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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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Silent Yachts 60 Series

Unlimited range  |  noiseless cruising  |  zero emission  |  minimal maintenance, noiseless and self-sustaining cruising powered by the sun. a revolution to oceanic travel with zero emission..

Silent Yachts 62

The silent 60 series showcases the best in solar-electric yachting, offering innovative, efficient, and sustainable solutions for modern explorers. with its award-winning design, including the coveted “best of boats award” in the ‘best for travel’ category, the silent 60 is a perfect fusion of luxury and eco-friendly performance. available in a variety of deck and cabin configurations, it is ideal for families or individuals who wish to cruise with or without crew, providing customizable comfort and advanced solar-powered propulsion for seamless travel on the water. the silent 62 offers even more space and range, making it perfect for extended cruising adventures. featuring enhanced solar-electric technology and increased accommodations, it’s built for those who desire longer journeys in greater comfort. for the ultimate yachting experience, the silent 62 tri-deck takes luxury to new heights, offering three expansive decks for relaxation and entertainment, while maintaining the same sustainability and efficiency as the rest of the series. whether cruising with family or guests, these yachts deliver unparalleled performance, combining the best of solar technology with luxury and versatility., the tranquility on board of our yachts is unique. a lack of noise, fumes and vibrations create a deep connection with the sea. luxury and sustainability finally merged into a holistic experience, working hand in hand with nature by minimizing the impact on the marine environment without compromising comfort., for optimal performance and efficiency, our solar-electric drivetrain integrates seamlessly with all onboard systems. compared to fossil fuelled powertrains of motoryachts, electric powertrains have very few moving parts, resulting in minimal maintenance, maximum reliability and significantly lower running costs., the ability to recharge your own batteries with the sun marks a new era of freedom. depending on cruising speeds and weather conditions, a silent has virtually unlimited range, enabling you to live a fully self-sufficient lifestyle on board. unbound by the limitations of fossil fuels, you are free to explore the horizons., the technology powering our yachts today has been pioneered by our founders almost three decades ago. continuous upgrading and steady optimization of the entire system are some of the key reasons our in-house developed solar-electric drivetrain offers a comprehensive portfolio of assurances and warranties., how can we help you.

We would be thrilled to chat with you, learn more about your story and see if it makes sense for us to help you get on the water more often.

Please reach out.

• [email protected]
• 206.949.2270

120 Explorer

The boldest expression of solar powered yachting yet.

Our 120 Explorer brings Silent Yachts’ technology to the superyacht level. Capable to taking you almost anywhere on the water, she pushes our dedication to engineering and innovation further than any other electric yacht before. Just as with our 80 Series, Marco Casali was responsible for the futuristic exterior and opulent interior design of this supercatamaran. Bespoke customization across all four decks ensures the owner´s vision will be transformed into reality effortlessly.

Specifications

Exterior deck

Flybridge & Helipad

Solar-electric yachting advantages

Unlimited range, noiseless cruising, zero emission, minimal maintenance, 12o series highlights.

Touch & go helipad

With the help of a sliding mechanism, the solar panels are capable of moving apart – revealing a sun deck which can also be used as a touch and go helipad. It was specially designed for eVTOLs (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircrafts). This makes her the first Silent offering 4 complete decks.

Electric submarine

In combination with the NEMO, a series produced electric submarine, you can explore depths of up to 100 m. Designed by U-Boat Worx, the batteries of the optional submarine can be recharged by connecting it directly to the yacht.

2 Tender garages

The 120 Explorer is equipped with two tender garages. The first one is located between the hulls and accommodates limo tenders of up to 7.5 m. In addition, a smaller crew tender and toys can be stored in the side-loading garage in the port hull.

Incredible space

900 m² of combined exterior and interior space means this super catamaran offers similar amounts of space as monohulls measuring up to 50 m in length, giving you plenty of opportunity to play with.

If you would like to enquire about this electric yacht and get in touch with a member of our team, please click on the button below.

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