOTELIER TO BOATBUILDER

Meanwhile, Guenat wanted to pursue his own dream of building a luxury yacht assisted by solar power, even while he was still managing his hospitality company.

“When we were flying, we were always talking about solar and what could be done, what should be done,” says Guenat, a board member of Domjan’s SolarStratos.

PMG has a new custom-made catamaran trailer for both launching and retrieval

“Bertrand and Raphaël were adventurers, very extreme. I owned a hotel group, but said something should be done in yachting, like covering the roof in solar panels. However, nobody had seen it or done it, so people weren’t interested.”

In 2008, Guenat talked to many shipyards in Europe about his idea for a solar-electric boat, which he was willing to finance, but time and again he was turned away – politely and impolitely.

MEETING OF MINDS

Having lived and worked in Thailand for a decade, Guenat was still a regular visitor to the Kingdom, where he had furniture made for his hotel group in Switzerland. He was also aware of the country’s boatbuilding schools and knew of several small shipyards by Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Jomtien, just south of Pattaya, where he tried his luck in 2009.

The Heliotrope 65, Guenat’s first solar catamaran

After drawing a blank at the first three shipyards he tried, Guenat was on the cusp of giving up on his quest when he visited Bakri Cono. Inside, he found open-minded support in the form of South African owner Corrie Lamprecht, who was running the yard with his two sons.

“I had been looking for two years and Corrie was the only person in the industry who showed interest,” Guenat says.

Working with yacht designer Dr Albert Nazarov, who founded Albatross Marine Design in Pattaya in 2006, it took 18 months to develop the solar technology. To put the theory into practice, Guenat built the first Heliotrope 65, which used solar power for all on board systems but not propulsion.

Interior of the Heliotrope 65

“The boat was a total success and the electrical power produced was outstanding,” Guenat says of the model’s first build, launched in 2013. “We never had a problem with the solar panels or electrical setup, only a problem with a toilet pump!”

Having moved to live full-time in Thailand and become an investor in Bakri Cono, Guenat’s belief in the Heliotrope led to a determination to find a larger site for the shipyard. He eventually found PMG’s current location in Rayong, which had been a boatbuilding facility since 1976 but was then abandoned.

Heliotrope 48s in Hong Kong (above) and Sydney (below)

Guenat spent several months and even hired a private detective to track down the owner, eventually securing the site and beginning a seven-month renovation. In 2016, Bakri Cono officially began operations in the new site where they continued building the Heliotrope 48, a model bought by buyers from Hong Kong to Australia.

SILENT PARTNER

The shipyard’s role in building the Silent 60 evolved in 2019, a year in which Guenat fully bought over the company and renamed it PMG.

Bart Kimman, an experienced Hong Kong-based broker then working for Camper & Nicholsons, saw a Silent 55 at a boat show in Phuket and connected Guenat to Michael Köhler, founder and CEO of Silent-Yachts, who was looking for a facility to build the company’s new generation of solar-electric cats.

Another Silent cat in build at PMG Shipyard

Without having even met Köhler in person, Guenat had recommended Nazarov to assist on the new designs and then committed to building the first units of the Silent 60, a model announced at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September 2019.

“Michael then started getting so many orders for the Silent 60. I said I can build them, but the last one will come out in 2025,” Guenat laughs. “They needed to find another shipyard to keep up with demand and found one in Italy.”

PMG Shipyard is also building a Heliotrope 70

Soon after PMG started on the first hulls of the Silent 60, Covid spread across the globe in early 2020, causing delays in shipping parts and forcing restrictions on workers, especially manual labourers. However, Guenat and his team have ploughed through, with five hulls being built simultaneously at one stage. The second Silent 60 had sea trials in August ahead of its delivery to the US.

“It has been a difficult two years,” Guenat says. “We have 100 people in the shipyard, and we’ve had to be so careful. Our builders have to wear masks the whole day in the heat of Thailand, so they’ve done really well.”

GROWING INTEREST

Around the same time PMG started producing the Silent 60, it also looked set to begin building the Waka 80, an 80ft sailing cat designed by Berrett-Racoupeau. The model was also promoted at the 2019 Cannes Yachting Festival, generating strong interest.

The Waka 80 designed by Berrett-Racoupeau

“The Waka 80 is very appealing because we can build it at the same quality but at a much lower cost than in Europe. After Cannes, we had three appointments, two became extremely serious and finally we were arranging a work schedule for construction with a very famous entrepreneur,” Guenat says.

“We agreed to resume planning and reconvene in January or February, but as Covid became widespread, he had to prioritise his company and staff salaries. It’s an amazing design and we’re ready to build it.”

Design of the Heliotrope 70

With its expanded production capacity, well trained workforce, specialist hardware like its testing pool, Magicart travel lift and catamaran trailer, as well as immediate seafront access, PMG Shipyard is better equipped than ever, with repeat business from Silent-Yachts balanced by private orders.

Guenat, though, is happiest about the fact that solar boats have soared in popularity, to the extent that Silent-Yachts announced well over 20 orders for its new-generation models from 60-80ft before the first Silent 60 was even delivered.

Compare that to the past five years, when the brand built a total of 11 units of the Silent 64 and 55 in Turkey and China. Guenat believes the success of electric cars is the main driver behind the growing appeal of solar boats.

A Heliotrope 48 leaving PMG Shipyard

“Environmental awareness has made a big impact, so now there are more people talking about solar, but the person we should thank most is Elon Musk. Tesla created a trend, so once we had a car moving with batteries, people started to believe a boat could move with batteries and Silent-Yachts became more popular,” Guenat says.

“Michael Köhler is like Elon Musk as they both have a special character, are passionate about their job and don’t take no for an answer. And Tesla owners are now the most likely to buy solar boats. Yet just a decade or so ago, when I was talking about solar boats, nobody took me seriously. Now, people understand.” www.pmgshipyard.com

Racoupeau designs Waka 80 PMG Shipyard in Thailand is preparing to start construction on the Waka 80 sailing catamaran designed by Berret-Racoupeau, the renowned French studio based in La Rochelle.

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SILENT 120 EXPLORER

SILENT 120 EXPLORER is a 36.74 m Motor Yacht, built in Italy by Silent Yachts and delivered in 2024.

Her top speed is 16.0 kn and her cruising speed is 10.0 kn and her power comes from two electric engines. She can accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 staterooms, with 5 crew members waiting on their every need. She has a gross tonnage of 440.0 GT and a 13.85 m beam.

She was designed by Marco Casali , who also designed the interior. Marco Casali has designed 4 yachts and designed the interior of 4 yachts for yachts above 24 metres.

SILENT 120 EXPLORER is in the top 30% by LOA in the world. She is one of 1177 motor yachts in the 35-40m size range, and, compared to similarly sized motor yachts, her volume is 172.15 GT above the average.

SILENT 120 EXPLORER is registered under the Marshall Islands flag, the 5th most popular flag state for superyachts with a total of 456 yachts registered

Specifications

• Name: SILENT 120 EXPLORER
• Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
• Yacht Subtype: Multihull , Expedition Yacht
• Builder: Silent Yachts
• Exterior Designer: Marco Casali
• Interior Designer: Marco Casali

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